Identifying modifiable correlates of older adults’ preventive behaviors is contributable to the prevention of the COVID-19 and future pandemics. This study aimed to examine the associations of social-cognitive factors (motivational and volitional factors) with three preventive behaviors (hand washing, facemask wearing, and physical distancing) in a mixed sample of older adults from China and Germany and to evaluate the moderating effects of countries. A total of 578 older adults (356 Chinese and 222 German) completed the online cross-sectional study. The questionnaire included demographics, three preventive behaviors before and during the pandemic, motivational factors (health knowledge, attitude, subjective norm, risk perception, motivational self-efficacy (MSE), intention), and volitional factors (volitional self-efficacy (VSE), planning, and self-monitoring) of preventive behaviors. Results showed that most social-cognitive factors were associated with three behaviors with small-to-moderate effect sizes (f 2 = 0.02 to 0.17), controlled for demographics and past behaviors. Country moderated five associations, including VSE and hand washing, self-monitoring and facemask wearing, MSE and physical distancing, VSE and physical distancing, and planning and physical distancing. Findings underline the generic importance of modifiable factors and give new insights to future intervention and policymaking. Country-related mechanisms should be considered when aiming to learn from other countries about the promotion of preventive behaviors.

This quantitative study examined teacher perceptions on the relationship between technology, student academic behaviors, and performance in blended 9th-12th grade settings through pre-COVID-19 Pandemic and post-COVID-19 Pandemic learning experiences. This replicate study explored the relationship between teacher perceptions of student motivation and student autonomy and their relation to technology implementation in face-to-face instruction and blended learning environments. Particularly, this study analyzed how student motivation and student autonomy were affected by blended learning technologies and teaching strategies introduced after the onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Data were examined to investigate teacher perceptions on the relationship between technology, student academic behaviors, and performance in blended learning 9th-12th grade settings through pre-COVID-19 Pandemic and post-COVID-19 Pandemic learning experiences in two east Tennessee school districts. Participants of this study included 42 high school teachers post-COVID-19 Pandemic in 2023 and 75 high school teachers pre-COVID-19 Pandemic in 2020 within two school districts in east Tennessee. Statistical analyses of the data revealed significance on participant teacher perceptions of student motivation and student autonomy. Findings did not correlate to the original study. The research revealed there was a significant difference in teacher perceptions of student autonomy in the face-to-face instructional setting. Findings indicated teacher perceptions of student motivation were significantly higher post-COVID-19 Pandemic compared to pre-COVID-19 Pandemic.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the surge in social media usage has elevated interestin sentiment analysis, especially for health-related applications. This bachelor thesisexplores the effectiveness of two lexicon-based sentiment analysis techniques, with afocus on enhancing the accuracy of the Valence Aware Dictionary for SentimentReasoning (VADER) algorithm. This bachelor's thesis delves into two lexicon-basedsentiment analysis methods, primarily aiming to enhance the accuracy of the ValenceAware Dictionary for Sentiment Reasoning (VADER) algorithm. By assessing 5000manually labeled COVID-19-related tweets across four dataset versions, we gauge therelative effectiveness of these methods. The focus lies on understanding the rolepreprocessing techniques play in sentiment analysis and refining the VADER algorithm.The insights drawn can inform the design of more effective public health policies andcommunication approaches by capturing more accurately public sentiment expressed intweets. In health contexts like COVID-19, it's vital to gauge public sentiment, whichhelps identify and manage psychological distress, anxiety, and fear. Through thissentiment exploration, healthcare providers can offer comprehensive care and improvesupport systems and mechanisms during global health crises like COVID-19.

