Search Results (439)

Fertility is considered a significant demographic concern, especially in relation to climate change. This study examines how awareness of climate change, measured by five subscales—climate-friendly behavior, knowledge, personal concern, attitude, and multiplicative action—affects fertility intentions, emphasizing the mediating role of threat perception. Data were collected through an online survey administered to a sample of 817 Palestinian citizens aged 18–49 residing in the West Bank. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was utilized for the data analysis. The results revealed that climate change awareness does not directly affect fertility intentions. However, an indirect effect of climate change awareness on fertility intentions was observed, mediated by threat perception as an intervening variable. Individuals exhibiting increased awareness of climate change and perceptions of future risks demonstrated a greater likelihood of reducing their fertility intentions compared to others. Policymakers in the Palestinian territories should prioritize enhancing public awareness regarding climate change and its associated short- and long-term threats. Therefore, incorporating climate education and associated risks into fertility health programs is essential. Full article

The social acceptance of Renewable Energy Sources (RESs) is a decisive factor in the successful implementation of clean energy projects. This study explores the attitudes, demographic profiles, and common misconceptions of citizens in the Region of Epirus, Greece, toward photovoltaic and wind energy installations. Special attention is given to the role of education, age, and access to information—as well as spatial factors such as visual exposure—in shaping public perceptions and influencing acceptance of RES deployment. A structured questionnaire was administered to 320 participants across urban and rural areas, with subdivision between regions with and without visual exposure to RES infrastructure. Findings indicate that urban residents exhibit greater acceptance of RES, while rural inhabitants—especially those in proximity to installations—express skepticism, often grounded in esthetic concerns or perceived procedural injustice. Misinformation and lack of knowledge dominate in areas without visual contact. Statistical analysis confirms that younger and more educated participants are more supportive and environmentally aware. The study highlights the importance of targeted educational interventions, transparent consultation, and spatially sensitive communication strategies in fostering constructive engagement with renewable energy projects. The case of Epirus underscores the need for inclusive, place-based policies to bridge the social acceptance gap and support the national energy transition. Full article

Urban areas are at the forefront in addressing global challenges such as climate change and biodiversity loss. Among the key responses are nature-based solutions, which are increasingly being integrated into policy frameworks but which require strong community engagement for their effective implementation. This paper presents the findings of surveys conducted within the Place Lab in Katowice, Poland, an initiative developed as part of an international project and used as a participatory tool for co-creating and implementing green infrastructure. The project applies both place-based and people-centred approaches to support European cities in their transition towards regenerative urbanism. Place Lab activities encourage collaboration between local authorities and residents, enhancing awareness and fostering participation in environmental initiatives. The survey data collected during the project allowed for the evaluation of changes in public attitudes and levels of engagement and for the identification of broader societal phenomena that may influence the implementation of nature-based solutions. The findings revealed, for instance, that more women were interested in supporting the project, that residents tended to be sceptical of governmental actions on climate change, and that views were divided on the trade-off between urban infrastructure such as parking and roads and the presence of green areas. Furthermore, questions of responsibility, awareness, and long-term commitment were frequently raised. Building on the survey results and the existing literature, the study proposes a set of indicators to assess the contribution of citizen participation to the adoption of nature-based solutions. While the effectiveness of nature-based solutions in mitigating climate change impacts can be assessed relatively directly, evaluating civic engagement is more complex. Nevertheless, when conducted transparently and interpreted by experts, indicator-based assessment can offer valuable insights. This study introduces a novel perspective by considering not only drivers of engagement but also the obstacles. The proposed indicators provide a foundation for evaluating community readiness and commitment to nature-based approaches and may be adapted for application in other urban settings and in future research on climate resilience strategies. Full article

