Search Results (192)

Although smart device use among children is increasing, most interventions overlook their cognitive and emotional development or rely too heavily on external control. Such approaches often overlook the developmental needs of children for emotional regulation and autonomy. Therefore, this study aims to propose a child-centred user experience (UX) framework to support digital self-regulation in preschool-aged children. The proposed system integrates multiple psychological theories—including Piaget’s concept of animistic thinking, executive function theory, Self-Determination Theory, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy—to support cognitive and emotional regulation during screen use. Key features include persistent visual cues to enhance time awareness and behavioural anticipation, narrative-based character interactions to foster empathy and agency, and ritualised closure routines supported by multimodal and tangible interaction elements. Developed as a mobile prototype, the system was iteratively refined through two-stage consultations with child and adolescent psychiatrists and a developmental psychologist, including formative design feedback and follow-up expert review. Their feedback provided preliminary validation of the system’s developmental validity and emotional coherence. These findings suggest that affectively attuned UX design is a viable alternative to conventional control-based screen-time interventions in early childhood. Full article

This study investigates how persuasion, trust, and empathy from Human Resources (HR) managers affect the acceptance of nudging practices in workplace, especially when these interventions are meant to be ethical and supportive. Based on the theory of advisory nudge, the research connects ideas from Human Resource Management and ethical marketing. A quantitative method was applied using a structured questionnaire answered by 733 HR professionals in European companies. The model was tested with PLS-SEM, and results confirmed strong influence of supervisor’s persuasion and empathy on HR professionals’ perception of nudges as ethical and autonomy-enhancing. The findings also showed that empathy plays important role in how HR professionals experience the intention behind soft interventions, with gender-based differences being significant. Additional analyses with IPMA and MGA confirmed the strategic importance of trust and emotional intelligence in organizational settings. The results help to understand when a persuasive act is seen as ethical guidance and when it is not, offering theoretical and practical insights both for HR leadership and marketing communication. The study suggests future research to explore different types of nudging and include variables such as organizational culture or HR professionals’ values, to better understand the ethical acceptance of influence at work. Full article

The development of exoskeletons aimed at enhancing the mobility and autonomy of people with disabilities marks a significant advance toward social and occupational inclusion, fostering greater independence and improved quality of life. However, their implementation poses multidisciplinary challenges, including technical issues, usability, cost, and user acceptance. This article synthesizes the main challenges, recent advancements, and future perspectives identified in scientific literature through a systematic review conducted under the PRISMA^® methodology. Forty-three high-impact publications indexed in SCOPUS, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, Taylor & Francis, IEEE Xplore, and PubMed were analyzed, showing an almost perfect inter-rater agreement (Cohen’s Kappa = 0.8390). The findings underscore the need to optimize control systems, reduce costs, and improve device adaptability. Artificial intelligence emerges as a key enabler to overcome these limitations, offering more efficient, affordable, and personalized solutions. This work provides an up-to-date overview of the field and outlines future directions for exoskeleton research and development, highlighting their transformative potential in the lives of people with disabilities. Full article

Background/Objectives: Artificial intelligence (AI) offers opportunities to enhance healthcare accessibility for people with disabilities (PwDs). However, their application in Saudi Arabia remains limited. This study explores PwDs’ experiences with AI technologies within the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 digital health framework to inform inclusive healthcare innovation strategies. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine PwDs across Riyadh, Al-Jouf, and the Northern Border region between January and February 2025. Participants used various AI-enabled technologies, including smart home assistants, mobile health applications, communication aids, and automated scheduling systems. Thematic analysis following Braun and Clarke’s six-phase framework was employed to identify key themes and patterns. Results: Four major themes emerged: (1) accessibility and usability challenges, including voice recognition difficulties and interface barriers; (2) personalization and autonomy through AI-assisted daily living tasks and medication management; (3) technological barriers such as connectivity issues and maintenance gaps; and (4) psychological acceptance influenced by family support and cultural integration. Participants noted infrastructure gaps in rural areas, financial constraints, limited disability-specific design, and digital literacy barriers while expressing optimism regarding AI’s potential to enhance independence and health outcomes. Conclusions: Realizing the benefits of AI for disability healthcare in Saudi Arabia requires culturally adapted designs, improved infrastructure investment in rural regions, inclusive policymaking, and targeted digital literacy programs. These findings support inclusive healthcare innovation aligned with Saudi Vision 2030 goals and provide evidence-based recommendations for implementing AI healthcare technologies for PwDs in similar cultural contexts. Full article

