Search Results (4,332)

Background/Objectives: This exploratory, cross-sectional study examined the relationships between personal factors and the nutrition intentions of participants in Healthy Choices for Your Recovering Body (HCYRB), a nutrition education program for limited-resource adults in substance use recovery (SUR). Methods: The study used a single-sample survey design where HCYRB participants (n = 2163) completed a post-participation survey. Linear regression models were tested to assess the effects of personal factors such as nutrition knowledge, cooking skills, self-efficacy beliefs and current nutrition and physical activity practices on participants’ nutrition intentions. Variables were measured with a self-reported survey that participants completed after participation in HCRYB. Results: The final model (R² = 0.39) showed statistically significant effects of self-efficacy beliefs, specifically, food resource management confidence and confidence to choose nutritious foods; current levels of water, soda, and energy drink consumption; physical activity level; and gender on nutrition intentions. Conclusions: Overall, the findings suggest that nutrition-related self-efficacy and current practices influence nutrition intentions of HCYRB participants. Future programs may focus on building participants’ nutrition-related confidence during SUR to enhance intentions and eventual behavior change. Such strategies may include programming activities that promote and affirm participants’ current positive nutrition-related behaviors (e.g., adequate consumption of water and involvement in physical activity). As participants master these healthy practices throughout the nutrition education experience, they will be more likely to gain confidence and motivation toward continuing the behavior throughout their recovery journey. Full article

Based on an extended Theory of Planned Behavior (ETPB), this study investigated how perceived social sustainability shaped individuals’ intentions to use fitness facilities. Specifically, it examined the moderating role of social sustainability in the relationships between key TPB determinants and fitness facility use intention. Survey data were collected from 195 adults living in metropolitan areas and were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The results revealed that perceived social sustainability exerted a dual moderating influence on intention formation by strengthening the effect of subjective norm while attenuating the effect of perceived behavioral control on use intention. Higher levels of perceived social sustainability (SS) strengthened the relationship between subjective norm (SN) and fitness facility use intention with a medium effect size, while attenuating the relationship between perceived behavioral control (PBC) and use intention with a small effect size. In contrast, no significant moderating effect was observed in the relationship between attitude and use intention. These findings suggest that value-oriented considerations related to social responsibility and community well-being enhanced socially driven motivations while reducing the relative influence of control-based factors. By demonstrating the conditional effects of perceived social sustainability within the TPB framework, this study extended existing research on health-related behavioral intentions. The findings further highlight the importance of incorporating community-oriented and socially responsible practices into fitness facility management to foster sustainable user engagement. Full article

The corporate social responsibility (CSR) approach from a managerial point of view has become a topic of interest especially in the European ex-Communist countries. This paper explores the intentions of Romanian managers of small and medium-sized enterprises and multinational corporations operating in Romania to implement corporate socially responsible practices (CSRPs). To this end, a quantitative research methodology based on an online survey was employed, and partial least squares structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data. The results show that the research model based on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) has been validated. The values of composite reliability and Cronbach’s alpha exceed 0.7, the value of average variance extracted exceeds 0.5, while the values of average block variance inflation factor and average full collinearity are below 3.3. The findings also indicate that the intention of managers to integrate CSRP within their business organizations is mostly influenced by the stakeholder pressure, suggesting that the attainment of social approval is a crucial driver of responsible behavior, rather than other constructs related to the TPB. The study concludes that while negative attitudes towards CSR do not significantly affect managers’ intentions to engage in CSRP, positive attitudes exert a favorable influence. Full article

