Gender, Internet and computer attitudes and experiences

Triple digital divide and depressive symptoms among middle-aged and older Chinese adults: a disparity analysis

Background

The triple digital divide refers to the lack of internet access, use and knowledge among specific populations. In China, middle-aged and older adults and those living in rural areas or various regions of the country are more likely to have limited internet access and skills and, thus, have less accessibility to internet services. Few longitudinal studies have explored the association between the digital divide and the progression of depressive symptoms among middle-aged and older Chinese adults. Significantly, none of the existing studies have estimated this long-term relationship from a disparity perspective.

Aims

This study investigates the association between the triple digital divide and depressive symptom trajectories among middle-aged and older adults in China during a 10-year follow-up period from 2011 to 2020.

Methods

The sample for this secondary analysis comprises 3019 urban and 10 427 rural respondents selected from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study baseline survey in 2011. Depressive symptoms were measured using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. Employing longitudinal mixed-effects models, this study explored the association between the triple digital divide and depressive symptom trajectories among middle-aged and older Chinese adults by examining gender, rural-urban and regional disparities in this relationship.

Results

Our findings revealed a significant association between the triple digital divide and increasing trajectories of depressive symptoms, showing significant disparities based on gender, rural-urban dwelling and regional location. Notably, for both male and female participants who resided in urban areas or the central region of the country, their ability to use the internet, coupled with enhanced internet skills and greater access to internet services, was found to have a mitigating effect on the increasing trajectories of depressive symptoms.

Conclusions

To alleviate some of the confounding influences on the trajectory of depression in middle-aged and older adults, policymakers in China should continue to prioritise the development of internet technology, foster easy access to the internet to ensure it is 'elder-friendly', provide internet skill training platforms for this population and broaden access to various internet services appropriate for them. Additionally, the implementation of tailored interventions to address depression, especially targeting the more vulnerable cohorts, such as middle-aged and older women, those residing in rural areas and the western regions, is crucial. Such tailored approaches are essential for addressing the disparities and challenges associated with the triple digital divide.

Screen Time Correlates of Bullying Perpetration and Victimization in Brazilian Adolescents

This study is an investigation of the associations of time spent in different screen time activities with bullying among Brazilian adolescents. In this cross-sectional study, adolescents answered questions related to bullying in the past 30 days and reported the weekly volume of screen time spent studying, working, watching videos, playing video games, and using social media applications. Multilevel logistic regression models were used. Our results indicate that higher social media use was associated with higher odds of bullying victimization among males but not females. Excessive use of screen time for work and social media purposes was associated with a higher likelihood of bullying victimization.

Effectiveness of rational emotive behavior education (REBE) on computer anxiety among school teachers enrolled in e-learning

BACKGROUND

Reports from past studies indicated that research on anxiety disorder is not extensive and further investigation is needed using different populations. Besides, psychological intervention for computer anxiety has not been given the required empirical attention. Given this, we investigated the effectiveness of rational emotive behavior education on computer anxiety among primary school teachers enrolled in e-learning.

METHODS

A pure experimental design was used, which helped to randomly assigned recruited 112 primary school teachers to 2 arms (treatment and control groups). The Computer Anxiety Scale was distributed before, immediately after, and 4 weeks after completion of intervention with 12 sessions that were given to the treatment group.

RESULTS

The ANOVA results showed that rational emotive behavior education significantly decreased teachers computer anxiety. The mean computer anxiety score among instructors did not significantly differ by group or gender. Therefore, we recommended that computer educators, policymakers, and rational emotive behavior educators should organize rational and emotive-oriented conferences for schoolteachers.