Background: It is estimated that in Italy, there were 364,000 new diagnoses of neoplasms each year and that the overall incidence of blood cancers was 10% of these. Leukemia and lymphomas represented the ninth and eighth places, respectively, among the causes of death from neoplasia. Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation represented an effective treatment option for many of these malignancies, and not only that: benign and congenital diseases could also be treated. Objective: To assess knowledge among the Apulian population regarding stem cell donation and factors that could influence this choice, focusing especially on the knowledge of the residents of Puglia, Italy on how stem cells were harvested and their functions, their reasons for joining the National Registry, and the reasons that hold them back from making such a choice. Study Design: An observational and cross-sectional study was conducted, through snowball sampling methodology, until data saturation. An online survey was conducted, which included several Italian associations. The questionnaire administered contained five main sections, such as sociodemographic data, knowledge of the existence of National Registries and their adherence, the nationwide presence of various associations that promote donation, knowledge with respect to the structure, use and functions of stem cells, sources of procurement, such as bone marrow, peripheral blood and umbilical cord, and related procedures, beliefs, attitudes, values, and opinions of the Italian population regarding the topic, and degree of information and education regarding bone marrow donation. Results: A total of 567 Apulian citizens were enrolled. Of these, 75.3% were female and 96.8% were aged between 18 and 65 years. Most of participants were single (46.9%) and married (47.3%) and had a diploma (44.4%), and less had a degree (35.8%). Significant differences were recorded between gender, singles, and married participants, and participants with a diploma or a degree and the items proposed. Conclusions: A true culture of donation in our region was not clearly spread. Although something has been accomplished in recent years in terms of deceased donor donation, still a great deal needs to be achieved for living donation, which encountered a great deal of resistance. It has been deemed necessary to seek winning solutions to this issue in terms of communication and information campaigns, raising awareness and empowering citizens to express consciously their concerns about organs and tissues and to stand in solidarity with those who suffered. Full article

The transition to a decarbonised energy system in Ireland presents significant socio-technical challenges. This paper, focused on the work of the SMARTLAB project at the Citizen Innovation Lab in Limerick city, investigated the potential of a localised living lab approach to address these challenges. Engaging across 70 buildings and their inhabitants, the project captured the evolution of attitudes and intentions towards the clean energy transition in ways directly relevant to future policy implementation across grid redevelopment, smart service design, and national retrofit. Project methodology was framed by a living lab approach, with wireless energy and indoor environment sensors installed in participant buildings and participant journeys developed by harnessing the Citizen Innovation Lab ecosystem. The results indicate behaviour changes among participants, particularly focusing on indoor environmental conditions. The study concludes that embedded, localised living labs offer a methodological framework which can capture diverse datasets and encompass complex contemporary contexts towards transition goals. Full article

Background and aims: Pneumococcal infections, primarily caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae, pose significant global public health challenges, particularly in vulnerable populations. In Saudi Arabia, the introduction of pneumococcal vaccination has been a crucial step towards its prevention. However, gaps in public knowledge and attitudes toward the vaccine may hinder its effectiveness. Recent studies indicate a lack of awareness about the benefits of pneumococcal vaccination, suggesting a need for further investigation. This study determined the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of Saudi residents regarding pneumococcal infection and vaccination. Study design and Methods: This observational cross-sectional study was conducted across Saudi Arabia from November 2024 to March 2025. Data were collected through a self-administered online questionnaire designed to evaluate KAP towards pneumococcal infection and vaccination. The sample size was calculated to be 385 participants. The questionnaire underwent expert validation and a pilot study to ensure clarity and reliability. The questionnaire was distributed via social media platforms to collect the data. Data management was conducted using Microsoft Excel, and statistical analysis was performed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software version 26. Results: This study included 1230 participants of whom 630 (51.2%) were females and 1075 (87.4%) were Saudi citizens. Almost half of the participants (50.2%) were aged 18–30 years, and 498 (40.5%) were married. The average knowledge score was 58.6%, indicating a moderate level of understanding among the participants regarding pneumococcal infection. Also, the average attitudes score was 70.6%, reflecting a generally positive outlook towards the importance of pneumococcal vaccination and its potential to limit infection spread. In addition, the average practices score was 68%, indicating a fairly good level of behaviors regarding vaccination practices. Statistical analyses showed that demographic factors and clinical characteristics significantly shape individuals’ KAP towards pneumococcal infection and vaccination. Conclusions: This study highlights the critical need to improve KAP regarding pneumococcal infections and vaccinations among Saudi residents and could help in developing more targeted and effective public health interventions to protect Saudi residents from pneumococcal infections. Full article