Titel: Från kris till möjlighet: En studie av ledarskapet inom byggbranschen under pandemin Författare: Aslan Ali & Emma Lindberg  Färdigställd: 2023–05–26 Examinator: Jean-Charles Languilaire   » Bakgrund: Byggbranschen anses vara en av de viktigaste industrierna i världen och ansvarar för att bygga och underhålla bostäder, kontor, infrastruktur och offentliga byggnader. Covid-19 pandemin har ställt branschen inför många utmaningar däribland begränsad rörlighet, sjukdom och arbetsförlust. Ledarskapet har förändrats kontinuerligt under pandemins rådande situation. Det har varit avgörande för ledarna att hantera dessa utmaningar och bibehålla en hälsosam arbetsmiljö. Hur skulle man agera som ledare och vägleda sina medarbetare mot ljusa tider? Vi vill få en förståelse av utmaningarna och möjligheterna som uppstått i byggbranschen under pandemin och undersöka lärdomarna som följer med. Vi önskar att bidra till kunskapsluckan idag samt stärka branschen och ledarskapet i framtiden.  » Syfte: Syftet med vår studie är att få en mer nyanserad förståelse för hur ledarskapet har utförts och utformats under pandemin inom byggbranschen. Vilka utmaningar och möjligheter har förekommit samt hur ledare har anpassat sig efter pandemins utmaningar. » Frågeställningar: Hur har ledarskapet utförts under pandemin inom byggbranschen? Vilka utmaningar och möjligheter har byggbranschens ledare mött under pandemin? Finns det några lärdomar från pandemin som stärkt ledarskapet i byggbranschen?  » Metod: Studien baseras på en kvalitativ forskningsmetod med en induktiv forskningsansats. Åtta ledare inom byggbranschen har intervjuats och efter det med hjälp av grundad teori analyseras. Det har resulterat i en modell som klargör vad som krävs för att upp nå hur man ska främja den fortsatta tillväxten.  » Slutsatser: Slutsatsen av studien resulterade i att trots vår undersökning finns mycket kvar att undersöka. Trots detta sammanfattas vilka egenskaper, problem, lösningar och lärdomar man lärt sig och kommer kunna ta med sig i framtiden. / Title: From crisis to opportunity: A study of leadership in the construction industry during the pandemic.  Authors: Aslan Ali & Emma Lindberg  Published: 2023–05–26 Examinator: Jean-Charles Languilaire   » Background: The construction industry is considered one of the most important industries in the world and is responsible for building and maintaining homes, offices, infrastructure, and public buildings. The Covid-19 pandemic has posed many challenges to the industry, such as limited mobility, illness, and job loss. Leadership has continuously changed during the prevailing pandemic situation. It has been crucial for leaders to manage these challenges and maintain a healthy work environment. How should leaders act and guide their employees towards brighter times? We want to gain an understanding of the challenges and opportunities that have arisen in the construction industry during the pandemic and explore the lessons learned. We wish to contribute to the knowledge gap today and strengthen the industry and leadership in the future. » Purpose: The purpose of our study is to gain a more nuanced understanding of how leadership has been carried out and shaped within the construction industry during the pandemic. We explore the challenges and opportunities that have emerged, as well as how leaders have adapted in response to the challenges of the pandemic. » Research Questions: How has leadership been carried out during the pandemic in the construction industry? What challenges and opportunities have construction industry leaders faced during the pandemic? Are there any lessons from the pandemic that have strengthened leadership in the construction industry? » Method: The study is based on a qualitative research method with an inductive research approach. Eight construction industry leaders have been interviewed, and their responses have been analyzed using grounded theory. This has resulted in a model that clarifies what is required to achieve how to promote continued growth. » Conclusions: The conclusion of the study resulted in the finding that despite our research, there is still much left to explore. Nevertheless, it summarizes the characteristics, problems, solutions, and lessons learned that can be carried forward into the future.

This study investigates how the international media framed Sweden's response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its image during this time. By utilizing framing theory as an analytical framework, 42 articles from The Guardian and The Washington Post were analyzed. Hence, based on the existing framing research, by Semeteko and Valkenberg (2000), the coverage is classified into five frames: conflict, human interest, economic consequence, morality, and responsibility. The findings highlight how the media coverage of a nation during crises can shape its national image. Moreover, the study underscores the significance of comprehending how media can influence future global crisis reporting. This thesis contributes to the existing body of literature pertaining to the media framing of crises by analyzing the portrayal of Sweden's exceptionalism and image by the international media in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Through an examination of news coverage from prominent outlets, the study identifies the dominant frames used to portray Sweden's response and shape its image. The findings reveal a diverse range of frames employed, including conflict, human interest, economic consequence, morality, and responsibility, reflecting the complexities surrounding Sweden's approach. This research emphasizes the importance of comprehending media framing in shaping national image during global crises and advocates for holistic approaches to address societal, economic, and public health impacts. Finally, the study’s findings indicated that Sweden's national image in the context of its response to the COVID-19 pandemic is multifaceted and complex, based on the analysis of the various frames used in the articles. The dominant frames shape Sweden's perception of itself as a nation characterized by opposing opinions, controversies, ongoing debates, personal experiences, moral considerations, and a delicate balance between economic and social concerns. Sweden is framed as a nation that values individual liberty, individual responsibility, and a distinctive approach to crisis management.  Overall, Sweden's national image reflects a dynamic and complex perspective, illuminating the complexities and diverse perspectives surrounding its response to the COVID-19 crisis.

