COVID-19 has caused a shift towards remote lifestyles, which, in turn, also reshaped how people view and utilize their living spaces. Despite the broad impact of the pandemic on interior design trends, there remains a lack of detailed knowledge on new normal design preferences in bedrooms. This study particularly focused on investigating these preferences among Gen Zs after having spent their college foundation years inside their bedrooms during the 2-to-3-year lockdown. An exploratory research design using both quantitative and qualitative data gathering methods was employed to address the aforementioned gap in research. A structured survey was distributed to 21 Gen Z and UP BS Interior Design students, who were all selected through purposive sampling. The findings from the quantitative analysis revealed that functional and emotional values significantly drive the design choices of Gen Zs, with a notable preference for multifunctional spaces that cater to their diverse activities such as studying and relaxing. With many respondents incorporating workspaces into their bedrooms, furniture preferences were focused on functional pieces such as office chairs and beds with built-in storage. Respondents showed a strong inclination towards modern and minimalist design styles, with a dominant use of neutral color schemes and natural materials like wood. The use of personalized decor items further underscored the importance of bedrooms as sanctuaries that reflect identities and bring comfort during the new normal. Overall, the results highlighted the transformative impact of the pandemic on Gen Zs design choices and offers practical guidance for designing spaces that resonate with the values and lifestyles of Gen Zs. Given the limitations of the study, it is recommended to involve at least 100 respondents and to conduct interviews to gather more in-depth data.

In the field of clothing social psychology, clothing is viewed as a form of non-verbal communication that may result to stereotyping groups of people. University of the Philippines-Diliman does not have prescribed uniforms for students which means that there is no straightforward identifier and explicit indicator of which college a student belongs to. This study aims to explore the existence of stereotypes on creative and design students, specifically, on the UP College of Fine Arts and focusing on clothing as an agent of stereotyping. This research is a descriptive type analyzing both qualitative and quantitative data. Focus group discussions and a Snap Judgment Test will be conducted for the data gathering. To determine the existence of stereotyping, the study will consider the perception of the ingroup (UP-CFA students) and the outgroup (students from other colleges). Focus group discussions (FGD) will be conducted for both the ingroup and outgroup using a questionnaire to determine their style and image perception towards themselves and others. A Snap Judgment Test based on Jimenez’ (2014) study on, “The Role of Clothing in Snap Judgments on Sexual Orientation” will be used as a framework for the snap judgment test that this study will conduct for the outgroup. The resulting data will then be analyzed using the following theories and concepts: Attribution Theory, Social Psychology of Clothing, Clothing Behavior, Self-Perception Theory and Social Identity Theory. However, due to the Covid-19 restrictions, this study does not include actual data gathering and analysis but has provided recommendations on the methodology, and the appropriate approach on the presentation and analysis of data. This paper may serve as a guide for further studies on clothing stereotypes and fashion psychology in the University of the Philippines.

The study examined the family life of origin, family life formation, and family quality of life of 41 randomly selected young cohabiting couples in a barangay in Zumarraga, Samar. Self- administered survey forms were distributed to 41 couples or 82 young cohabiters, while in-depth interviews were conducted with 15 young cohabiting couples. The data collected were subjected to descriptive statistics and thematic analysis. The findings revealed that the experiences that largely contributed to the couples’ decision to engage in early cohabitation included (1) financial constraints; (2) parental strictness; (3) parental decisions; (4) parental abuse; (5) evasion from sibling care duties; and (6) early pregnancy. The couples generally live on their own as a family and they center on meeting basic needs. The challenges encountered in the family life formation are financial issues, decision-making dilemmas, and social relationship problems. Overall, the couples’ family quality of life (FQOL) rating is moderate. To help assist cohabiting couples and their families, recommendations include the provision of family life education programs as well as an integrated education curriculum.

This qualitative study aims to identify the roles of the stay-at-home fathers (SAHFs) in female breadwinner households. A total of 15 Filipino SAHFs residing in the National Capital Region participated in in-depth interviews and the data from it were analyzed through thematic analysis. The findings revealed five distinct themes describing the circumstances leading to the SAHF arrangement: 1) opportunity for wife to work, while husband lacks opportunity, 2) difficulty to find a reliable carer of a child, 3) health-related constraints, 4) voluntarily left work, and 5) passion-driven calling. The SAHF arrangement was primarily influenced by their wife’s employment opportunities. The study also examines the roles of SAHFs: 1) home manager, 2) nurturer, 3) partner, and 4) role model. Notably, not all SAHFs identify as nurturers however, they all identify as home managers. Perceptions of SAHFs regarding their roles revolve around 1) ensuring their family well-being and success, 2) their preference to work, 3) breaking patterns of their childhood experiences, and 4) navigating gender-atypical roles. Some SAHFs embrace the concept of detraditionalizing fatherhood however, some SAHFs still perceive their roles through traditional gender norms. Given these findings, this study contributes to redefining the concept of fatherhood in the Philippines.

Obesity is characterized by a positive energy balance due to the excess intake of energy-dense food. One such class of food items is sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB). While there is a clear association between obesity and excessive SSB consumption, there is conflicting information concerning the association of knowledge of SSBs to obesity. This study investigated the association between knowledge and consumption practices on SSBs to the BMI and Waist-to-Hip Ratio (WHR) of selected UP Diliman College of Home Economics (CHE) students. In-person recruitment, posting of media cards within the grounds of CHE, and calls for participants through Facebook posts were conducted to hire potential participants. Thirty participants were recruited for this study through convenience sampling. Knowledge was measured through the Sugar-sweetened Beverage Knowledge Questionnaire (SSBKQ) while consumption practices were determined using the Beverage Questionnaire - 15 (BEVQ-15). Anthropometric data were measured at the CHE-DFSN Nutrition Clinic and FNL 115. Results showed that there is no significant association between knowledge (Tc = -0.0563, p = 0.6449) and consumption practices (Tc = 0.0919, p = 0.4895) on SSBs and the BMI of the participants. No significant association was also determined between knowledge (rb = 0.0034, p = 0.9858) and consumption practices (rb = 0.0590, p = 0.7570) and risk of comorbidities as characterized by a high WHR. Female participants are particularly vulnerable to excess SSB consumption, as it was determined that women are more likely to have a waist-to-hip ratio above WHO cut-off points. Participants consume 352 kilocalories of SSB daily on average, with most participants averaging a score of 13.1 out of 18 when testing knowledge on SSBs. Future studies are recommended to gather data from a larger sample size, utilize a different sampling method, investigate students from under-represented courses, and include physical activity as a variable.