While it is widely accepted that parents play an important role in facilitating the academic achievement of their offspring through school involvement and homework assistance, less is known about how exactly parents, in general, contribute to adolescents’ academic achievement within and across non-Western cultures through their everyday parenting behaviors and parent–adolescent relationships. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between several Western constructs of maternal parenting behavior (e.g., support, involvement, reasoning, punitiveness, and parental knowledge), and aspects of the mother–adolescent relationship (e.g., autonomy, conformity, and familism) and adolescent academic achievement among families living in China, India, and South Korea. Self-reported data were collected from adolescents living in urban areas within Mainland China (n = 589), India (n = 463), and South Korea (274). Examination of the results from the reduced linear regression model indicated that maternal knowledge, familism, punitiveness, age of adolescent, and region were statistically significant predictors. Full article

This paper explores the tensions between hydropower and sustainable development to critically examine how hydropower, often promoted as a strategy for fulfilling the Sustainable Development Goals, may not align with the values and needs of local communities. Research in Costa Rica highlights a key issue: For whom and for what is hydropower sustainable? While hydropower may support global energy and climate goals, it often undermines the autonomy, cultural practices, and ecological relationships of Indigenous peoples. This disconnect raises further questions: what social, economic, and ecological trade-offs are acceptable, and for whom? This paper discusses how these trade-offs—climate mitigation versus the loss of land, resources, and autonomy—are often imposed without meaningful consultation or participation from affected communities. Furthermore, it asks who makes the decisions, and how can these decisions be more just? By analyzing the power dynamics within hydrosocial territories, this paper argues for water governance that applies an environmental justice framework to address power asymmetries and centers marginalized voices to ensure that sustainability efforts do not reproduce the very injustices they seek to solve. Full article

Traditional educational models and assessment tools have neglected the motivation and sustainability of students’ emotional engagement in physical education classes. The impact of self-support on emotional engagement in physical education classes and its underlying mechanisms remain under-explored. The present study was a 6-month longitudinal study of 718 college students at two universities in a remote area of southern Shaanxi Province, China. The study aimed to examine the effects of autonomy support on affective engagement in physical education classes and to analyze the longitudinal mediating roles of self-acceptance and academic self-efficacy. The study found that physical education teacher support and parental autonomy support significantly promoted college students’ emotional engagement in physical education classes. Chained longitudinal mediation analyses indicated that self-acceptance and academic self-efficacy played chained mediating roles in promoting college students’ affective engagement in physical education classes in different supportive environments. This study transcends a static, cross-sectional research perspective, validates and extends self-determination theory, and promotes affective engagement in physical education learning through different autonomy supports that enhance the development of self-acceptance and academic self-efficacy in college students, providing a reference for enhancing physical education teaching and learning and improving the quality of teaching and learning. Full article

Background and Objectives: AI is transforming healthcare, with family doctors at the forefront. As primary care providers, they play a key role in integrating AI into patient care. Despite AI’s potential, concerns about trust, data privacy, and physician autonomy persist. Little research exists on family doctors’ perspectives. This study investigates the views of Lithuanian family physicians on AI’s ethical challenges and benefits, aiming to support responsible implementation. Materials and Methods: A review of the literature was conducted (2015–2025) using Google Scholar, PubMed, and Scopus. This qualitative study explored family physicians’ perceptions of AI in Lithuania, focusing on ethics, AI’s role, experience, training, and concerns about replacement. Informed consent and ethical guidelines were followed. Results: AI has strong potential in family medicine, automating administrative tasks, improving diagnostic accuracy, and supporting patient autonomy. AI tools, like clinical documentation systems and smart devices save time, allowing physicians to focus on patient care. They also improve diagnostic precision, enabling earlier detection of conditions such as cancer and coronary artery disease. Physicians express concerns about AI’s reliability, biases, and data privacy. While AI boosts efficiency, many emphasize the importance of human oversight in decision-making, especially in complex cases. Privacy concerns around health data and the need for stricter regulations are crucial. Lithuanian family physicians generally accept AI as a helpful tool for routine tasks but remain cautious regarding its trustworthiness. Job displacement concerns were not prevalent, with AI seen as a tool to augment rather than replace their role. Successful AI integration requires training, transparency, and ethical guidelines to build trust and ensure patient safety. Conclusions: AI enhances efficiency in family medicine but requires structured training and ethical safeguards to address concerns about data privacy, accountability, and bias. AI is viewed as supportive, not as a replacement. Full article