This research aimed to determine the influence of human–computer interaction usability on the behavioral intention and self-reported continued usage intentions of e-commerce applications. Moreover, it investigated the moderating role of trust in the relationship between behavioral intention and self-reported continued usage intentions of e-commerce applications. The data were gathered from 398 Bahraini individuals using a convenience sampling approach and analyzed using SmartPLS 4. The results highlighted that human–computer interaction usability sub-characteristics, including appropriateness, recognizability, user interface esthetics, learnability, and operability, are significantly associated with behavioral intention toward e-commerce applications within this sample. Furthermore, the results reported that trust strengthens the influence of behavioral intention on self-reported continued usage intentions toward e-commerce applications. The research provides context-specific exploratory insights from a segment of the Bahraini e-commerce sector. Due to the study’s non-probabilistic convenience sampling design, the cross-sectional nature of the data, and a sample predominantly composed of young, male, English-proficient respondents, the findings should be interpreted as exploratory rather than representative of the entire Bahraini population. In addition, the research findings helped e-commerce application developers and marketing experts within e-commerce companies develop efficient, operable, attractive, and learnable applications. Full article

The circular economy (CE) can help businesses use resources more efficiently, but empirical evidence on CE adoption among non-European SMEs remains limited. This study examines CE practices, benefits, challenges, and future intentions in 220 Saudi Arabian SMIs. A structured survey collected data on four CE practice domains (resource efficiency, waste management, eco-design, and reverse logistics), four benefit dimensions (economic, environmental, operational, and reputational), four challenge dimensions (financial, organizational, technical, and regulatory), and six future intention items. CE adoption was moderate (M = 3.29 on a five-point scale) and balanced across all four practice domains, with resource efficiency scoring highest (M = 3.32). Benefit scores averaged 3.46, far outpacing challenges (M = 2.78). This benefit surplus of 0.68 points (on a five-point scale) indicates that Saudi SMIs perceive CE as worthwhile and view its barriers as manageable rather than prohibitive. Together, perceived benefits and perceived challenges explained 54.3% of the variance in CE adoption (R² = 0.543) in multiple regression analysis. Reducing perceived challenges may be a more effective lever for promoting CE adoption than amplifying perceived benefits, as challenges exerted a larger absolute standardised effect (β = −0.50) than perceived benefits (β = 0.39). Once perceptions were controlled, perceived benefits and challenges significantly predicted future CE intentions, but current CE practices did not. According to the Theory of Planned Behavior’s attitudinal pathway, firms without CE experience can develop strong forward-looking intentions if the business case is convincing and barriers are perceived as manageable. Technical and organizational barriers outweighed financial ones, indicating the need for capacity-building interventions over supplementary financing, unlike European findings. About 79% of respondents were neutral or positive about government-supported CE expansion. CE adoption did not differ significantly by firm size, geographic location, or ownership structure, suggesting that Vision 2030’s sustainability messaging has established a broad baseline of CE awareness across Saudi SMIs. Full article

Although increasing numbers of young people are trying to quit e-cigarettes, personalized tools to support vaping cessation remain limited. We aimed to build a machine learning model to predict individual probability of short-term relapses and identify person-specific barriers to successful cessation. Data were taken from the “Stop Vaping Challenge” smartphone app. We included past 30-day e-cigarette users aged 15–35 years (n = 311) who completed 387 quit challenges. Feature selection minimized number of predictors while maximizing predictive ability. We built multiple GBM survival models with different sets of predictors to predict time to vaping relapse. The five-feature model yielded the best performance (C-index 0.751), thereby was selected as the final model. These five features were: self-confidence in quitting, intention to quit, average e-liquid used per week, time to first vape and mood trend during challenge. We stratified the challenges by the individual relapse risk by 7 days into low-, medium-, and high probability of quit success. This approach can inform tailored quit plans for vaping cessation. SHAP analysis demonstrated individual-level barriers to cessation, which can guide the development of personalized, predictor-centric, adaptive behavioral interventions. However, future research is needed to implement the model in real-world settings and evaluate its effectiveness and generalizability. Full article

