名古屋外国語大学論集

第10号

2022年2月

ArticleSocial Well-Being in the COVID-19 Pandemic:
A Quantitative Analysis of Japanese University
Student Survey Responses
Lidija ELLIOTT

Abstract
As the COVID-19 pandemic emerged globally in early 2020, it started to significantly impact the social well-being of all populations worldwide. This paper
investigates the impact of this pandemic on the social well-being and awarenessof first- and second-year university students in Japan. A survey collected datafrom university students with questions regarding lifestyle adjustments made,experiences, and responses taken due to the pandemic. Data was analysed using
quantitative methods. This study, although not a complete representation of thestudent population, shows that students overall adhered to COVID-19 healthguidelines and understood about the seriousness of this pandemic.
Keywords: COVID-19, student attitudes, social well-being, anxiety

Introduction“Very few phenomena throughout human history have shaped our societies
and cultures the way outbreaks of infectious diseases have” (Huremovic, 2019.
p.7). Humanity has faced several pandemics such as the 1918 influenza pandemic, Black Death or the Plague of the late Middle Ages, and the lesser-known
185

Plague of Justinian, 541–549 AD. While these examples were statistically more
deadly and/or infectious, the ramifications of the recent and ongoing COVID-19
pandemic fundamentally differ from previous outbreaks. COVID-19, a previously unknown respiratory illness caused by the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2(Wu et al., 2020), “was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization
on 11 March 2020, less than three months after cases were first detected” (Buddet.al., 2020, p. 1183). The progression of this pandemic has kept researchers
intrigued for many reasons. The primary attractor, of course, is for those working
in epidemiology, medicine, and its related disciplines.
Discussing the media itself regarding this novel coronavirus carries many
implications. It is also undeniable that COVID-19 itself can be linked to each
aspect of how people interact with different forms of media, how the pandemic
has affected them, and how they have continued to communicate with theirfamilies and friends regarding new information. According to Ahmad and Murad“Social media has become a source of disseminating information to the public”(p.2). This study conducted a survey on social well-being in the recent pandemic,
which was performed by collecting social data from university students in Japan.
According to Capone, Caso, Donizzetti & Procentese (2020) “University plays acentral role in youths’ lives: the need for belonging, relationship with colleagues
and acceptance take on special importance for it” (p.2).

MethodThis paper outlines the methods used to gather and analyse this data, discusses
the questions and responses from the individuals, and ultimately concludes how
this information can help determine whether these students have been participating in socially responsible behaviour or not.
As shown in Table 1.1 out of the 91 total participants, 52 (57.1 percent)identified as female, 38 (41.8 percent) identified as male, and 1 (1.1 percent)identified as neither. Data collection for this survey was straightforward and186Social Well-Being in the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Quantitative Analysis of Japanese University Student Survey Responses ■relatively simple. Data was collected through web-based questionnaire, andit was given as homework. All students were asked eleven questions relating
to their experience, response, and lifestyle adjustments due to the COVID-19
pandemic (see Appendix A). All questions were given in English. Participation
was voluntary. Each participant was asked to answer these questions as honestly
as possible while considering their past actions throughout the pandemic. All
participants were English major. The survey was given in the middle of the firstsemester. As Table 1.1 shows that total of 52 (57.1 percent) first-year students
enrolled in Core English (two classes) and Academic Writing (one course), while
39 (42.9 percent) second-year students enrolled in Core English (two classes).
There were also multiple-choice questions that the participants could choose
from depending on the question (see Appendix A). Some had three options
utilizing a ‘Not at all, Somewhat, Very Much’ or ‘More, Same, Less’ formats.
Others were more variable for questions that asked about the source of their
COVID information and how frequently they would ideally like to receive
information on coronavirus updates.
After collecting the students’ answers, the information gathered was aggregated and put into an Excel spreadsheet to properly organize each question,
response, and subject. Next, the data was cleaned in Excel and given codes
Table 1.1 Demographic information (n=91)
Frequency

Percent

Female

52

57.1%

Male

38

41.8%

Other

01

1.1%

First year

52

57.1%

Second year

39

42.9%

GenderUniversity Year187

for each of the responses before running analytic processes. After that, SPSS
software was used to check frequency, percentage, and cross-tabulation forfirst- and second-year students to determine special features of the sample. The
author chose SPSS because it “allows many different types of analyses, datatransformations, and forms of output” (Arkkelin, 2014, pp. 2–3).