Sex workers and formerly incarcerated people with a cervix face significant structural, interpersonal, and emotional barriers to cervical cancer screening, despite being at elevated risk for HPV infection. HPV self-sampling (HPV-SS) is a validated, user-directed method that has the potential to address these barriers, yet it remains excluded from Ontario’s organized screening program. This qualitative study explored the lived experiences of structurally marginalized individuals with a cervix who were offered HPV-SS as part of a mixed-methods pilot in the Greater Toronto Area. Five virtual focus groups were conducted with 34 participants, including both those who used the HPV-SS kit and those who declined it. Using inductive thematic analysis, we identified barriers to traditional screening including fear, stigma, mistrust of healthcare providers, logistical constraints, and a lack of accessible information. HPV-SS was widely described as more acceptable, empowering, and emotionally manageable, offering participants autonomy, privacy, and control over their care. Concerns included swab design, uncertainty about correct use, and unclear follow-up after positive results. Participants offered concrete, community-informed recommendations to improve HPV-SS implementation, including opt-in distribution models, gender-affirming language, and trauma-informed educational materials. The findings highlight the urgent need to integrate HPV-SS into organized screening programs to advance equitable access to cervical cancer prevention for marginalized populations. Full article

Background/Objectives: Lower-limb amputation profoundly affects individuals and their family caregivers, particularly during home transition after hospital discharge. Understanding the needs, challenges, and emotions during this period is essential for designing effective family centered empowerment interventions. This study aimed to explore the lived experiences of amputees and their caregivers, identify their needs and challenges, and identify strategies to foster empowerment, resilience, and adaptation after amputation. Methods: This qualitative, descriptive-exploratory study involved semi-structured interviews with 37 dyads, each comprising an amputee who has undergone major dysvascular lower-limb amputation and their primary caregiver, who provided home care. The participants attended follow-up consultations post-amputation. Data were collected over a 13-month period and analyzed using qualitative content analysis based on Bardin’s methodology, with support from ATLAS.ti 23.3.4 software for coding and data organization. Results: Four categories emerged: (i) difficulties faced, including loss of autonomy, mobility challenges, architectural barriers, and emotional strain; (ii) home discharge, emphasizing functional training for amputees and caregivers and the need for community support; (iii) impact of amputation, highlighting acceptance difficulties, psychological distress, social isolation, and lifestyle changes; and (iv) empowerment strategies, focusing on psychological support, skills training, assistive devices, and coordinated care. Tailored interventions such as peer support, home adaptations, and multidisciplinary care are essential for resilience, independence, and improved quality of life. Conclusions: Family centered empowerment strategies are vital for improving the outcomes of amputees and caregivers. Interventions that prioritize caregiver education, psychological support, and enhanced accessibility promote resilience, autonomy, and quality of life. These findings highlight the need for integrated hospital-to-community programs. Full article

As social robots become increasingly integrated into everyday life, understanding the factors that influence users’ long-term continuance intention is essential. This study investigates how various features of MOCCA, a social robot equipped with episodic memory, affect users’ continuance usage intention through perceived trust and parasocial interaction, within the framework of the Stimulus–Organism–Response (SOR) theory. A structural model incorporating key perceived features (intimacy, morality, dependency, and information privacy risk) was tested with survey data from 285 MOCCA users and analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The results show that intimacy and morality positively influence both trust and parasocial interaction, while information privacy risk exerts a negative effect. Dependency significantly reduces parasocial interaction but does not significantly impact trust. These findings highlight the importance of balancing human-like qualities, ethical responsibility, perceived autonomy, and privacy protection in social robot design to foster trust, enhance user engagement, and support long-term adoption. This study provides theoretical, managerial, and practical insights into the field of human–robot interaction (HRI) and contributes to the broader acceptance of social robots in everyday life. Full article