Development and validation of the AI attitude scale (AIAS-4): a brief measure of general attitude toward artificial intelligence

The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) has generated an increasing demand for tools that can assess public attitudes toward AI. This study proposes the development and the validation of the AI Attitude Scale (AIAS), a concise self-report instrument designed to evaluate public perceptions of AI technology. The first version of the AIAS that the present manuscript proposes comprises five items, including one reverse-scored item, which aims to gauge individuals' beliefs about AI's influence on their lives, careers, and humanity overall. The scale is designed to capture attitudes toward AI, focusing on the perceived utility and potential impact of technology on society and humanity. The psychometric properties of the scale were investigated using diverse samples in two separate studies. An exploratory factor analysis was initially conducted on a preliminary 5-item version of the scale. Such exploratory validation study revealed the need to divide the scale into two factors. While the results demonstrated satisfactory internal consistency for the overall scale and its correlation with related psychometric measures, separate analyses for each factor showed robust internal consistency for Factor 1 but insufficient internal consistency for Factor 2. As a result, a second version of the scale is developed and validated, omitting the item that displayed weak correlation with the remaining items in the questionnaire. The refined final 1-factor, 4-item AIAS demonstrated superior overall internal consistency compared to the initial 5-item scale and the proposed factors. Further confirmatory factor analyses, performed on a different sample of participants, confirmed that the 1-factor model (4-items) of the AIAS exhibited an adequate fit to the data, providing additional evidence for the scale's structural validity and generalizability across diverse populations. In conclusion, the analyses reported in this article suggest that the developed and validated 4-items AIAS can be a valuable instrument for researchers and professionals working on AI development who seek to understand and study users' general attitudes toward AI.

Digital literacy, technological literacy, and internet literacy as predictors of attitude toward applying computer-supported education

Even though there is an abundance of research on computer supported education (CSE), digital literacy (DL), technological literacy (TL), and internet literacy (IL), the correlation between them and their effect on each other have not been analyzed in the literature. However, no study has been conducted on the correlation between and effect of CSE, DL, TL, and IL and which additionally explains their relationship to each other. This study aims to analyze the effect levels among the latent variables of DL, TL, and IL, and the attitude toward applying CSE and these latent variables' ratios to each other. For this purpose, eight hypotheses were developed after reviewing the literature. A relational descriptive model is used to detect the presence and extent of covariance. The participants of this study were 510 prospective teachers. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis of the scales were performed. The hypotheses of the research were tested with the structural equation model. As a result, it was revealed that DL, TL, and IL together significantly affect and explain the attitude towards CSE. Different suggestions have been developed based on the results of the research.

When will employees accept remote working? The impact of gender and internet skills

The unprecedented COVID‐19 pandemic required millions of people across the world to become remote workers. However, little is known about how to achieve effective remote working for organizations. This study investigates the types of employees that are more suited to accepting remote working by considering two determinants: gender and internet skills. Based on an official data set from China, this study reveals that females are more likely to accept remote working, as are those employees with advanced internet skills. This study further investigates the impacts of perceived benefits on employees’ acceptance of remote working. It appears that the preference of females for remote working is attributed to avoiding face-to-face interaction rather than free time planning. This study is among the first to reveal how skill matching matters in order to be successful remote workers. Meanwhile, this study indicates that it is gender-specific psychological differences rather than the division of labor in families that motivate females to accept remote working, an important observation which has been neglected so far. The findings are helpful for employers and employees in the post-pandemic era.

Gender Stereotypes and Peer Selection in STEM Domains Among Children and Adolescents

Gender stereotypes are harmful for girls’ enrollment and performance in science and mathematics. So far, less is known about children’s and adolescents’ stereotypes regarding technology and engineering. In the current study, participants’ (N = 1,206, girls n = 623; 5–17-years-old, M = 8.63, SD = 2.81) gender stereotypes for each of the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) domains were assessed along with the relation between these stereotypes and a peer selection task in a STEM context. Participants reported beliefs that boys are usually more skilled than are girls in the domains of engineering and technology; however, participants did not report gender differences in ability/performance in science and mathematics. Responses to the stereotype measures in favor of one’s in-group were greater for younger participants than older participants for both boys and girls. Perceptions that boys are usually better than girls at science were related to a greater likelihood of selecting a boy for help with a science question. These findings document the importance of domain specificity, even within STEM, in attempts to measure and challenge gender stereotypes in childhood and adolescence.

Employee acceptance of online platforms for knowledge sharing: exploring differences in usage behaviour

Purpose

This paper aims to examine the technology acceptance model’s applicability in understanding employees’ acceptance of online platforms for knowledge sharing in organisations. Specifically, this research explores gender differences in using online platforms for sharing knowledge at the workplace in an emerging market context and the role of individuals’ motivation in online platform usage in organisations.