Trajectory planning in dynamic multi-vehicle interaction environments faces three critical challenges, including the difficulty of quantifying spatial risk distributions, the complexity of characterizing behavioral uncertainty arising from the multimodal maneuvers of surrounding vehicles, and the challenge of simultaneously optimizing multiple competing objectives such as safety, efficiency, comfort, and energy consumption. To address these challenges, this paper proposes an Improved Driving Risk Field-based Multi-objective Trajectory Optimization (IDRF-MTO) method. First, a joint spatiotemporal social attention mechanism achieves unified modeling of spatial interactions, temporal dependencies, and spatiotemporal coupling, combined with a lateral–longitudinal intent strategy for multimodal trajectory prediction. Second, an improved dynamic risk field model is constructed comprising three components: a vehicle risk field that incorporates spatial orientation and motion direction factors for anisotropic risk representation, along with a collision tendency factor that converts objective risk into effective risk; a predicted trajectory risk field that achieves anticipatory quantification of future risk from surrounding vehicles through confidence-weighted fusion; and a driving environment risk field that encapsulates road geometry, static obstacles, and environmental conditions. Finally, a multi-objective cost function embedding risk field gradients is formulated, and multi-objective coordinated optimization is realized through a three-dimensional spatiotemporal situation graph with adaptive safety sampling. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed method enhances safety while simultaneously improving comfort and efficiency and reducing energy consumption, exhibiting excellent planning performance in complex dynamic environments. Full article

African swine fever (ASF) remains a major challenge for global animal disease prevention and control. Public sentiment during ASF, along with farmer and consumer behavior, are underexplored factors in ASF control. This study examines how public sentiment influences farmers’ risk perceptions and consumers’ behavioral responses, including consumption substitution intention and pork price expectations, and assesses the implications of these behaviors for disease control effectiveness. Using provincial panel data from China (June 2021–November 2022), sentiment analysis of 1.19 million Weibo posts, and a micro-level survey of 920 farmers, we combine panel regression, spatial econometric analysis, and micro-level behavioral evidence. Results show that public sentiment significantly elevates farmers’ risk perception, which may influence reporting decisions, marketing timing, and biosecurity investment, thereby increasing the complexity of surveillance and disease control. Sentiment intensifies substitution intentions and shapes pork price expectations, leading to reduced demand for formally marketed pork and potential shifts to lower-traceability or less-inspected channels. Spatial analysis indicates that the half-decay distance for amplifying ASF risk via sentiment is about 1300 km, providing parameters for cross-jurisdictional coordination. These findings support integrating socio-behavioral indicators into veterinary early warning systems and designing targeted disease risk communication under a broader One Health framework. Full article

As social robots are increasingly deployed in domains such as healthcare, education, and entertainment, there is growing demand for affective agents that can interpret users’ affective states and respond in contextually appropriate ways. Existing work has established strong foundations for emotion generation and appraisal, but the step that connects generated emotion to behavioral execution still relies heavily on model-specific rules or implicit links. We frame this issue as a Mechanism Gap and propose an Emotional BDI framework that introduces Frijda’s action tendency as an intermediate representation layer between the Affective Core and the Belief–Desire–Intention (BDI) Executor. Rather than mapping emotion directly to concrete behavior, the framework first transforms affective state into a directional action tendency and then lets BDI reasoning realize that tendency according to role and context. This creates an explicit emotion-to-behavior mediation structure through which the same emotion can be expressed differently across situations and roles. In an exploratory user evaluation with 26 participants, the proposed model received more favorable ratings than an Emotion-Driven Agent in satisfaction ($p=0.010$) and appropriateness ($p=0.002$). Compared with a Cooperative Agent, the proposed model showed a significant advantage only in satisfaction ($p=0.030$). These findings suggest that the proposed framework offers a useful architectural direction for affective decision making beyond direct mapping or unconditional compliance. Full article

