Effects of confinement on university students: an analysis based on gender differences

Abstract

Confinement by COVID-19 impacts on the relational
processes of the family group, the economy and the
emotional state of people. In addition, mass media
information about the pandemic may directly affect the
mood of different age groups. It aims to analyze the
relationship between the emotional changes that arise in
university students and the factors associated with the
pandemic by COVID-19 (media, economy, education
and family). The analytical empirical research method, a
probability sample and a sample of 826 Colombian
university students were used. An online survey was
applied with Likert questions (1-5) that sought to
ascertain students' perceptions of the pandemic. Finally,
two structural equation models were developed for
comparative analysis by gender. For the male gender,
the latent variable that has the greatest degree of
relationship to emotional changes is economy
(σCE_EC=0.75), in the female gender it is family
(σCE_FA=0.88). Statistically significant differences
were identified in the two genders studied. The
economy (loss of employment, decrease in income,
among others) is what most affects men, while the
family (distance, domestic violence, overcrowding,
among others) is what most impacts women.