Design/methodology/approach

A web-based survey was conducted in Vietnam with 290 responses from employees in the banking and insurance industries.

Findings

Both intrinsic and extrinsic motivations influenced the perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness and online platform usage for knowledge sharing. The results also confirm a significant influence of perceived ease of use directly on knowledge sharing behaviour using online platforms and indirectly via perceived usefulness. Regarding gender differences, perceived ease of use was more salient in women, while men considered perceived usefulness to a greater extent.

Research limitations/implications

This study provides a complete picture of gender, motivation and technology used for knowledge sharing in organisational settings.

Originality/value

This research has provided additional insight into the importance of gender and motivation in technology acceptance. By doing this, this study helps organisations capture the potential of valuable human resources for their competitiveness.

Measuring Students' Use of Zoom Application in Language Course Based on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM)

The study uses technology acceptance model (TAM) to gain insights into user reactions to the technology adopted for language learning. The study aims to analyze the correlation between the variables of TAM on using Zoom application in language learning, in addition to examining how gender and experience influence the use of technology. The participants of this study comprise of 75 undergraduate English-as-Foreign-Language learners who have studied for their courses online during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results of the study reveal a strong positive correlation between the actual use of Zoom and the students' attitudes and behavioral intention. In addition, there is a positive correlation between computer self-efficacy and other variables (i.e. PU, actual use, PEU, attitude and behavioral intention). Further, while the results reveal that there is no correlation between the gender and any variables of the model, it has been found that experience is positively correlated with the variables of TAM.

Does the Internet Use Improve the Mental Health of Chinese Older Adults?

Purpose: The Internet has become an important part of daily life. However, older adults in China remain digital refugees amid the rapid development of digital information technology. This study attempts to scientifically answer how Internet use affects the subjective welfare of older adults.

Method: Using data from the 2014 and 2016 China Longitudinal Aging Social Survey (CLASS), a combination of ordinary least squares, ordered logit regression models, and propensity score matching (PSM) models were used to analyze the effects of Internet use on the mental health of Chinese older adults.

Results: Our findings suggest that Internet use affects the mental health of older adults and increases the incidence of their depressive symptoms. These findings are robust to changing the key indicators, research method, and sample. Further heterogeneity analysis reveals that the negative effects on mental health are more evident for specific groups of older adults, such as those who are women, younger and middle-aged, high-income, non-rural Hukou, less educated, and living with others.

Conclusions: Cultivating the ability of older adults to use the Internet and maintain a rational attitude while doing so can prevent its negative impact on their life satisfaction. Moreover, it can improve their attitudes toward using the technology and reduce their anxiety.

Employee perseverance in a "no phone use while driving" organizational road-safety intervention

INTRODUCTION

This interdisciplinary study explores factors that contribute to the perseverance of participants in an organizational "no phone use while driving" road-safety intervention.

METHOD

The study sample comprised 200 employees (mean age 43 years; 104 females [52 %], 96 males [48 %]) from 8 organizations in Israel. Subjects completed a 4-month organizational intervention using a smartphone application that monitored smartphone use, operationalized as taps per minute, where each tap represents a single instance of contact with the screen (e.g., touching, tapping or swiping). The app also silenced notifications during the intervention stage. Changes over time in tapping-while-driving behavior were examined through self-report questionnaires and objectively through the application's monitoring function. Validated measures were used to examine factors associated with perseverance in the program.

RESULTS

Organizational safety climate and gender (male) were positively related to perseverance in the intervention. Contrary to our hypothesis, safety motivation was not found to influence perseverance.

CONCLUSIONS

The present intervention is most effective for employees with high safety climate perceptions and for male employees.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

The organizational intervention presented in the current study was shown to be effective in reducing smartphone use (touching, tapping or swiping) while driving. Our findings show that people will download and use an app that actively reduces their incentive to use their phones at the wheel by silencing incoming notifications. The findings support calls to harness the positive potential of information and communications technologies for organizational interventions.