Results and Discussion
All data results were shown in Table 1.2. Participant responses with thestrongest majority were to the questions:‘From which sources are you getting information about the coronavirus?’‘Are you concerned about contracting COVID-19 by attending class?’,‘Are you social distancing?’,‘Family/Friend Communications’,‘COVID Disruptions’, and‘Whether COVID impacts learning’ questions.
The remaining responses were not divisively split and still showed greater variation. The results provided an understanding of how Japanese students reacted
to COVID-19.
The author will focus on the larger profile of what this data can tell researchers about college-aged students in Japan, to what extent COVID-19 has affected
their lifestyles, and university life. The survey data will also be useful in gauging
any differences between first- and second-year students. Though these twogroups are often viewed as homogenous in answers, there can always be roomfor difference and growth, especially with thorough data that can help reveal
some of the finer, minute differences.

How closely are you following news about the coronavirus?
As it can be seen in Table 1.2, most first-year students (48.07 percent)said they followed the COVID-19 news “Very closely,” whereas second-year
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Social Well-Being in the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Quantitative Analysis of Japanese University Student Survey Responses ■Table 1.2 Descriptive statistics and cross-tabulation
Frequency Percent(n=91)(n=91)

Frequency[first year atuniversity](n=52)

Frequency[second year
at university](n=39)How closely are you following news
about the coronavirus (COVID-19)?
Very closely

38

41.8%

25 (48.07%)

13 (33.33%)

Not so closely

44

48.4%

19 (36.53%)

25 (64.11%)

Not closely at all

9

9.9%

8 (15.4%)

1 ( 2.56%)

34 (87.18%)

From which sources are you getting
information about the coronavirus(COVID-19)?
News/media

81

89%

47 (90.38%)

Government health organizations

1

1.1%

1 ( 1.92%)

0Parents3

3.30%

1 ( 1.92%)

2 ( 5.13%)

Medical professionals

2

2.2%

1 ( 1.92%)

1 ( 2.56%)

Influencers celebrities on social media

4

4.40%

2 ( 3.85%)

2 ( 5.13%)

Are you concerned about contracting
COVID-19 by attending class?
Very worried

18

19.78%

12 (19.8%)

6 (23.08%)

Somewhat worried

60

65.93%

33 (65.9%)

27 (63.46%)

Not worried at all

13

14.29%

7 (14.3%)

6 (13.46%)

To what degree are you practicing“social distancing”?
Not at all

2

2.20%

1 ( 2.2%)

1 ( 1.92%)

Somewhat

56

61.54%

33 (61.5%)

23 (63.46%)

Very much

33

36.26%

18 (36.3%)

15 (34.62%)

How connected would you say you
feel to your friends right now?
More connected than usual

2224.18%

18 (34.62%)

4 (10.26%)

About as connected as usual

3437.36%

21 (40.38%)

13 (33.33%)

Less connected than usual

3538.46%

13 (25%)22 (56.41%)

How do you stay connected withfamily/friends who you no longer
see in person due to the coronavirus(COVID-19)?
Chats

43

47.25%

22 (42.30%)

21 (53.85%)

Different applications

3

3.30%

1 ( 1.92%)

2 ( 5.13%)

Email

9

9.89%

6 (11.54%)

3 ( 7.69%)

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Frequency Percent(n=91)(n=91)

Frequency[first year atuniversity](n=52)

Frequency[second year
at university](n=39)

Social media

19

20.88%

11 (21.15%)