The transition to electric public transportation is crucial for reducing the carbon footprint and promoting environmental sustainability. However, successful implementation requires strong public policies, including tax incentives and educational programs, to encourage widespread adoption. This study identifies the optimal electric bus model for Cuenca, Ecuador, using the multicriteria decision-making methods PROMETHEE and TOPSIS. The evaluation considers four key dimensions: technical (autonomy, passenger capacity, charging time, engine power), economic (acquisition, operation, and maintenance costs), social (community acceptance and accessibility), and environmental (reduction of pollutant emissions). The results highlight passenger capacity as the most influential criterion, followed by autonomy and engine power. The selected electric bus model emerges as the most suitable option due to its energy efficiency, low maintenance costs, and long service life, making it a cost-effective long-term investment. Additionally, its adoption would enhance air quality and improve the overall user experience. Beyond its relevance to Cuenca, this study provides a replicable methodology for evaluating electric bus feasibility in other cities with different geographic and socioeconomic contexts. Full article

Home energy optimization management improves energy utilization efficiency and reduces electricity costs through intelligent load control, strategic utilization of time-of-use pricing, and optimized integration of energy storage and distributed energy systems. Simultaneously, it enhances energy autonomy, lowers carbon emissions, and promotes sustainable low-carbon lifestyles. By coordinating demand response programs with flexible load scheduling strategies, this approach effectively reduces peak loads and improves grid stability, thereby advancing smart grid development. This paper investigates the optimized scheduling problem in smart home energy management systems, focusing on achieving integrated optimization of multiple factors, including load balancing, cost control, carbon emission reduction, user comfort, and demand response. Considering the diverse load characteristics of residential energy systems, we propose a novel optimization framework incorporating dynamic pricing mechanisms and intelligent scheduling algorithms, which is rigorously validated through simulation experiments. Results demonstrate that the proposed scheduling strategy successfully balances economic efficiency, load management, and environmental sustainability while maintaining acceptable user comfort levels—providing a comprehensive solution for intelligent home energy management systems. Full article

The experience of loneliness in old age has gained relevance for social gerontology due to its association with the adverse biopsychosocial health status of the elderly, significantly impacting quality of life in old age. Therefore, the objective of this study was to understand the experiences of loneliness, analysing the perception of its risk and protective factors, as well as the coping strategies used by older people in Chile and Spain, through a transnational qualitative approach, with a view to identifying the influence of cultural variables in the presence of this problem. This research was a descriptive study which used qualitative methodologies for data collection and analysis. The research participants were 30 older people of both sexes who participated in a semi-structured interview about their experiences of loneliness. The main results showed that loneliness in old age was experienced as an emotional disconnection and lack of intimacy and company, mainly in family relationships. Among the most prominent risk factors were old age, gender roles, widowhood, economic limitations, and loss of autonomy. Protective factors included active social participation, religious practice, and participation in meaningful social activities. As for coping strategies, these ranged from strengthening relationships to using digital tools and accepting loneliness as part of life. The findings of this study underline the importance of designing interventions focused on social inclusion and subjective well-being in old age, which contribute to preventing the experience of loneliness at this stage of the life cycle. Full article

Background: Breast cancer is one of the main causes of mortality among women, and mastectomy has a significant effect on the body image, sexuality and psychology of women. The aim of postmastectomy rehabilitation is to improve functionality, minimize complications and promote well-being and quality of life. Objectives: This study aimed to understand the role of nurses specializing in rehabilitation nursing in the rehabilitation of women who have had a mastectomy. Methods: This was a qualitative, exploratory and descriptive study. The participants included seven nurses specializing in rehabilitation nursing who provided structured narratives about their experiences and care strategies in the rehabilitation of women who have had a mastectomy. The interviews were analyzed by thematic categorization via content analysis. Results: Three main categories emerged: the meaning of care, professional intervention strategies and health gains. Care is seen as a developmental and person-centered experience, with a focus on preventing complications. The interventions prioritize personalized projects, emotional support and self-care training. Conclusions: The rehabilitation of women postmastectomy depends on a holistic and individualized approach centered on the person through emotional and functional support. Rehabilitation interventions improve the functionality, quality of life and autonomy of women and are essential for preventing complications and promoting the acceptance of new health conditions. Full article