Student satisfaction and academic efficacy during online learning with the mediating effect of student engagement: A multi-country study.

The COVID-19 pandemic caused unprecedented changes to educational institutions, forcing their closure and a subsequent shift to online education to cater to student learning requirements. However, successful online learning depends on several factors and may also vary between countries. As such, this cross-sectional study sought to investigate how engagement of university students, a major driver of online learning, was influenced by course content, online interaction, student acceptance, and satisfaction with online learning, as well as self-efficacy across nine countries (China, India, Iran, Italy, Malaysia, Portugal, Serbia, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using a questionnaire-based approach, data collected from 6,489 university students showed that student engagement was strongly linked to perception of the quality of the course content and online interactions (p < .001). The current study also indicated that online interactions are a major determinant of academic efficacy but only if mediated by engagement within the online learning context. A negative correlation between student engagement and satisfaction with online learning was found, demonstrating the importance of students being engaged behaviorally, emotionally, and cognitively to feel satisfied with learning. Academic efficacy and student satisfaction were explained by course content, online interaction, and online learning acceptance, being mediated by student engagement. Student satisfaction and, to a lesser degree academic efficacy, were also associated with online learning acceptance. Overall, the structural equation model was a good fit for the data collected from all nine countries (CFI = .947, TLI = .943; RMSEA = .068; SRMR = .048), despite differences in the percentage variations explained by each factor (no invariance), likely due to differences in levels of technology use, learning management systems, and the preparedness of teachers to migrate to full online instruction. Despite limitations, the results of this study highlight the most important factors affecting online learning, providing insight into potential approaches for improving student experiences in online learning environments.

Retaining nurses via organizational support and pay during COVID-19 pandemic: The moderating effect between intrinsic and extrinsic incentives.

AIM: There has been growing concern about the nurses' turnover intention as well as life satisfaction during COVID-19 pandemic in Iran. The past research has provided evidence on the effect of organizational support on nurses' job satisfaction and turnover intention. However, little is known about the underlying mechanism behind these associations. DESIGN: A cross-sectional survey was undertaken. METHODS: An online survey was conducted in Iran from May to June 2020 through Google Docs Forms. In total, 305 nurses were participated and completed the online survey. Data were analysed using structural equation modelling through (AMOS). This study was checked with the STROBE checklist. RESULT: The results showed that nurses' perception of organizational support was positively related to their job satisfaction which in turn decreases the turnover intention. Likewise, the job satisfaction partially mediated the relationship between organizational support and nurses' life satisfaction.

The Impact of Scarcity on Consumers' Impulse Buying Based on the S-O-R Theory.

Purpose: The global COVID-19 pandemic impacted the healthcare systems of every nation. The scarcity of medical protective equipment led to impulse buying at the early stages of the COVID-19 outbreak in China which resulted in stockpiling and the increase of prices by retailers and insufficiencies among frontline workers. This situation impacted epidemic control work and market order and is the context from which this paper identifies how the scarcity of medical protective equipment affected Chinese consumers' impulse buying based on the theories of S-O-R model and bandwagon effect. The research provides insight into the mechanism of mediation (fear of missing out) and moderation (bandwagon) in the relationship between scarcity and impulse buying. Design/Methodology/Approach: This study uses convenience sampling, surveying 488 Chinese consumers through an online questionnaire. Smart-PLS was used to test the hypotheses. Findings: The empirical findings demonstrate that scarcity makes consumers fear missing the chance of getting protective medical equipment, leading ultimately to impulse buying. Besides, the scarcity effect on consumers' impulse buying was found to depend on other consumers' follow up behaviour in such emergency situations. Research Limitations/Implications: The findings provide managerial and theoretical insight and a point of reference for businesses in the implementation of a scarcity strategy. The findings will also prove useful to the Chinese Risk Response Department as it continuously improves its responses to the risk of consumers' impulse buying during a pandemic. Originality/Value: This study consolidates and takes research forward in the areas of impulse buying and consumer behaviour, confirming the mediating effect of fear of missing out and the moderating effect of the bandwagon in the relationship between scarcity and impulse buying.

Concerns regarding the validity of nutrition self-efficacy questionnaire among Iranian elderly population.

There are some statistical concerns regarding a recently published article which has claimed to develop and psychometrically evaluate an instrument to assess the nutrition self-efficacy among Iranian elderly population.