8 (20.51%)

Video texts

15

16.48%

10 (19.23%)

5 (12.82%)

All the above

2

2.20%

2 ( 3.85%)

0

Daily

27

30%

23 (44.23%)

4 (10.53%)

How often would you like to receive
updates from university about thecoronavirus (COVID-19) crisis?
Twice a week25

27.78%

12 (23.08%)

13 (34.21%)

Whenever there is new information

35

38.89%

15 (28.85%)

20 (52.63%)

Never

3

3.33%

2 ( 3.85%)

1 ( 2.63%)

Very disruptive

58

63.74%

29 (55.77%)

29 (74.36%)

Somewhat disruptive

31

34.06%

22 (42.31%)

9 (23.08%)

Not disruptive at all

2

2.20%

1 ( 1.92%)

1 ( 2.56%)

No

14

15.38%

7 (13.46%)

7 (17.95%)

Yes

77

84.62%

45 (86.54%)

32 (82.05%)

How disruptive has the coronavirus(COVID-19) outbreak been to yourusual university experience?

Do you think that COVID-19
concerns impact your ability to learn/study?

students chose “not so closely” (64.11 percent). It is tempting to assume thatstudents are less interested in following COVID-19, mainly when grouped withthe respondents who said they did not follow it at all. However, considering
the increased frequency of those who chose this answer, which is just 7 percent
lower than the middle ground, it could ‘Very closely’ match it. Rather than notfollowing news about the novel coronavirus at all, 90.2 percent of students follow
it in some way, shape, or form. Only 9.9% percent answered they do not mind
it closely, which does not indicate they do not keep track of it; this could imply
that, but it is more likely not to actively seek out information about it than they
do not know anything about it. It is also worth noting that first-year students
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Social Well-Being in the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Quantitative Analysis of Japanese University Student Survey Responses ■were more likely than second-year students to claim they were keeping up with
COVID-19 news. The overall difference was minor, but it did demonstrate a shift
in attention that might be linked to the exposure to new settings after second-year
students finished the spring and fall semesters of 2020 with COVID-19 in mind.

From which sources are you getting information about the coronavirus(COVID-19)?
News media is the primary source of information as 89 percent of thestudents report on the COVID-19 pandemic. The celebrity influence on social
media follows media; it is the second most used source of information after news
media, with 4.4 percent of the student using it as a source. However, the Japanese
government and the medical personnel are the least sought sources with 1.1
percent and 2.2 percent respectively. First-year students get the highest numberof news from media and other sources, compared to second-year students who
have the least sourced information on the pandemic. This question was focusedon their primary source rather than all sources. It is likely that some respondents
had seen, heard, or sought out information from the other options available.

Are you concerned about contracting COVID-19 by attending class?
Most of this response falls somewhere around the middle, and it was constantamong first- and second-year students. This paper can use this result to generate
several new concepts. First, when compared to second-year students, a higher
percentage of first-year students (individual percentage as a group) said they
were ‘Very worried’ about getting COVID-19 by attending class. Several
external variables could influence this, including that first-year students areless comfortable with the collegiate in-class setting than second-year students.
Second, only 13 of the 91 participants (14.29 percent) said they were “not at
all concerned” about the possibility of becoming infected. Most students werestill worried about their health (which could be linked to their concern for their191

friends and family members) if they should go to class.

To what degree are you practicing “social distancing”?
This question resulted in an unusual divide, with nearly all participants (89students) indicating that they were deliberately socially distancing to somedegree. Most respondents chose ‘Somewhat’ (61.54 percent), which makes sense
in a collegiate atmosphere because they are likely to have frequent contact with
their peers. As a result, they would probably only exercise social distance inprofessional settings or in places where they are surrounded by people they do
not know. The replies for social distancing were broadly similar in both years ofsurveying, with comparable numbers. Only two people (2.2 percent) respondedwith ‘Not at all’. Therefore, there is not much to say about them. Given themarked tendency towards social separation, this may be attributable to several
other not as prominent characteristics in this sample group.