The empowerment of singleton daughters: exploring the gender digital divide among Chinese college students

Purpose

Existing researches find that a gender difference exists in terms of Internet usage. In China, the singleton daughters resulting from China's one-child policy enjoy unprecedented parental support. The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether singleton daughters can, to some extent, break through the predicament of the digital divide.

Design/methodology/approach

The study collected data from a sample of 865 college students and obtained 811 valid questionnaires. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) is used to identify clusters of Internet usage from the perspective of statistical associations in various daily online activities. Two-way ANOVA and mean-comparison tests are used to analyze how singleton and non-singleton students use the Internet differently.

Findings

This study finds that singleton female students showed no significant differences from male students in aspirational activities of informational, educational use and social media use, which means that singleton female students have caught up with male students in these activities. However, female college students from multi-child families were still found to be disadvantaged in those activities.

Originality/value

There is a lack of consensus on the classification of Internet activities. We used EFA to cluster the varieties of Internet activities into three types: utilitarian use, exploratory use and aspirational use. The three identified types of Internet usage require different degrees of user initiative. We argue that initiative provides a useful lens through which to classify Internet usage. In addition, this study is among the few studies to investigate the impact of the one-child policy on the gender digital divide.

Sustainability in Higher Education: The Relationship between Work-Life Balance and XR E-Learning Facilities

Nowadays, collaborative learning is proving to offer solutions to new inclusivity research challenges, and most importantly, can help ensure sustainable education. Collaborative learning can strengthen positive attitudes towards learning, improve performance in academic results, and enhance self-esteem, by promoting interaction and mutual support among young people. Extended reality (XR), associated with collaborative learning, offers a further advantage by facilitating deep comprehensive learning. An online survey was conducted to investigate respondents’ views on the impact and influence of virtual technologies on work, study, and social life. Respondents (n = 1032) were recruited from Serbia, Romania, and Hungary, from five public and private universities. The study reveals students’ perceptions of e-learning and XR immersion. The data were analyzed by using a combination of descriptive techniques from PSPP (GNU open source SPSS—Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, Free Software Foundation, Boston, MA, USA), and by designing a regression model to evaluate the work-life balance. This regression model shows that the work-life balance is positively influenced by the inclusion of XR facilities in the e-learning process, along with an increased level of culture and living standard. The higher living standard of a student is associated with higher digital competence and more financial resources available to invest in technology.

Public Perception of Artificial Intelligence in Medical Care: Content Analysis of Social Media

Background

High-quality medical resources are in high demand worldwide, and the application of artificial intelligence (AI) in medical care may help alleviate the crisis related to this shortage. The development of the medical AI industry depends to a certain extent on whether industry experts have a comprehensive understanding of the public’s views on medical AI. Currently, the opinions of the general public on this matter remain unclear.

Objective

The purpose of this study is to explore the public perception of AI in medical care through a content analysis of social media data, including specific topics that the public is concerned about; public attitudes toward AI in medical care and the reasons for them; and public opinion on whether AI can replace human doctors.

Methods

Through an application programming interface, we collected a data set from the Sina Weibo platform comprising more than 16 million users throughout China by crawling all public posts from January to December 2017. Based on this data set, we identified 2315 posts related to AI in medical care and classified them through content analysis.

Results

Among the 2315 identified posts, we found three types of AI topics discussed on the platform: (1) technology and application (n=987, 42.63%), (2) industry development (n=706, 30.50%), and (3) impact on society (n=622, 26.87%). Out of 956 posts where public attitudes were expressed, 59.4% (n=568), 34.4% (n=329), and 6.2% (n=59) of the posts expressed positive, neutral, and negative attitudes, respectively. The immaturity of AI technology (27/59, 46%) and a distrust of related companies (n=15, 25%) were the two main reasons for the negative attitudes. Across 200 posts that mentioned public attitudes toward replacing human doctors with AI, 47.5% (n=95) and 32.5% (n=65) of the posts expressed that AI would completely or partially replace human doctors, respectively. In comparison, 20.0% (n=40) of the posts expressed that AI would not replace human doctors.