The relationship between abusive supervision, psychological ownership, and quality of nursing care: The mediating role of job satisfaction.

PURPOSE: This study tested a hypothetical model to evaluate the relationship between job satisfaction, abusive supervision, and psychological ownership with the quality of nursing care. DESIGN AND METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, a sample of 300 nurses from two public hospitals in Iran was selected. Exploratory factor analysis was used to assess the measurement model and the proposed structural model. FINDINGS: There was a significant negative relationship between abusive supervision with nurses' job satisfaction and quality of nursing care. A positive relationship between psychological ownership with nurses' job satisfaction and quality of nursing care was observed. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Given the importance of nurses' job satisfaction, nursing managers can enhance the quality of nursing care by providing a favorable work environment for nurses.

Psychometric evaluation of the Persian version of the spiritual well-being scale (SWBS) in Iranian patients with cancer.

OBJECTIVE: The spiritual well-being scale (SWBS) is a widely used clinical scale which should be evaluated for Iranian patients with cancer. The aim of this study is to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Persian version of the SWBS in Iranian patients with cancer. METHOD: This cross-sectional, methodological study was conducted among Iranian patients with cancer (n = 400). The participants were recruited using convenience sampling. The content, construct, convergent and discriminant validity, and reliability of the Persian version of the SWBS were evaluated. RESULTS: A two-factor structure for the scale was indicated with the factors being: connecting with God and meaningless life that explained 54.18% of the total variance of the concept of spiritual well-being. The results demonstrated the model had a good fit. Cronbach's alpha, McDonald's omega, and the inter-item correlation values of the factors indicated good internal consistency of the scale. SIGNIFICANCE OF RESULTS: These results suggest that the Persian version of the SWBS is a reliable and valid measure to assess the spiritual well-being of patients with cancer through 16 items related to connecting with God and meaningless life.

The role of socioeconomic status in the relationship between social support and burden among cancer caregivers.

While much research has focused on the direct impact of socioeconomic status on cancer patients, what is not clear is the impact of socioeconomic status on social support and the burden of care for caregivers. In this study, a cross-sectional method, using a convenience sampling approach, was adopted to collect the data of 191 caregivers of cancer patients who were referred to the oncology clinic and cancer institute of hospitals affiliated with Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Iran. The participants completed a questionnaire on basic demographics, the short version of the Burden Scale for Family Caregivers, and Zimet Multidimensional Perceived Social Support. A maximum likelihood exploratory factor analysis with oblique rotation to assess the factor structure of the constructs and the measurement model was conducted. The two-factor model consisting of 22 items explained 65.116% of the variance. There was a significant negative relationship between social support and burden (b = -0.771, P < 0.001) and also between economic status and burden (b = -0.308, P < 0.01). Moreover, there was a significant positive association between the interaction of social support and economic status and burden (b = 0.138, P < 0.05). More specifically, the negative relationship between social support and burden was statistically stronger for participants with weak economic status (b = -0.663, P < 0.001) than those with good economic status (b = -0.356, P < 0.01). Social support and an individual's economic status are essential determinants of caregiver burden. Further studies are recommended to better inform the precise support needed by caregivers to enhance their quality of life, and ultimately, that of the patients under their care.

Clinical accuracy and agreement between tympanic and forehead body temperature measurements for screening of patients with COVID-19.

AIM: To investigate the accuracy, reliability and agreement between infrared forehead thermometers versus infrared tympanic thermometers temperature, a cross-sectional study was conducted in April 2020. METHODS: The forehead and tympanic temperatures of 615 subjects were measured simultaneously in three exposed SARS-COV-2 groups at one hospital in Iran, during April 2020. These comparisons were evaluated by Bland-Altman Plot, repeatability, Passing-Bablok regression and Lin's concordance correlation coefficient. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was done to describe the discrimination accuracy of a diagnostic test. The study adhered to STROBE checklist for cross-sectional studies. RESULTS: A Bland-Altman plot indicated that the limits of agreement between the forehead and tympanic temperature were -0.259 to +0.19°C. Passing-Bablok regression analysis illustrated that the infrared forehead was not linearly related to tympanic temperatures (reference method), with a slope estimate that was significantly different from 1.00. The infrared forehead thermometer showed poor precision and lower accuracy than the tympanic. The forehead temperature readings had 60.0% sensitivity and 44.4% specificity (p > .05) to predict disease. CONCLUSION: According to the results of study, there is no evidence that the assessment of temperature by infrared forehead thermometer could discriminate between the two groups (positive and negative).