Numerous studies have examined the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on alcohol use changes in Europe, with concerns raised regarding increased use and related harms. Approach. We synthesised observational studies published between 1 January 2020 and 31 September 2021 on self-reported changes in alcohol use associated with COVID-19. Electronic databases were searched for studies evaluating individual data from European general and clinical populations. We identified 646 reports, of which 56 general population studies were suitable for random-effects meta-analyses of proportional differences in alcohol use changes. Variations by time, sub-region and study quality were assessed in subsequent meta-regressions. Additional 16 reports identified were summarised narratively. Key Findings. Compiling reports measuring changes in overall alcohol use, slightly more individuals indicated a decrease than an increase in their alcohol use during the pandemic [3.8%, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.00–7.6%]. Decreases were also reported more often than increases in drinking frequency (8.0%, 95% CI 2.7–13.2%), quantity consumed (12.2%, 95% CI 8.3–16.2%) and heavy episodic drinking (17.7%, 95% CI 13.6–21.8%). Among people with pre-existing high drinking levels/alcohol use disorder, high-level drinking patterns appear to have solidified or intensified. Implications. Pandemic-related changes in alcohol use may be associated with pre-pandemic drinking levels. Increases among high-risk alcohol users are concerning, suggesting a need for ongoing monitoring and support from relevant health-care services. Conclusion. Our findings suggest that more people reduced their alcohol use in Europe than increased it since the onset of the pandemic. However high-quality studies examining specific change mechanisms at the population level are lacking.

The importance of access to quality physical education (PE) among children is well-documented. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, however, resulted in significant shifts in PE curriculum delivery alongside a rapid uptake by PE teachers of new technologies. Although some research about integrating technology into teaching does exist, there is very little data about virtual learning in elementary school, particularly in the context of physical education. There are also clear gaps in the literature about teaching PE virtually during a pandemic. As such and in this study, I sought to fill a critical gap in the existing literature by identifying what specific factors shaped elementary physical education delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as barriers and facilitators to successful curriculum delivery, and I drew implications for future emergency response needs.This mixed-methods study examined elementary physical education teachers’ perceptions of teaching virtually during the spring of 2020 and/or 2020-2021 school year. The study’s sample drew on PE teachers from urban, rural, and suburban settings across the US, which included diverse experiences to explore teachers’ perceptions of virtual teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic. Surveys and focus groups were utilized. Results from this study elucidated that physical education teachers were challenged by limited space, equipment, internet use, and distraction within the environment when teaching. However, teachers in this sample also discussed their tenacity to help their students stay active by delivering supplies to families, posting on social media, and teaching how to make alternative equipment. Teachers also reported that the more support they received (for example, via social emotional support and also specific technology support), the less stress they felt during remote teaching. At the same time, the higher the teacher perception on live lesson participation, the more efficacious the teachers felt. The expectations of PE teachers during COVID varied from region to region, and the ever-changing schedules made teaching PE that more difficult. Although there has been some research on teaching virtually, before the pandemic there was very little research about specifically teaching elementary PE virtually. The need to pivot to remote instruction is part of our future. The implication of this work helps support the need for further education of public health goals. The need for a platform that supports PE and elementary age children is needed to best support this work. Using technology as an enrichment and supplement for PE to help reach this goal could be a positive outcome of this pandemic. The use of virtual platforms will also help deliver PE content to families and allow for technology skill development through targeted practice for any future need to pivot to remote.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, customer shopping habits have changed. Some industries experienced an abrupt shift during the pandemic outbreak while others navigate in new normal states. For some merchants, the highly-uncertain new phenomena of COVID-19 expresses as outliers in time series of volume of sales. As forecasting models tend to replicate past behavior of a series, outliers complicates the procedure of forecasting; the abnormal events tend to unreliably replicate in forecasts of the subsequent year(s). In this thesis, we investigate how to forecast volume of sales during the abnormal time period of COVID-19, where the classical ARIMA family of models produce unreliable forecasts. The research revolved around three time series exhibiting three types of outliers: a level shift, a transient change and an additive outlier. Upon detecting the time period of the abnormal behavior in each series, two experiments were carried out as attempts for increasing the predictive accuracy for the three extreme cases. The first experiment was related to imputing the abnormal data in the series and the second was related to using a combined model of a pre-pandemic and a post-abnormal forecast. The results of the experiments pointed at significant improvement of the mean absolute percentage error at significance level alpha=0.05 for the level shift when using a combined model compared to the pre-pandemic best-fit SARIMA model. Also, at significant improvement for the additive outlier when using a linear impute. For the transient change, the results pointed at no significant improvement in the predictive accuracy of the experimental models compared to the pre-pandemic best-fit SARIMA model. For the purpose of generalizing to large-scale conclusions of methods' superiority or feasibility for particular abnormal behaviors, empirical evaluations are required. The proposed experimental models were discussed in terms of reliability, validity and quality. By residual diagnostics, it was argued that the models were valid; however, that further improvements can be made. Also, it was argued that the models fulfilled desired attributes of simplicity, scaleability and flexibility. Due to the uncertain phenomena of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was suggested not to take the outputs as long-term reliable solutions. Rather, as temporary solutions requiring more frequent updating of forecasts. / Under coronapandemin har kundbeteenden och köpvanor förändrats. I vissa branscher upplevdes ett plötsligt skifte vid pandemiutbrottet och i andra navigerar handlare i nya normaltillstånd. För vissa handlare är förändringarna så pass distinkta att de yttrar sig som avvikelser i tidsserier över försäljningsvolym. Dessa avvikelser komplicerar prognosering. Då prognosmodeller tenderar att replikera tidsseriers tidigare beteenden, tenderas det avvikande beteendet att replikeras i försäljningsprognoser för nästkommande år. I detta examensarbete ämnar vi att undersöka tillvägagångssätt för att estimera försäljningsprognoser under den abnorma tidsperioden av COVID-19, då klassiska tidsseriemodeller felprognoserar. Detta arbete kretsade kring tre tidsserier som uttryckte tre avvikelsertyper: en nivåförskjutning, en övergående förändring och en additiv avvikelse. Efter att ha definierat en specifik tidsperiod relaterat till det abnorma beteendet i varje tidsserie, utfördes två experiment med syftet att öka den prediktiva noggrannheten för de tre extremfallen. Det första experimentet handlade om att ersätta den abnorma datan i varje serie och det andra experimentet handlade om att använda en kombinerad pronosmodell av två estimerade prognoser, en pre-pandemisk och en post-abnorm. Resultaten av experimenten pekade på signifikant förbättring av ett absolut procentuellt genomsnittsfel för nivåförskjutningen vid användande av den kombinerade modellen, i jämförelse med den pre-pandemiskt bäst passande SARIMA-modellen. Även, signifikant förbättring för den additiva avvikelsen vid ersättning av abnorm data till ett motsvarande linjärt polynom. För den övergående förändringen pekade resultaten inte på en signifikant förbättring vid användande av de experimentella modellerna. För att generalisera till storskaliga slutsatser giltiga för specifika avvikande beteenden krävs empirisk utvärdering. De föreslagna modellerna diskuterades utifrån tillförlitlighet, validitet och kvalitet. Modellerna uppfyllde önskvärda kvalitativa attribut såsom enkelhet, skalbarhet och flexibilitet. På grund av hög osäkerhet i den nuvarande abnorma tidsperioden av coronapandemin, föreslogs det att inte se prognoserna som långsiktigt pålitliga lösningar, utan snarare som tillfälliga tillvägagångssätt som regelbundet kräver om-prognosering.