Conclusions

Our findings indicate that people are most concerned about AI technology and applications. Generally, the majority of people held positive attitudes and believed that AI doctors would completely or partially replace human ones. Compared with previous studies on medical doctors, the general public has a more positive attitude toward medical AI. Lack of trust in AI and the absence of the humanistic care factor are essential reasons why some people still have a negative attitude toward medical AI. We suggest that practitioners may need to pay more attention to promoting the credibility of technology companies and meeting patients’ emotional needs instead of focusing merely on technical issues.

Internet literacy skills of community pharmacists in Lagos State, Nigeria

Purpose

Community pharmacists need good retrieval skills and competencies for effective use of online information resources for professional practice. This study aims to ascertain the internet literacy skills of community pharmacists in Lagos State, Nigeria.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey research design was adopted for the study. Convenience sampling technique was used in selecting community pharmacists. Questionnaire was the instrument used for data collection, whereas descriptive and inferential statistics were used for data analysis.

Findings

The study revealed that community pharmacists possess requisite internet literacy skills for effective use of online health information resources. There is a positive relationship between informational and operational internet literacy skills [r = 0.820, p(0.000) < 0.05], informational and strategic internet literacy skills [r = 0.838, p(0.000) < 0.05] and operational and strategic internet literacy skills [r = 0.810, p(0.000) < 0.05]. There is a statistically significant gender difference in the level of skillfulness in internet use based on self-reported skills. There is a significant relative contribution of demographic variables (gender, age, educational qualification and number of years in professional practice) to the level of skillfulness in internet use among community pharmacists.

Practical implications

To improve the use of online internet resources, the Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria, Lagos Chapter, should conduct training needs assessment regularly to offer the right levels of internet use skills. They must be proactive and incorporate training on computer and internet skills into their annual conferences and zonal meetings. They should also prepare and give internet use manuals to their members to read and understand how to use the internet more effectively. Community pharmacists, especially the female pharmacists, should also take advantage of free online training sessions called webinars to improve their internet literacy skills to cope with rapid changes in the e-environment, as well as to boost the quality of health-care services delivery. Pharmacists’ Council of Nigeria, the agency responsible for regulating and controlling the education, training and practice of pharmacy, should include an internet literacy skills module in the Mandatory Professional Continuing Education Programme.

Originality/value

The study investigated the internet literacy skills of community pharmacists in Lagos State and identified the gender gap in level of skillfulness. This study also explored the relationship between level of skillfulness and internet use, as well as the relationship between community pharmacists’ informational, operational and strategic internet literacy skills.

User Acceptance of Mobile Apps for Restaurants: An Expanded and Extended UTAUT-2

This paper examines the adoption of mobile applications for restaurant searches and/or reservations (MARSR) by users, as part of their experiential quality. Following an extended and expanded version of UTAUT-2, this research proposes eight determinants of intentions to use: performance expectancy, effort expectancy, facilitating conditions, hedonic motivation, price-saving orientation, habit, social influence, and perceived credibility. The data were collected from Spanish users of MARSR applications (n = 1200), and analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM). The findings confirm the need to extend and expand UTAUT-2 by incorporating perceived credibility and the social norm approach. The results gathered from SEM indicate that the drivers of intentions to use MARSR are, in order of impact: habit, perceived credibility, hedonic motivation, price-saving orientation, effort expectancy, performance expectancy, social influence, and facilitating conditions. Habit, facilitating conditions, and intentions to use are significantly related to use. Additionally, the moderating effects of gender, age, and experience were tested by means of a multi-group analysis. The users’ experience was seen to exert a moderating effect in some of the relationships hypothesized in the model, while gender and age did not play a significant role. The findings have both research and practical implications.

Use of internet as health information resource by community pharmacists in Nigeria

Purpose

The internet has become one of the most commonly used sources for medical and health information. Research that explored the extent to which Nigerian community pharmacists use internet resources for patient care is limited. This study aims to examine the extent to which community pharmacists use the internet for professional practice.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected using a questionnaire which was completed by 115 community pharmacists using convenience sampling technique. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used for data analysis.

