In Hong Kong, social distancing has been adopted in order to minimise the spread of COVID-19. This study aims to examine the changes in physical health, mental health, and social well-being experienced by local residents who were homebound during the pandemic. An online questionnaire in both Chinese and English versions was completed by 590 eligible participants from 24 April to 13 May 2020. The questionnaire found that individuals aged 18 to 25 years spent more time resting and relaxing but experienced more physical strain. Working status was associated with social contact, with participants working full-time jobs scoring higher in “maintaining social communication via electronic means” and “avoiding social activities outside the home”. Additionally, approximately one third of the participants (29.7%) had moderate to severe depression, and participants aged 18 to 25 were found to have higher scores in PHQ-9. Changes in physical health and social contact were significantly associated with developing depressive symptoms. From the results, it is clear that the COVID-19 pandemic has the potential to exert a negative impact on the mental health status of individuals.

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aim to develop a better and sustainable future for the world, and the goals are part of an action plan to address poverty, hunger, health, gender equity and various pressing world issues. One of these goals looks at health and wellness. Ageing populations have become a crucial issue worldwide, and this short monograph explores ageing and how the consequences of an ageing population may affect our healthcare system through a case study on Hong Kong’s population. The book looks at several critical health issues related to ageing. The elderly, particularly those with low socio-economic status, rely more on acute-centric care rather than primary care. The book suggests that secondary care service may only be effective to a limited extent as a healthcare measure and an optimum healthcare system should be one that focuses on primary care. The authors put forth a compelling argument for disease prevention and screening schemes and explain how they are more cost-effective and beneficial to society and the system. This thoughtful book will provide beneficial insights into the relationship of ageing and Sustainable Development Goals in the context of health and wellness for policymakers and healthcare professionals. The Open Access version of this book, available at http://www.taylorfrancis.com, has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 license.

This study explores the influence of industry forces, strategic implementation, and business performance of state-owned hotels in China. The findings show that industry forces of competitors, customers, and new hotel entrants have a crucial influence on the strategic development of state-owned hotels whereas substitutes and suppliers have less impact. The hotels under study applied differentiation to position themselves by implementing strategies of branding, human resources, advanced information technology, and cost efficiency. Differentiation enables state-owned hotels to achieve desirable performance. Hoteliers in China should monitor the effect of industry forces to sustain strengths, grasp opportunities, avoid threats, and overcome weaknesses.