How connected would you say you feel to your friends right now?
The slight majority (38.46 percent or 35 students) discovered among those
who answered, “Less connected than usual” was intriguing. More first-year
students (40.38 percent or 21 students) indicated they felt the same level ofconnection, while more second-year students said they felt less attached (56.41
percent or 22 students). Furthermore, first-year students reported being considerably more connected than second-year students. This trend could lead to thediscovery of a few COVID-19 effects. First, it appears plausible that second-year
students would feel less connected overall because they did not get to connect
in actual settings with peers throughout their first year. This trend leads to thelogical inference that first-year students may feel “about as connected as usual,”
given how they have felt since the start of the university year. Since visiting or
hanging out through virtual means has become commonplace in social situations,first-year students may feel more connected than usual. Because they have192

Social Well-Being in the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Quantitative Analysis of Japanese University Student Survey Responses ■constant access to devices, these students can see their peers significantly more
frequently than they could before the COVID limits.

How do you stay connected with family/friends that you no longer see
in person due to the coronavirus (COVID-19)?
When it comes to talking about the coronavirus with friends or family, 47.25
percent of students prefer to use ‘Chats.’ While only two students in their firstyear of university (3.85 percent) said they used all of the ways outlined. This age
group would employ such conveniently accessible means to stay in touch withothers. Close behind were the respondents who said they used “Social media”(20.88 percent) and “Video texts” (16.48 percent), both of which are simple touse, typically free, and effective modes of communication. Finally, just twelve
individuals chose ‘Email’ (9.89 percent) or ‘Different applications’ as theirpreferred mode of interaction (3.30 percent or three students). Depending on
the student and their preferences, there could be various other application thatare easier and faster. For this age group, email is far less frequent as a means ofcommunication. While the category of “Different applications” is more difficult
to define due to its breadth, “Email” has typically surpassed by other modes ofcommunication due to convenience. Overall, given the ever-expanding methodsof communication that become available, the preferences listed here can all be
explained relatively adequately.

How often would you like to receive updates from the university about
the coronavirus crisis?
The responses were almost evenly split between ‘daily, twice a week, andwhenever there is new information,’ with only three people saying ‘never (3.33
percent). Except for the three who answered ‘Never,’ these groups appear toagree that some type of information supplied to them would be beneficial. Those
who want daily information may be the most concerned about the epidemic
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for other reasons. They, or their friends and family, may have unique healthproblems, prompting them to seek continuous updates for their safety. Those whowant two weekly updates may be cautious individuals who, while less anxious,
want to regularly be aware of the situation. Those who selected ‘Whenever new
information becomes available’ might be divided into two groups. The firstgroup consists of those who are interested in staying current but are unconcerned
about the pandemic. They are just interested in hearing what is new and immediate, not all information. People who answered ‘Never’ could make up the othergroup; it can be mentally taxing because the illness has been going on for solong. Only hearing about it on rare occasions with new, pertinent information
could rescue them from emotional anguish.

How disruptive has the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak been to
your usual university experience?
COVID-19 had an impact on all but two (2.20 percent) of the respondents’university experience. These two people were anomalies, which may be attributed to a variety of circumstances. Without more investigation, it would not beeasy to say. The majority of those polled (63.74 percent) said the adjustments
they have gone through have been “Very disruptive.” First-year students (42.31
percent) said their experience had been just “Somewhat disruptive,” which could
be because this is their first year at university. Second-year students were more
likely than first-year students to reply with ‘Very disruptive,’ which is understandable given that their first semester of university was likely very different
from the one that followed. Many factors could have influenced these responses,
but the top two were most likely influenced by the differences between online
and in-person classes, how connected they were to their friends, and if they had
first-hand experience with COVID-19 (i.e., either they or someone they know
contracted it).