Findings

The results revealed that community pharmacists use a variety of online resources, although only about 25 per cent or less use each of the online resources. The critical challenges that hinder their use of the internet were inadequate power supply, lack of funds to procure personal internet facilities, among others. There is significant relative contribution of demographic variables (gender, age, educational qualification and number of years in professional practice) on frequency of internet use among community pharmacists.

Practical implications

The Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN), Lagos Chapter, should organize continuing professional education for their members to expose them to online resources and emerging trends in professional practice. The community pharmacist should also address the problem of inadequate communication with patients by stepping up communication with the patients about their drug therapy not only through the conventional media but also through internet facilities such as email, WhatsApp and so on.

Originality/value

This study examined the extent to which community pharmacists use the internet for professional activities. This study also empirically investigated the significant relative contribution of demographic variables (gender, age, educational qualification and number of years in professional practice) on the frequency of internet use among community pharmacists.

Needs and preferences for technology among Chinese family caregivers of persons with dementia: A pilot study

Background

Dementia is a major public health concern associated with significant caregiver demands and there are technologies available to assist with caregiving. However, there is a paucity of information on caregiver needs and preferences for these technologies, especially among Chinese family caregivers of persons with dementia in Canada.

Objective

The purpose of this study was to examine the technology needs and preferences of Chinese family caregivers of persons with dementia with a sex and gender lens in Canada.

Methods

A cross-sectional survey was conducted through the Yee Hong Centre of Geriatric Care in Canada. Frequency distributions, Wilcoxon Signed Ranks Test, and multiple regression analyses were performed.

Results

The majority of the 40 respondents did not demonstrate knowledge about technology to assist with caregiving. Ease of installation and reliability were identified as the most important features when installing and using technology respectively. Respondents demonstrated a positive attitude towards the use of technology during caregiving. Controlling for age, female respondents were significantly more receptive of technology.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest a need to increase awareness of technology options to assist caregiving in this ethnic population and provide insight for future development and marketing of technology that better align with caregivers' needs.

Are Adolescents Engaged in the Problematic Use of Social Networking Sites More Involved in Peer Aggression and Victimization?

The problematic use of social networking sites is becoming a major public health concern. Previous research has found that adolescents who engage in a problematic use of social networking sites are likely to show maladjustment problems. However, little is known about its links with peer aggression and victimization. The main goal of this study was to analyze the relationship between problematic use of online social networking sites, peer aggression –overt vs. relational and reactive vs. instrumental–, and peer victimization –overt physical and verbal, and relational–, taking into account gender and age (in early and mid-adolescence). Participants were selected using randomized cluster sampling considering school and class as clusters. A battery of instruments was applied to 1,952 adolescents' secondary students from Spain (Andalusia) (50.4% boys), aged 11 to 16 (M = 14.07, SD = 1.39). Results showed that girls and 14–16 adolescents were more involved in a problematic use of online social networking sites. Furthermore, adolescents with high problematic use of online social networking sites were more involved in overt—reactive and instrumental—and relational—reactive and instrumental—aggressive behaviors, and self-reported higher levels of overt—physical and verbal—and relational victimization. Even though boys indicated higher levels of all types of victimization, girls with high problematic use of online social networking sites scored the highest on relational victimization. Relating to age, early adolescents (aged 11–14) with higher problematic use of online social networking sites reported the highest levels of overt verbal and relational victimization. Overall, results suggested the co-occurrence of problematic use of online social networking sites, peer aggression and victimization. In addition, results showed the influence that gender and age had on peer victimization. This study highlights the continuity between offline and online domains with regard to maladjustment problems in adolescence.

Access to Online Resources: A Case Study

The implementation and use of a Blackboard virtual learning environment (VLE) is described. The VLE was accessible by all Part 1 psychology students at the University of Reading. Data show that students readily made use of the VLE although there were age and gender differences in accessing the VLE that interacted with other variables. Importantly, although there were some minor differences between patterns of access by students with home access to the internet and students without such access, there were no differences in overall access rates. Data also show that this cohort of students performed significantly better than the previous cohort on Part 1 exams but there was no correlation between access to the VLE and Part 1 exam results.