Soil literacy, defined as the combination of attitudes, behaviours, and competencies necessary to make informed decisions that promote soil health, is increasingly recognised as a crucial element for sustainable development. This article presents the outcomes of the Soil Literacy Think Tank established under the Soils for Europe (SOLO) project, which aims to identify research and innovation knowledge gaps to strengthen soil literacy in Europe. Drawing on literature reviews, stakeholder engagement, and interdisciplinary dialogue, the paper highlights 18 prioritised knowledge gaps across different topics. These include a lack of integrated pedagogical strategies, limited outreach to specific social groups, and underdeveloped communication methods linking soil knowledge to stewardship actions. The article proposes adaptive and inclusive approaches to soil education that respect multiple knowledge systems and values and emphasises the importance of embedding soil literacy into sustainability agendas and governance processes. By addressing these challenges, the paper contributes to broader efforts supporting the EU Soil Mission and the goals of World Soil Day by promoting public awareness, citizen engagement, and responsible soil care. Full article

Questionnaire data plays a key role in social research, especially when evaluating public attitudes using Likert-type scales. Yet, traditional analyses often merge some ordinal categories and exclude responses such as Don’t Know, No Answer, or Refused—risking the loss of valuable information. This study introduces BS-TOSIE (Belief Structure-Based TOPSIS for Survey Item Evaluation), a novel method that preserves and integrates all response types, including ambiguous ones. By combining the Belief Structure framework with the TOPSIS (Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution) method, BS-TOSIE offers a structured approach to ranking and evaluating individual survey items measured on an ordinal scale, even in the presence of missing or incomplete data. Response distributions are transformed into a belief structure vector, enabling comparison against ideal and anti-ideal benchmarks. We demonstrate this approach using data from the Quality of Life in European Cities survey to assess perceptions of local governance in European cities. This study analyzes changes in citizen satisfaction with local public administration across five key dimensions—timeliness, procedural clarity, fairness of fees, digital accessibility, and perceived corruption—in 83 European cities between 2019 and 2023. The findings reveal persistent regional disparities, with Northern and Western European cities consistently outperforming those in Southern and Eastern Europe, although some cities in Central Europe show signs of improvement. Zurich consistently received high satisfaction scores, while other cities, such as Rome and Palermo, showed lower scores. Unlike traditional methods, our approach preserves the full spectrum of responses, yielding more nuanced and interpretable insights. The results show that BS-TOSIE enhances both the clarity and depth of survey analysis, making a methodological contribution to the evaluation of ordinal data and offering empirical insights into public perceptions of local city administration. Full article

Invasive, non-native species are recognised as a global problem, and their dispersal and introduction are controversial topics. However, a source of particular interest is that of human–nature interactions and consequent perceptions of natives and non-natives, an issue complicated by misunderstandings of history and sometimes of science. Furthermore, there are only few studies on the perceptions of exotic species by people living in a region subject to invasion. The research compared local stakeholder responses to a non-native invasive bird (ring-necked parakeet Psittacula krameri Scopoli) in two areas with contrasting scenarios regarding the history of establishment, their spread, and their current status. In both locations, parakeets were considered by respondents to be attractive, but where long-established, they were also viewed as a nuisance. Desire for or tolerance of active control measures also increased in areas with a well-established population in comparison to where parakeets were still viewed as a novelty. Increased encounters between native birds and invasive parakeets influenced attitudes towards possible controls. An online survey gathered stakeholder responses, and long-term citizen science and action research were combined with data from Local Environmental Records Centres and ornithological recording groups for each region. Full article