Psychometric Properties of the Persian Version of the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale Among the Iranian Public People During COVID-19 Pandemic.

Background: Several studies indicate a high prevalence of depression around the world during the period of the COVID-19 pandemic. Using a valid instrument to capture the depression of an individual in this situation is both important and timely. The present study aims to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Persian version of the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) among the public during the COVID-19 pandemic in Iran. Method: This is a cross-sectional study that was conducted in the Iranian population (n = 600) from April to July 2020. A two-part online form was used: sociodemographic characteristics and depression items (CES-D). The construct validity and internal consistency reliability of the scale were evaluated. Result: The results of the exploratory factor analysis illustrated two factors with 43.35% of the total variance of the depression were explained. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated that this model fits well. Internal consistency reliability was evaluated, and it was acceptable. Conclusion: The findings demonstrated that, in the Iranian sample, this depression scale yielded two factors (somatic and positive affects) solutions with suitable psychometric properties.

Psychometrics of Persian Version of the Ageism Survey Among an Iranian Older Adult Population During COVID-19 Pandemic.

Background: Studies have revealed an increase in discrimination, neglect, and abuse among the older adult population during this period. This study assessed the validity and reliability of the Persian version of the ageism survey instrument tested on a sample of the Iranian older adult population during coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. An important move in counteracting ageism is to classify the ageism scale comprehensively by employing adequate psychometrics. Methods: The Persian version of the ageism scale was developed using a two-step procedure. The first step involved translating and revising the original scale to develop a Persian version of the ageism scale. The second step involved assessing the psychometric features of the newly adapted scale using construct validity through exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and thereafter assessing the reliability through the average inter-item correlation (AIC), Cronbach's alpha. The sample consisted of 400 older adults (age 65 and older), who were recruited through online data collection, with samples for EFA and CFA randomly selected from the total samples. Results: The Persian version of the ageism survey has three factors: age-related deprivation with five items, dignity with three items, and employment with three items; all of which explained 57.02% of the total variance. The outcome of the EFA was verified by the CFA, with internal consistency reliability being excellent (Cronbach's alpha was 0.725, 0.698, and 0.708 for the three factors). Conclusion: This study specifically offers a restructured three factors Persian version of the ageism survey for Iranian older adults with acceptable construct validity and reliability.

Spiritual Well-Being, Social Support, and Financial Distress in Determining Depression: The Mediating Role of Impact of Event During COVID-19 Pandemic in Iran.

This study investigates the relationship between spiritual well-being, social support, and financial distress with depressive symptoms due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A path analysis was used to analyze data collected from 1,156 Iranian participants via an online survey. The results showed that spiritual well-being and social support were negatively related to depressive symptoms and financial distress. The impact of COVID-19 events showed negative associations with depressive symptoms. In addition, the link between spiritual well-being and financial distress with depressive symptoms was partially mediated by the impact of events.

Predictors of Persistence of Anxiety, Hyperarousal Stress, and Resilience During the COVID-19 Epidemic: A National Study in Iran.

Background: The coronavirus pandemic can cause unprecedented global anxiety, and, in contrast, resilience can help the mental health of people in stressful situations. This study aimed to assess anxiety, hyperarousal stress, the resilience of the Iranian population, and their related factors during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 31 provinces in Iran between March 18 and 25, 2020. A four-part questionnaire, including the demographic information, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-y1-a 20-item standard questionnaire for obvious anxiety), the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC-a 25 item standard questionnaire), and the stress hyperarousal subscale from the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R), was used to collect data. The ordinal multivariable generalized estimating equation (GEE) model was used to identify correlates of the psychological factors mentioned above. The Fisher exact test was used to investigate the relationship between anxiety, stress, resilience, and the COVID-19 outbreak. All analyses were conducted with SPSS 26 and GIS 10.71. Results: The findings show that most people had moderate-to-severe anxiety (80.17%) and a high level of resilience (96.4%) during the COVID-19 epidemic. The majority of participants had a moderate level of stress (58.9%). The lowest and highest prevalences of psychiatric disorders were in Sistan and Baluchestan (3.14 cases per 100,000 people) and Semnan (75.9 cases per 100,000 people) provinces, respectively. Men and unmarried people were the only variables significantly associated with anxiety and resilience. Age, gender, and education were significantly associated with hyperarousal stress. Conclusion: The high and moderate levels of anxiety and stress in Iranians can have negative effects on the well-being and performance of the people and can lead to serious problems. Also, high resilience during negative life events (such as the COVID-19 pandemic) is associated with the well-being in the lives of people. The results of this study can be used in interventions and other psychological studies.