Entrepreneurship education has been promoted as a pathway for strengthening entrepreneurial orientation among university students; however, uncertainty remains regarding the mechanisms through which it influences entrepreneurial intention, particularly in emerging economies. This study examines whether entrepreneurship education influences the entrepreneurial intention of university students in Honduras indirectly through entrepreneurial self-efficacy and entrepreneurial motivation. A quantitative, cross-sectional, and explanatory study was conducted with a sample of 431 university students. Data were collected using a structured 56-item questionnaire with a seven-point Likert scale. The analysis was carried out through confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling using the WLSMV estimator. The results show that entrepreneurship education positively influences all dimensions of entrepreneurial self-efficacy and entrepreneurial motivation included in the model. Personal attitude emerged as the strongest predictor of entrepreneurial intention, followed by subjective norms and specific dimensions of self-efficacy related to business planning and management and entrepreneurial leadership. In contrast, the innovation and problem-solving dimension did not show a significant direct effect on entrepreneurial intention, while perceived behavioral control showed a marginal effect. The parsimonious model explained 75.9% of the variance in entrepreneurial intention. Overall, the findings suggest that entrepreneurship education exerts its influence primarily through indirect pathways by strengthening capability beliefs and motivational appraisals that are proximal to action. Full article

This study examines the influence of misinformation on vaccination decision-making and the perception of social security in Romania in the context of potential future pandemics. Using a survey-based design, data were collected through an online questionnaire administered to a sample of 1005 respondents. The analysis employed descriptive and inferential statistical methods, including chi-square tests, ANOVA, Kruskal–Wallis tests, principal component analysis (PCA), K-means clustering, random forest models, and Spearman correlations. The results indicate statistically significant associations between belief in misinformation and vaccination attitudes (p < 0.001), with moderate effect sizes. Effect size estimates indicated small-to-moderate associations (e.g., Cramér’s V up to 0.371 for key demographic differences, and Kendall’s W = 0.273 for the increase in willingness across the three severity scenarios). Individuals with higher levels of education, urban residence, and younger age were more likely to report higher willingness to vaccinate, whereas respondents from rural areas and those with lower educational levels showed greater susceptibility to misinformation. In addition, risk perception was significantly associated with vaccination intention, which increased as the severity of hypothetical pandemic scenarios intensified. Predictive modeling identified specific misinformation beliefs—particularly those related to vaccine safety and natural immunity—as key factors associated with vaccination decisions. These findings suggest that misinformation is strongly associated with both individual vaccination behavior and broader perceptions of social security. Full article

Background: The consumption of meat and high-fat foods is constantly discussed, with attention to their health and environmental consequences, as well as the barriers to changing current behaviors. Objective: The study aimed to examine how pro-environmental behavior, perceived food insecurity, and financial constraints correlate with intentions to limit meat and fat consumption among older adults. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2025 among 475 individuals aged 60 to 92 years. The questionnaire includes scales that enable the calculation of four scores: Meat Reduction, Low Fat, Perceived Food Insecurity, and Lack of Financial Support. Additionally, questions about involvement in pro-ecological behaviors and sociodemographic characteristics were included. Logistic regression analysis was used to examine associations between perceived food insecurity, lack of financial support, and pro-environmental behaviors (independent variables) and intentions to reduce meat (Model 1) and fat (Model 2) (dependent variables). Results: Intentions to limit meat correlated positively with buying food produced in an environmentally friendly way (adjusted OR = 2.05; 95% CI: 1.56, 2.69), not wasting food (adjusted OR = 1.26; 95% CI: 1.05, 1.51), and buying local food (adjusted OR = 1.48; 95% CI: 1.21, 1.82). Intentions to limit fat correlated positively with buying food produced in an environmentally friendly way (adjusted OR = 1.66; 95% CI: 1.27, 2.18) and not wasting food (adjusted OR = 1.45; 95% CI: 1.20, 1.76). No relationships were found between the lack of financial support and intentions to limit meat (p = 0.069) and fat (p = 0.600). The perceived food insecurity decreased the likelihood of intentions to restrict fat (adjusted OR = 0.45; 95% CI: 0.24, 0.83), but not meat (p = 0.387). Conclusions: To better understand why experienced financial constraints did not influence the intention to reduce consumption of meat and high-fat products, further research is needed that focuses on motivation to change and the ability to change behavior among older people. Nevertheless, the results suggest that enhancing pro-environmental behaviors beyond those directly related to meat and fat consumption may facilitate reductions in meat and fat consumption through pro-environmental behavioral spillover. Full article