Citizen science (CS) has the potential to be a crucial tool to effectively address positive contributions in the global context of the challenges of change in our societies and environment. Recent research highlights the growth of CS in formal education, but little is known about scientists’ perceptions. This study investigated the perception of 170 faculty members from 32 Brazilian federal universities regarding public engagement across different stages of CS. We conducted a cross-sectional, descriptive study using a semi-structured questionnaire distributed via Google Forms and composed of 40 open and closed questions covering the sociodemographic, professional, and conceptual aspects of CS. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics in Microsoft Excel^®, Likert-scale responses were processed in R (version 4.1.4), and qualitative perceptions were synthesized through a word cloud analysis. The results show that most participants were women, with significant representation from the humanities. CS is widely perceived by scientists as positive and educational, despite concerns about methodological and practical limitations. Future perspectives emphasize the importance of the adoption of standardized protocols and fostering collaborative projects, particularly involving quilombola and Indigenous communities. The recognition of volunteer contributions—through acknowledgements, nominal mentions, and co-authorship—is valued, as are training programs and data validation by professional scientists, which are strongly recommended. Although many faculty members believed that CS democratizes access to science, active participation among this group remains limited. This study concludes that although faculty shows a favorable attitude toward CS, practical challenges hinder broader participation. Future efforts should focus on fostering faculty engagement, implementing robust training and validation procedures, and developing inclusive, community-based research models. Full article

Citizen engagement in urban planning is vital for democratic governance and sustainable development. While technologies such as e-governance platforms and mobile applications have facilitated participatory processes, their success ultimately hinges on citizen acceptance. This study investigates the factors influencing female citizens’ acceptance of a participatory urban planning application, employing a theoretical model based on the technology acceptance model (TAM) and its associated hypotheses. Data were collected through a survey of 390 women and analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) via SmartPLS_3.2.8. The results demonstrate that perceived usefulness (β = 0.634, p < 0.001) and perceived ease of use (β = 0.321, p < 0.001) significantly predict intention to use, whereas perceived privacy risk exerts a negative influence (β = −0.190, p < 0.001). Environmental attitude (β = 0.396, p < 0.001) and attitude toward participation (β = 0.315, p < 0.001) also enhance perceived usefulness. Due to the impact of the environmental and participatory attitudes of citizens and their social environment on their acceptance of these apps, there is an urgent need to increase the level of citizen awareness and knowledge through targeted education. These findings offer valuable insights for both theoretical advancement and practical policy development in regards to urban governance. Full article

Urbanisation is a common cause of the loss of biological diversity. The most diverse natural areas in urban centres are city parks. The aim of this study was to examine the importance of songbirds for park visitors, the environment, and biodiversity in cities, based on the example of the Croatian coastal belt. A survey was conducted in the first half of 2024 (survey N = 662). The results show a low degree of basic biological knowledge of the main songbird species present in urban parks along the Croatian coastal belt. Citizens, on average, had a good basic understanding of the relationships between park songbirds and the environment. There were no statistically significant differences between cities of residence concerning basic biological knowledge of the main park songbird species in the Croatian coastal belt (p = 0.076), basic knowledge of the relationships between park songbirds and the environment (p = 0492), interactions between humans and songbirds in parks (p = 0.403), or opinions on conserving park songbird populations (p = 0.115). The final analysis confirmed that there was a statistically significant difference in education levels among participants regarding basic biological knowledge of the main park songbird species in the Croatian coastal belt (p = 0.001), basic knowledge of the relationships between park songbirds and the environment (p = 0.014), interactions between humans and songbirds in parks (p = 0.001), and opinions on conserving park songbird populations (p = 0.041). The dominant role of female respondents also raises the question of why male respondents do not participate in the research, which opens up opportunities for new research that would mainly deal with the topic of gender differences in attitudes towards park birds. Full article