Ethical and Professional Issues in Career Assessment on the Internet

The growing use of the Internet by professionals and laypeople alike, together with rapidly improving technology, has resulted in dramatic growth of assessment Web sites. Although these tests are being used for a number of purposes, their employment for career-related assessment and decisions seems to be prevailing. This development stems from the search for easy-to-obtain, free (or inexpensive) aids to assist in decision making; a general awareness and acceptance of the Internet as a legitimate informative; and professional and nonprofessional site owners' exploitation of the provision of remote testing services. Although empirical research generally supports the psychometric properties and utility of Internet-based assessment, there are numerous ethical and professional issues involved. A large listing of concerns is presented, followed by a recommendation to take action in three concomitant directions: focused legislation (including international conventions), Internet-specific training for professionals, and public education aimed at increasing awareness and understanding.

Engagement and Nonusage Attrition With a Free Physical Activity Promotion Program: The Case of 10,000 Steps Australia

BACKGROUND

Data from controlled trials indicate that Web-based interventions generally suffer from low engagement and high attrition. This is important because the level of exposure to intervention content is linked to intervention effectiveness. However, data from real-life Web-based behavior change interventions are scarce, especially when looking at physical activity promotion.

OBJECTIVE

The aims of this study were to (1) examine the engagement with the freely available physical activity promotion program 10,000 Steps, (2) examine how the use of a smartphone app may be helpful in increasing engagement with the intervention and in decreasing nonusage attrition, and (3) identify sociodemographic- and engagement-related determinants of nonusage attrition.

METHODS

Users (N=16,948) were grouped based on which platform (website, app) they logged their physical activity: Web only, app only, or Web and app. Groups were compared on sociodemographics and engagement parameters (duration of usage, number of individual and workplace challenges started, and number of physical activity log days) using ANOVA and chi-square tests. For a subsample of users that had been members for at least 3 months (n=11,651), Kaplan-Meier survival curves were estimated to plot attrition over the first 3 months after registration. A Cox regression model was used to determine predictors of nonusage attrition.

RESULTS

In the overall sample, user groups differed significantly in all sociodemographics and engagement parameters. Engagement with the program was highest for Web-and-app users. In the subsample, 50.00% (5826/11,651) of users stopped logging physical activity through the program after 30 days. Cox regression showed that user group predicted nonusage attrition: Web-and-app users (hazard ratio=0.86, 95% CI 0.81-0.93, P<.001) and app-only users (hazard ratio=0.63, 95% CI 0.58-0.68, P<.001) showed a reduced attrition risk compared to Web-only users. Further, having a higher number of individual challenges (hazard ratio=0.62, 95% CI 0.59-0.66, P<.001), workplace challenges (hazard ratio=0.94, 95% CI 0.90-0.97, P<.001), physical activity logging days (hazard ratio=0.921, 95% CI 0.919-0.922, P<.001), and steps logged per day (hazard ratio=0.99999, 95% CI 0.99998-0.99999, P<.001) were associated with reduced nonusage attrition risk as well as older age (hazard ratio=0.992, 95% CI 0.991-0.994, P<.001), being male (hazard ratio=0.85, 95% CI 0.82-0.89, P<.001), and being non-Australian (hazard ratio=0.87, 95% CI 0.82-0.91, P<.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Compared to other freely accessible Web-based health behavior interventions, the 10,000 Steps program showed high engagement. The use of an app alone or in addition to the website can enhance program engagement and reduce risk of attrition. Better understanding of participant reasons for reducing engagement can assist in clarifying how to best address this issue to maximize behavior change.

Predictors of media multitasking in Chinese adolescents

We examined predictors of media multitasking in Chinese adolescents from 3 contexts: characteristics of the media user, types of media use and family media contexts. Three hundred and twenty adolescents, 11-18 years of age, completed questionnaires to measure media use, impulsivity, sensation seeking, time management disposition and family media environment. The results showed that media multitasking was positively correlated with age and total media use time. Participants with high levels of impulsivity and sensation seeking reported more multitasking behaviour. Multitasking was negatively correlated with time management. Children from media-oriented families often engage in more multitasking. What's more, social networking sites use and music use can mediate the effect of individual and family factors on media multitasking.