Bakgrund: Livslängden i världen ökar kontinuerligt och även den äldre populationen. Covid-19 pandemin innebar stor påverkan på samhället och restriktioner, bland annat social isolering, infördes för att begränsa smittspridningen. Dessa restriktioner riktades främst mot riskgrupper vilket innebar begränsningar i deras livsstil. Teorin känslan av sammanhang kan användas inom vården för att belysa vikten av sammanhang hos äldre och hur det påverkar välbefinnandet.Syfte: Att belysa hur äldre personer i enskilt boende upplevde den sociala isoleringen under covid-19 pandemin.  Metod: En kvalitativ litteraturöversikt genomfördes med induktiv ansats. Totalt 10 kvalitetsgranskade artiklar analyserades enligt Fribergs fem steg.Resultat: Det framkom två övergripande kategorier ”påverkan av emotionellt mående” med underkategorierna ”rädsla att insjukna”, ”isolering”, ”ekonomiska oro” och ”tankar om framtiden” samt ”socialt nätverks betydelse” med underkategorierna ”förändring av platsen i samhället”, ”påverkan av sociala interaktioner”, ”teknologins betydelse” och ”inverkan på vården”.Slutsats: Deltagarna upplevde bristande sociala kontakter, ensamhet, stigmatisering, problematik med teknik och rädsla för att drabbas av sjukdom vilket lett till minskat välbefinnande. Det framkom också att äldre besitter hög personlig styrka för att hantera motgångar vilket bidragit till att de till och med kunnat ta med sig något gott från den social isoleringen. / Background: Life expectancy and the elderly population in the world is increasing. The covid-19 pandemic had a major impact on society and restrictions, including social isolation, were established to limit the spread of infection. The theory sense of coherence can be used within the care of elderly to improve their wellbeing.Aim: To shed light on how community-dwelling older persons experienced the social isolation during the covid-19 pandemic.Method: A qualitative literature review with inductive approach was made. 10 articles were analyzed using Friberg's five steps.Results: Two overarching categories emerged: "impact of emotional well-being" with subcategories: "fear of become ill", "isolation", "financial worries" and "thoughts about the future" and "social networks importance" with subcategories: "change of place in society", "impact of social interactions”, “importance of technology” and “impact on care”.Conclusion: The participants experienced a lack of social contacts, loneliness, stigmatization, problems with technology and fear of illness which led to reduced well-being. It also emerged that the elderly possesses high personal strength to deal with setbacks, which contributed them to be able to take some benefits from the social isolation.

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