No abstract

The aim of this study is to investigate relationship between social and psychological indicators and the difficulties to adapt to the state of emergency during the COVID-19 pandemic. Secondary data from the survey (N = 2608, men 39.8%, aged from 18 – 74) carried out in July 2020, in the frame of the National research program (VPP-COVID-2020/1-0011) was used in this study. Data of only some demographic questions (age, gender, education, place of residence, family status, number of children, employment status, and changes in the workload), 6 items as proxy measures of 6 personality traits (persistence, openness, hostility, extraversion, pessimism, and rigidity), Resilience scale, Emotion Regulation Skills Questionnaire (ERSQ-27) and Social Problem-Solving Inventory-Revised version (SPRP-S) as well as answers on a criterion statement: “Overall it was very difficult for me to adapt to the state of emergency” were used. Results showed that it was more difficult to adapt to the state of emergency for such demographic groups as females, persons lining in an urban area, and for those, who have experience changes (in any direction) in their workload. Results of the series of stepwise linear regression analysis showed that Negative problem orientation, Avoidance style of social problem solving, Psychological resilience (negatively), Rigidity and Extraversion are prognostic psychological factors of the difficulties to adapt to lockdown. Based on the results of this study a more targeted recommendations and interventions to enhance the psychological resilience and adaptability to the changes associated with the COVID-19 crisis for the particular groups of the Latvian population could be developed.

Regular physical activity helps to improve physical and mental functions as well as reverse some effects of chronic disease to keep older people mobile and independent (McPhee et al., 2016). However, physical activity with aerobic load elements could be a contributing factor to aging (Prakash, Voss, Erickson, & Kramer, 2015). Epidemiological studies have shown that the intensity of daily physical activity might have an important role to maintain life-long cognition (Kimura, Yasunaga, & Wang, 2013). The aim is to identify differences Latvian time use from the retrospective surveying primary data from Total Life-span Physical Activity questionnaire and tertiary data from 1979 published data on population time use and trends (Eglite, Svikis, & Zarina, 1979). Methods: The primary data of daily activities was from April to December 2019 obtained from the retrospective questionnaire “Total Lifespan Physical Activity questionnaire” (Ulmane, Šneidere, & Stepens, 2019) and tertiary data were used from 1979 published data on population time use and trends (Eglite, Svikis, & Zarina, 1979). The data were adjusted to six physical activity categories to be comparable - Work/education, physiological needs, Transportation, Leisure time, Household activities and Sports. Results: did not affect males and females differently in these measures, but only differences of some categories. Results show that the most differences were found in the categories – transportation, household activities, and sport. Conclusions: The study had several limitations because data from the 1979 published book (Eglite, Svikis, & Zarina, 1979) was only available in aggregate form. Together these results provide important insights into the difference between the capital city, small towns or rural areas, but 2019 study respondents were almost always from the capital city. However, in the future for more precise data analysis needed primary or secondary data.

Since the beginning of 2020, the world has been affected by the corona virus COVID-19. Since the spring, a number of nations around the world, including Latvia, have declared a state of emergency, with specific government restrictions developed in cooperation with WHO, to reduce spread of the COVID-19. The aim of this study is to examine socio-psychological profile of Latvian inhabitants who did not comply with the COVID-19 epidemiological requirements. A randomized nationally representative sample (N = 2608, aged from 18–74, men 39.8%, women 60.2%) from the online survey, carried out in the frame of the National research program, project Nr. VPP-COVID-2020/1-0011, was used in this study. The results showed that less compliant with COVID-19 epidemiological requirements were males, rural inhabitants, persons aged less than 60 years old, unemployed, with lower education level, and those, who are less afraid of COVID-19 and think that its dangerousness is exaggerated. Compliance with the restrictions did not relate to the marital and parental status. Based on this study, policy suggestions were made regarding a more targeted way of the providing important information on the preventive behaviour to reduce the spread of the virus.