Psychometric Properties of the Impact of Events Scale-Revised (IES-R) Among General Iranian Population During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Objective: The aim of this study was to translate and evaluate the validity and reliability of the Impact of Events Scale-Revised (IES-R) among the Iranian general population during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Method: This study was methodological cross-sectional. It was conducted on an Iranian public population from April to July 2020 which was during the COVID-19 pandemic. Construct validity was determined through exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) with a total of 500 adults recruited via online data gathering. Reliability was checked through the average inter-item correlation (AIC), Cronbach's alpha, and McDonald's omega. Convergent and divergent validity was determined using Fornell and Larcker's approach. Results: The results showed that the Persian version of IES-R had three factors, including intrusion (six items), avoidance (seven items), and hyperarousal (five items), that explained 59.22% of the total variance of the IES-R. The CFA findings indicated that all goodness-of-fit indices confirmed the model fit. The Cronbach's alpha, McDonald's omega, composite reliability (CR), and maximal reliability were excellent, and the three factors have good convergent validity. Conclusion: The findings of this study indicated that the Persian version of the IES-R scale is efficient and useful to assess post-traumatic stress disorder among Iran general population in the COVID-19 outbreak.

Organisational support and turnover intentions: A moderated mediation approach.

AIM: The current study aims to examine the moderating role of psychological ownership in the process that translates organisational support into nurses' turnover intentions through job satisfaction. DESIGN: A cross-sectional research design was used to test the hypotheses. METHOD: Using a purposive sampling 341 self-completed survey data were collected from nurses working in two public hospitals in Iran. Structural equation modelling was used to analyse the data. RESULT: The research revealed that organisational support and job satisfaction were negatively related to a healthcare professionals' turnover intention. Moreover, job satisfaction mediated the negative relationship between organisational support and turnover intention. The research also revealed that psychological ownership strengthened the positive relationship between organisational support and job satisfaction.

Psychometric evaluation of Persian version of the balanced measure of psychological needs scale among university students.

AIM: The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the reliability, validity and factor structure of the Persian version of the BMPN in Iranian university students. DESIGN: Cross-sectional. METHODS: Study was conducted among Iranian medical sciences students from April to May 2020. A total of 660 students participated in the online self-administrated questionnaire. Construct validity, convergent and divergent validity, and reliability of P-BMPN were evaluated. RESULTS: The Exploratory factor analysis showed that the Persian version of the BMPN has 17 items with four factors: dissatisfaction, autonomy Satisfaction, relatedness satisfaction and competence satisfaction that explained 40.17% of the total variance. Based on confirmatory factor analysis, all goodness-of-fit indices confirmed the model fit. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the Persian version of the BMPN is a reliable and valid measure to assess satisfaction and dissatisfaction of the psychological needs in Iranian university students.

Attachment: the mediating role of hope, religiosity, and life satisfaction in older adults.

BACKGROUND: Attachment and support from family and friends are core to the experiences of ageing for older adults. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationships between attachment styles and hope, religiosity, and life satisfaction and provide new knowledge that may assist future planning for a rapidly ageing global population. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, 504 Iranian older adult participants from Qazvin province were recruited between December 2015 and April 2016. They completed a questionnaire that included the Revised Adult Attachment Scale, the Life Satisfaction Index-Z, and the Herth Hope Index. RESULTS: Participants in the study had a mean age of 66.20 years (SD: 5.76) and most of them were women (57.5%). A mediation model testing the direct relationships between attachment, hope, religiosity, and life satisfaction showed a positive relationship between close attachment and religiosity (ß = .226, p < .001) and a negative relationship between anxiety attachment and religiosity (ß = - .229, p < .001). Religiosity was positively related to hope (ß = .384, p < .01) and hope was related to life satisfaction (ß = .448, p < .001). Religiosity and hope mediated the relationship between close attachment (ß = .119, p < .001) and anxiety attachment (ß = - .056, p < .01) with life satisfaction. More specifically, while religiosity and hope fully mediated the relationship between close attachment and life satisfaction, they partially mediated the attachment anxiety-life satisfaction link. CONCLUSIONS: Findings of the study provide insight into only a narrow perspective of life satisfaction and attachment given the many and varied variables that influence these constructs. Future research is needed whereby other related variables are introduced into the model to be examined further.