Due to negative natural changes in the population and intense emigration over the past three decades, from the end of the 20th century, the Republic of Serbia (RS) and Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) have faced a demographic decline of villages. Even villages closer to larger cities struggle with natural population decrease. Agriculture has an increasingly smaller impact on rural sustainability. Rural tourism is one of the activities that can save villages. The aim of this study is to, using a comparative analysis of the attitudes of the citizens of the two aforementioned countries, determine their familiarity with rural tourism and available development support funds, their interest in engaging in rural tourism as an additional or primary activity, and their satisfaction with the involvement of the local community in providing education for rural tourism. To obtain a response, we carried out interviews with 12 respondents from RS and 12 from BiH. The research instrument was the semi-structured in-depth interview. The respondents from BiH are more determined and more engaged in rural tourism than in RS. They are aware of how important rural tourism is for villages, since that is their only option for recovery and sustainability. The respondents from both countries agree that they need the support of the local administration to develop rural tourism. This kind of tourism also requires the demographic improvement of villages, since, without human resources, it is more difficult for the majority of the older population to engage more intensely in rural tourism. Full article

A representative sample of Maltese citizens (N = 384) was surveyed about their perception and attitude towards animal welfare and animal-friendly foods. Knowledge about animal welfare was self-evaluated as moderate (36%) or good (27%), and mass media (television, web and newspapers) were the primary information source (73%). Dairy cows were perceived as having the highest welfare (average rating 3 on a 1-to-5 scale), while conditions for broilers and pigs were perceived as more critical (average rating 2.7). Respondents consider animal welfare important (64%), the availability of welfare-friendly products in Malta limited (49%), and would support a national animal-friendly label (84%). Although 49% were willing to pay more for animal-friendly products, the accepted price increase was limited (increase below 10% for 37% of respondents, 20% were not willing to pay more and 27% were price-sensitive). Chi-squared analysis showed that the respondents’ profession impacted the support towards an animal welfare label (p < 0.01), with business operators being the least interested. Urban respondents were more critical toward farm animal welfare and more supportive of establishing a national welfare label than rural respondents (p < 0.05). The latter were less convinced that their choices can influence the welfare of farm animals (p < 0.01). Women were more willing to pay for welfare improvements than men (p < 0.01). These findings emphasize a significant concern for animal welfare among respondents, coupled with a moderate willingness to pay. The strong support for a national animal welfare label warrants the question as to whether transparent labelling would allow consumers to translate their sensibility into ethical purchasing behaviour. Full article

The relationship between ambient particulate matter (PM) and mental health conditions is well established. No study so far has investigated whether different sources of air pollution are associated with distinctive worries. We recruited n = 47 citizens living in an area with seasonal air pollution from studded tires (winter) and cruise ships (summer). We asked about seasonal well-being, symptoms of insomnia, migraine, and eco-anxiety, as well as worries about air pollution. Participants were more worried about air pollution from cruise ships as compared to studded tires (p = 0.013), which stands in contrast to PM caused by studded tires being more severe. There were significant correlations between worries about outdoor air pollution and insomnia symptoms (p = 0.003), worries about indoor air pollution and migraine symptoms (p < 0.001), worries about air pollution from studded tires and eco-anxiety (p = 0.001), and worries about air pollution from cruise ships and symptoms of migraine (p = 0.001). The low participation rate limits generalizability but is a result by itself because of the highly controversial topic of studded tires. We hypothesize that participation in studies set out to demonstrate negative effects of particulate matter needs to be strategically planned when the overall opinion of the population to be studied is positive towards the source of the hazardous pollution. Additionally, we hypothesize that the contribution of air pollution from different sources receives a varying degree of attention from the population. Further research into the relation between attitudes towards the unsustainable use of studded tires and perceived vs. real air pollution might help to design effective campaigns to influence decision-making. Full article