Background: Mental health problems are highly prevalent among university students in Saudi Arabia; however, help-seeking behaviors remain low despite the availability of mental health services. There is limited evidence regarding students’ intentions to seek help and preferred sources of support, especially formal or informal sources. This study examined help-seeking intentions for mental health problems among university students. Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted using an online self-administered questionnaire. Participants were 248 undergraduate students from various Riyadh universities. Help-seeking intentions were assessed using the General Help-Seeking Questionnaire. SPSS software was used to perform independent t-tests to assess differences in preferred sources across demographic groups, and Pearson’s correlation analyses were conducted to examine relationships between preferred sources and demographic variables. Multiple linear regression analyses were conducted to examine demographic and academic predictors of intentions to seek help from formal and informal sources. Results: Students demonstrated a low overall propensity to seek help. Online sources were the most preferred help-seeking option, followed by mothers, friends, and general physicians, whereas faculty, relatives, and religious persons were the least preferred. Preferred help-seeking sources differed by gender. Seeking help from mental health specialists was positively correlated with age and grade point average. Additionally, the regression analysis for formal help-seeking was significant, explaining 8.4% of the variance, with gender as the only significant predictor. Conclusions: These findings suggest the need for targeted interventions to improve students’ help-seeking behaviors. Universities should prioritize mental health literacy initiatives, stigma reduction strategies, and accessible support pathways, particularly by integrating digital and hybrid services and enhancing the role of faculty and institutional support systems in promoting timely and appropriate help-seeking. Full article

This study examines how Saudi consumers evaluate the commodification of cultural symbols in fashion amid intensified heritage branding and symbolic market expansion. It addresses a gap in the literature on internal cultural commodification, where tensions surrounding authenticity, legitimacy, and commercialization emerge within the same cultural community rather than across clearly separate cultural groups. Drawing on a culturally grounded application of the Theory of Planned Behavior and related literature on consumer ethnocentrism and moral evaluation, the study investigates how perceived authenticity, perceived cultural appropriation, ethical sense, and consumer ethnocentrism shape attitudes toward cultural commodification and purchase intention in the Saudi fashion context. Data were collected through an Arabic-language questionnaire-based survey of Saudi consumers (N = 552) using a non-probability purposive sampling approach. The measurement model employed reflective scales adapted from prior literature and was assessed for reliability and validity. To strengthen methodological rigor, the analysis also considered common method bias diagnostics. The proposed relationships were tested using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) with bootstrapping. The findings indicate that perceived authenticity is positively associated with attitudes toward cultural commodification and relates to purchase intention primarily through attitudes. Perceived cultural appropriation is negatively associated with both attitudes and purchase intention, suggesting both a direct deterrent effect and an indirect pathway via attitudes. Consumer ethnocentrism shows a negative association with purchase intention and a weaker negative association with attitudes, while its moderating role appears statistically significant but limited in magnitude. Ethical sense displays a more complex pattern, combining negative indirect effects through evaluative pathways with a positive direct association with intention, consistent with qualified rather than purely restrictive participation in symbolic consumption. The study contributes to the literature by clarifying how consumer responses to heritage-based fashion commercialization are shaped by representational, ethical, and normative evaluations in a non-Western setting. Practically, it suggests that fashion brands operating in Saudi heritage markets should manage authenticity claims, symbolic legitimacy, and appropriation risk with greater cultural and ethical sensitivity. Full article