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Abstract The incidence of the COVID-19 pandemic heightened the levels of stress of not only students but for teachers, particularly physical education (PE) teachers. The reference to PE teachers is due to their role in engaging students in practical in-person lessons after the resumption of school. Previous literature has revealed that PE teachers exhibit significantly increased levels of anxiety, fear, tension and uncertainty that they could contract the virus during these lessons. Given this scenario, there is a growing need for identifying a suitable coping scale which can accurately measure coping strategies employed these teachers. This research assessed the psychometric properties of the 16-item coping inventory using a multidimensional item response theory approach. The study surveyed 484 PE teachers through the convenience sampling technique, after which the cultural mix coping instrument was administered to them. The findings of this study confirmed the 4-factor structure of the coping measure which is consistent with the original measure. Results further revealed that a modified 14-item compared to the original 16-item coping inventory was optimal in measuring coping strategies among PE teachers. The study concluded that the 14-item cultural mix coping inventory was appropriate, applicable and reproducible to the PE teachers’ population.

Abstract Background Although postgraduate studies have been shown to be associated with stressful experiences, students reading programmes through the distance and e-learning mode experience greater levels of stress due to several reasons. These stressful encounters might be heightened in female married postgraduates on distance education programmes due to other family-work-related engagements. This study investigated the stress-related experiences and intentions to quit studies among female married students on a distance education programme in Ghana. Methods Using a sequential explanatory mixed-methods design, 164 married postgraduate distance education students were sampled to participate by responding to a questionnaire. Follow-up interviews were conducted with 10 participants to offer insight into the quantitative findings. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics, including frequency and percentages, while the qualitative data were thematically analysed. Results Stress was prevalent among the female married distance education students, with the majority having intentions of quitting their studies. The stressors identified ranged from personal (i.e., work and family demands) to institutional ones (i.e., academic load, unresolved complaints and high financial demands from the programme). Conclusions Key findings suggest that female married postgraduate distance education students perform multiple roles as full-time employees with family and academic demands that can negatively impact their health and academic work. Implications and recommendations of the findings are discussed.

Abstract Objective The present study examined the impact of academic engagement, study processes, and grit on the academic achievement of physical education and sport university students. Methods An internet-based survey recruited 459 university students aged 19–25 years (M = 21 ± 1.3) in physical education and sports (PES) to fill out questionnaires on Physical Education-Study Process Questionnaire (PE-SPQ), Physical Education-Grit (PE-Grit), academic engagement (A-USEI), and Grade Point Average (GPA). A path analysis was carried out to understand variable relationships. Results Data from each variable exhibited symmetrical and normal distribution, as indicated by the skewness and kurtosis values. The model’s fit indices showed sufficient Comparative Fit Index (CFI = 0.92), Tucker-Lewis Index (TLI = 0.90), Goodness of Fit Index (GFI = 0.99) and Normed Fit Index (NFI = 0.90) and showed acceptable levels. The results indicated a statistically significant positive impact of engagement (β = 0.299, p

Abstract Background The study assessed the moderation modelling of digital health literacy and sense of coherence across subjective social class and age among university students in Ghana during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods A total of 1160 students were conveniently sampled from two universities namely, the University of Education, Winneba and University of Cape Coast, using the descriptive cross-sectional survey design. Preliminary analysis was performed using descriptive statistics, whilst multivariate multiple regression and moderation analyses (Haye’s Model) were employed to analyze the main data. Results The study revealed that COVID-19 digital health literacy is directly and positively associated with sense of coherence among university students. Further, higher subjective social class positively and strongly moderated the relationship between COVID-19 digital health literacy and sense of coherence among university students. Additionally, the relationship between COVID-19 digital health literacy and sense of coherence was indirectly prominent among relatively older university students than younger ones. Conclusions The findings have implications for university management/authorities and public health agencies to organize effective orientation and self-management training programmes for university students.

Abstract Background With the growing concern and interest in the mental health and well-being of adolescents and young adults (AYAs) including those in schools, many studies have explored the bivariate relationship between subjective social status (SSS) and AYAs’ subjective well-being (SWB). Acknowledging the spurious nature of this relationship, we assessed the relationship between SSS and SWB of AYAs in schools within Northern Ghana, focusing on the conditional indirect effect of monetary resource (MR) and sense of coherence (SoC). Methods We utilised a cross-sectional descriptive design to survey 1096 senior high school students from two regions in Ghana’s Northern zone through a stratified sampling method. A questionnaire consisting of a number of calibrated standardized measures was used for the data collection. The data were processed using SPSS and PROCESS Macro and analysed using Hayes’ conditional process analysis. Results The results revealed that students’ MR significantly moderated the relationships between SSS and SoC as well as SSS and SWB. A significant moderated mediation effect of MR and SoC on the relationship between SSS and SWB was found. Particularly, AYAs who reported higher levels of MRl, SSS and SoC reported a better SWB. Conclusion The findings underscore the relevance of providing sufficient financial support for students in secondary schools in Ghana; thus, highlighting the sheer relevance of economic capital as a leading factor for better well-being. The findings also place much emphasis on building students’ personal coping mechanisms as a key variable in explaining how the students’ SSS and MR translate into having positive mental health outcomes.