Embodied harms: gender, shame, and technology-facilitated sexual violence

Criminality in cyberspace has been the subject of much debate since the 1990s, yet comparatively little attention has been paid to technology-facilitated sexual violence and harassment (TFSV). The aim of this article is to explore the ways in which retraditionalized gender hierarchies and inequalities are manifested in online contexts, and to conceptualize the cause and effects of TFSV as "embodied harms." We argue that problematic mind/body and online/off-line dualisms result in a failure to grasp the unique nature of embodied harms, precluding an adequate understanding and theorization of TFSV.

Knowledge and Utilization of Computers Among Health Professionals in a Developing Country: A Cross-Sectional Study

BACKGROUND

Incorporation of information communication technology in health care has gained wide acceptance in the last two decades. Developing countries are also incorporating information communication technology into the health system including the implementation of electronic medical records in major hospitals and the use of mobile health in rural community-based health interventions. However, the literature on the level of knowledge and utilization of information communication technology by health professionals in those settings is scarce for proper implementation planning.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study is to assess knowledge, computer utilization, and associated factors among health professionals in hospitals and health institutions in Ethiopia.

METHODS

A quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted on 554 health professionals working in 7 hospitals, 19 primary health centers, and 10 private clinics in the Harari region of Ethiopia. Data were collected using a semi-structured, self-administered, and pre-tested questionnaire. Descriptive and logistic regression techniques using SPSS version 16.0 (IBM Corporation) were applied to determine the level of knowledge and identify determinants of utilization of information communication technology.

RESULTS

Out of 554 participants, 482 (87.0%) of them responded to the questionnaire. Among them, 90 (18.7%) demonstrated good knowledge of computers while 142 (29.5%) demonstrated good utilization habits. Health professionals who work in the primary health centers were found to have lower knowledge (3.4%) and utilization (18.4%). Age (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]=3.06, 95% CI 0.57-5.37), field of study (AOR=3.08, 95% CI 1.65-5.73), level of education (AOR=2.78, 95% CI 1.43-5.40), and previous computer training participation (AOR=3.65, 95% CI 1.62-8.21) were found to be significantly associated with computer utilization habits of health professionals.

CONCLUSIONS

Computer knowledge and utilization habits of health professionals, especially those who work in primary health centers, were found to be low. Providing trainings and continuous follow-up are necessary measures to increase the likelihood of the success of implemented eHealth systems in those settings.

Cultural stereotypes as gatekeepers: increasing girls' interest in computer science and engineering by diversifying stereotypes

Despite having made significant inroads into many traditionally male-dominated fields (e.g., biology, chemistry), women continue to be underrepresented in computer science and engineering. We propose that students' stereotypes about the culture of these fields-including the kind of people, the work involved, and the values of the field-steer girls away from choosing to enter them. Computer science and engineering are stereotyped in modern American culture as male-oriented fields that involve social isolation, an intense focus on machinery, and inborn brilliance. These stereotypes are compatible with qualities that are typically more valued in men than women in American culture. As a result, when computer science and engineering stereotypes are salient, girls report less interest in these fields than their male peers. However, altering these stereotypes-by broadening the representation of the people who do this work, the work itself, and the environments in which it occurs-significantly increases girls' sense of belonging and interest in the field. Academic stereotypes thus serve as gatekeepers, driving girls away from certain fields and constraining their learning opportunities and career aspirations.

Occupational hazards education for nursing staff through web-based learning

This study aims to explore the efficiency of using online education as an intervention measure to prevent occupational hazards in a clinical nursing setting. The subjects were 320 female nursing staff from two hospitals in Taiwan. The questionnaire results indicated that the subjects primarily experienced human factor occupational hazards, as well as psychological and social hazards. Specifically, 73.1% and 69.8% of the subjects suffered from poor sleep quality and low back pain, respectively. After web-based learning, the experimental group had higher post-test scores than the control group in terms of knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP). However, there was only a significant difference (p < 0.05) in their knowledge about the prevention of occupational hazards. It is suggested that an online discussion may enhance nursing staff's participation in web-based learning, and further facilitate their comments on negative factors. The findings can highly promote nursing staff's attitudes and practices toward preventing occupational hazards through web-based learning.