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Social Well-Being in the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Quantitative Analysis of Japanese University Student Survey Responses ■Do you think that COVID-19 concerns impact your ability to learn/study?
Finally, the majority response to this question was yes (84.62 percent),
indicating that most students in both years felt the pandemic negatively influenced their learning ability. As previously said, the replies to this question were
strikingly identical to those to the question, “Are you concerned about getting
COVID-19 by attending class?” Though this is merely guesswork based onthese two replies, the trend could still indicate that individuals who are least
concerned about contracting COVID-19 by attending class feel their learning
has been minimally impacted. Also, because it deals with a similar problem, theresponse to this question fits nicely with the answer to “How disruptive has thecoronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak been to your regular university experience.”
It is worth noting that the responses to that question are pretty varied; only two
students indicated their academic experience had been minimally affected. This
experience could be because the previous question inquired about how theirclass performance had been generally affected. As a result, it’s understandable
that students would find it simple to adjust to online instruction. Regardless,most students learning patterns have been influenced by COVID, according to
the majority.

Limitations
There are several limitations to the present study. First, COVID-19 is far
from over yet. Hence, the current findings might be true only for this phaseof the outbreak. Second, data were only collected from one survey at the midof the first semester therefore limiting the amount of data collected. Third, allsurvey questions were written in English; students may have been better able tounderstand meaning of questions had they been translated in Japanese.
Further studies need to be conducted from different perspectives as this paper
has not observed every detail in the social straining the COVID-19 pandemic has
195brought. To completely appreciate the extent to which the pandemic has sociallyinfluenced student life and well-being, more precise data will be acquired byasking more detailed and correct questions.

Conclusion
This paper analyzed the social implications of COVID-19 on Japanesetertiary students in their first or second year of university and how anti-virus
measures have impacted their social lives. COVID-19 have had substantial andfar-reaching impacts on students’ lifestyles, their employment status, the way
they work, their environmental surroundings, and the way they interact and communicate with each other. “University students are a special social group withactive life habits based on relationships and contacts, physical and university
activities, travel, and gatherings. The pandemic emergency changed their life
drastically…” (Villani, 2021, p. 2). Contacts between friends and distant family
have reduced due to travel social gatherings restrictions imposed. Most students
gather information from social media, which can convey false information otherthan listening to the people with the correct information, such as the medical
personnel. It was evident that all participants understood the seriousness of thepandemic and took measures to act responsibly, although it affected their university and social life. It is necessary to continue to survey students to understand
students’ experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic and to determine whatkind of support instructor and class community can provide for students.

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APPENDIX A
Anxiety Survey
1. What is your gender?
FemaleMale
Other
2. Are you..........................at University?
first year
second year
3. How closely are you following news about the coronavirus (COVID-19)?
Very closely
Not so closely
Not closely at all
4. From which of the following sources are you getting information about thecoronavirus (COVID-19)?
News/media
Medical professionals
Influencers /celebrities on social media
Government health organizations
Parents
None of the above
Others (please specify)
5. Are you concerned about contracting COVID-19 by attending class?
Very worriedSomewhat worried
Not worried at all
6. To what degree are you practicing “social distancing”? Social distancing
refers to household members staying home as much as possible and not gatheringin groups, to avoid possible spread of the virus.
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Social Well-Being in the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Quantitative Analysis of Japanese University Student Survey Responses ■Very much
Somewhat
Not at all
7. How connected would you say you feel to your friends right now?
More connected than usual
About as connected as usual
Less connected than usual
8. How do you stay connected with family/friends who you no longer see inperson due to the coronavirus (COVID-19)
Video texts
Chats
Email
Social media
Different applications
All the above
9. How often would you like to receive updates from university about thecoronavirus (COVID-19) crisis?
Daily
Twice a week
whenever there is new information
Never
10. How disruptive has the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak been to yourusual university experience?
Very disruptive
Somewhat disruptive
Not disruptive at all
11. Do you think that COVID-19 concerns impact your ability to learn/study?
YesNo
199