A model of nurses' intention to care of patients with COVID-19: Mediating roles of job satisfaction and organisational commitment.

AIM AND OBJECTIVES: This study aims to test the hypothesis that job satisfaction and organisational commitment might play a mediating roles between workload, quality of supervision, extra-role behaviour, pay satisfaction and intention to care of patients with COVID-19. BACKGROUND: Given the high incidence of coronavirus and shortage of nurses in Iranian hospitals, learning about nurses' intention to care for patients with COVID-19 is important. DESIGN: In this cross-sectional study, 648 Iranian nurses were surveyed during March 2020. The online questionnaire consisted of two parts. The mediating role was explored for the following: job satisfaction and commitment in the association of workload, quality of supervisor, extra-role behaviours, and pay satisfaction with the intention to care. The study adhered to STROBE checklist for cross-sectional studies. RESULTS: The results of this study show that job satisfaction and organisational commitment mediated the relationship of nurses' workload, quality of supervisor, extra-role behaviours, and pay satisfaction with the intention to care for patients with COVID-19. CONCLUSION: The results of the study indicate the importance of job satisfaction and organisational commitment as mechanisms that help to understand the association of nurses' workload, quality of supervisor, extra-role behaviours and pay satisfaction with the intention to care during the COVID-19 pandemic. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Hospital managers need to attend to the role of nurses' job satisfaction and other organisational factors to ensure that they can cope with the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Psychometric evaluation of the comprehensive score for financial toxicity scale among Iranian cancer patients.

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Persian version of the financial toxicity (COST) scale in a sample of cancer patients in Iran. In less developed societies where patients generally encounter more difficulties managing the various cost of treatment, the COST measure should be verified according to the context. METHODS: A total of 398 cancer patients completed a demographic questionnaire and the 11-item Persian COST. Performing a Maximum likelihood exploratory factor analysis, extracted three factors of financial worry (four items), financial distress (three items), and direct and indirect cost of control (three items), accounting for 65.204 % of the variance. The results of conducting confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the three-factor measurement model had a good fit. RESULTS: The highest load was related to financial distress, and the lowest was related to direct and indirect costs concerns. Moreover, the measurement model showed good items consistency, good construct reliability, and good construct validity in terms of convergent and discriminant validity. This study highlights the importance of validating the scale in different contexts as the structure and loadings of the factors have appeared diffidently in various countries. CONCLUSION: The validated Persian COST can be used in future studies in Iran as a reliable and valid scale to measure financial toxicity among cancer patients. POLICY SUMMARY: This study evaluated the validity of the Persian version of the financial toxicity (COST) scale among Iranian cancer survivors. The findings emphasize using appropriate and valid measures adjusted to the context.

A Cross-Cultural Evaluation of the Construct Validity of Templer's Death Anxiety Scale: A Systematic Review.

Ensuring use of valid and reliable scales for evaluating death anxiety that are relevant to the cultural context where they are applied is essential. The purpose of the study was to conduct a systematic review of the psychometric properties of Templer's Death Anxiety Scale (DAS) across cultures. PubMed, Scopus, Web of Knowledge, SID, and Magiran databases were systematically searched for studies published between 1970 and 2017 using Mesh terms. Two independent researchers used Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies and Checklist of Standards for Reporting of Diagnostic Accuracy to evaluate study quality. Included studies were conducted in Iran, United States, Italy, China, Egypt, Spain, and Australia. Overall study quality was acceptable in 15 evaluated articles. However, findings demonstrated that two (one study), three (seven studies), four (four studies), and five factors (three studies) were extracted across the respective studies. Confirmatory concurrent validity was assessed in two studies. While Templer's DAS has stood the test of time as a commonly used index of capturing the conscious experience of death anxiety, there are psychometric inconsistencies in identified factor solutions across cultures. Findings emphasize the need for continued evaluation of how the DAS is translated in specific countries with assessment in relation to other death construct tools.