Search Results (577)

Agricultural burning remains a persistent environmental challenge in many rural production systems. This study examines how and under what conditions rural transformation reshapes material dependence on and perceived social defensibility of agricultural burning. Using a qualitative multiple-case design, 30 semi-structured interviews were conducted in three rural communities in northern Thailand with farmers, village heads, residents and government officials. Data were analysed through within-case analysis and cross-case comparison. The findings identify three pathways through which rural transformation can weaken dependence on fire: functional replacement, functional removal and residue revaluation. Dependence nevertheless persists where labour scarcity, steep terrain and other production constraints limit workable alternatives. Practical substitutability therefore conditions whether production-system change reduces dependence on fire. Material dependence also becomes normatively consequential through perceived necessity. Where burning remains difficult to avoid, its harmful effects may be recognised while continued use remains perceived as socially defensible. Where necessity weakens, continued burning becomes harder to justify. These evaluations are interpreted as perceived social defensibility rather than community-wide normative consensus. The study contributes by identifying practical substitutability and perceived necessity as mechanisms linking rural production restructuring to material dependence and perceived social defensibility, explaining why material, behavioural and normative trajectories may align or diverge. Full article

Background/Objectives: Motivational interviewing (MI) is an established approach to addressing vaccine hesitancy, yet immediate changes following dedicated training for family physicians remain insufficiently documented in Romania. This study evaluated pre–post changes in physicians’ MI knowledge, self-reported communication behaviour, and self-perceived ability to counsel patients about vaccination, together with patient-level change following consultations delivered by trained physicians. Methods: This uncontrolled pre–post study used a voluntary, self-selected non-probability sample of 28 family physicians recruited through announcements distributed via county family medicine associations; participants completed paired assessments immediately before and after structured MI-based training. The three main physician-level outcomes were MI knowledge (MISI), corrected self-reported MI communication behaviour (MIBI), and self-perceived MI ability (SPMI). The linked component comprised 151 patients nested within 15 physicians. Patient changes were averaged within physician, and the physician-level mean patient composite change was used as the principal outcome of this component. Paired physician changes and physician-aggregated patient change were assessed using Wilcoxon tests, rank-biserial effect sizes, and bootstrap 95% confidence intervals (CIs), with Holm adjustment across the three physician outcomes. Results: Mean MISI increased by 39.80 percentage points (95% CI: 29.59–50.51), though the limited internal consistency of this seven-item composite requires item-level interpretation, and corrected MIBI by 0.44 points (95% CI: 0.20–0.68; r_rb = 0.75) and SPMI by 1.22 points (95% CI: 0.89–1.61; r_rb = 0.99); all Holm-adjusted p-values were <0.001. Across the 15 linked physicians, the mean patient composite change was 0.55 points (95% CI: 0.38–0.75; r_rb = 1.00; p < 0.001). No consistent association was observed between physician-level competency changes and mean patient change. Conclusions: Immediate post-training physician scores and post-consultation patient composite scores were higher. Controlled studies incorporating observed consultations and follow-up are required before causal or sustained effects can be inferred. Full article

Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) is reshaping how tourists search for information and plan their trips, yet the psychological mechanisms underlying sustainability-oriented travel intentions remain insufficiently understood. Drawing on perceived value theory and trust theory, this study develops a dual-path framework linking tourists’ current engagement with GenAI for tourism purposes to their stated sustainable tourism decision intentions through perceived value and trust in AI. An anonymous online survey administered via Wenjuanxing recruited participants in China and yielded 956 complete questionnaires, of which 830 were retained after predefined quality screening. The four constructs—current GenAI engagement, functional perceived value, trust in AI, and stated sustainable decision intention—were operationalized using 14 theoretically aligned indicators. Standardized composite-score path analysis with 5000 bootstrap resamples revealed positive associations along both indirect pathways. The indirect association through trust (β = 0.113) was stronger than that through perceived value (β = 0.064), with a statistically significant bootstrap contrast (difference = 0.048, 95% CI [0.009, 0.088]). Given the cross-sectional and self-reported nature of the data, the findings are interpreted as conditional associations rather than causal effects or evidence of observed behavior. The study demonstrates that perceived functional benefits and confidence in AI-generated information are theoretically distinct yet jointly relevant to tourists’ sustainability-oriented travel decision-making. Full article

Registration targets can be met even when citizens seldom return to a rural digital platform. This study interprets the registration-use gap as a possible behavioral manifestation of a formal participation trap. Use frequency captures engagement depth rather than citizens’ voice or influence over platform decisions and services. The analysis uses a balanced panel of 336 rural households in Yantai, China, observed in 2023 and 2024, to relate household motivation and digital capability to platform use and perceived performance. Household fixed-effects estimates associate a one-standard-deviation increase in composite participation motivation with a 0.17-standard-deviation increase in perceived platform performance. Registered low-frequency users rate the platform 0.30 standard deviations lower than registered high-frequency users; neither registered group differs significantly from unregistered households. An all-category frequency gradient, covariate-balanced comparisons, and sensitivity analyses preserve the behavioral ordering. Because participation and evaluation may evolve jointly, the estimates are associational. Registration, repeated use, and user feedback should therefore be assessed separately. The numerical estimates are bound to the analytic panel; the analytically transferable contribution is a testable systems proposition that registration coverage is not a sufficient indicator of sustained engagement or user feedback. Full article

Background/Objectives: Loneliness is a clinically relevant psychosocial factor in later life and has been associated with adverse mental, cognitive, and physical health outcomes. Views on ageing may shape social engagement, coping, and perceived belonging, but evidence from geriatric patient populations remains limited. This study examined whether views on ageing are associated with loneliness in geriatric patients. Secondary analyses explored subjective age, including felt age and the perceived onset of old age. Methods: This cross-sectional analysis used baseline data from two prospective observational studies in geriatric patients (N = 459). Loneliness was assessed with the three-item UCLA Loneliness Scale. Views on ageing were measured using five items from the German Ageing Survey. Associations were examined using Spearman correlations, non-parametric group comparisons, and multiple linear regression. Results: Participants had a mean age of 83.1 years and 65.6% were female. The mean UCLA loneliness score was 1.54 ± 2.07, and the mean views on ageing sum score was 13.21 ± 2.72. More negative views on ageing were associated with higher loneliness (ρ = 0.122, p = 0.009). In the fully adjusted regression model, views on ageing remained independently associated with loneliness after adjustment for chronological age, sex, and depressive symptoms (β = 0.117, p = 0.014; adjusted R² = 0.051). Depressive symptoms were also independently associated with loneliness (β = 0.182, p < 0.001), whereas chronological age and sex were not. At the item level, associations with loneliness were mainly driven by reduced positive ageing-related beliefs. Higher felt age was associated with higher loneliness (ρ = 0.151, p = 0.003), while a later perceived onset of old age was associated with lower loneliness (ρ = −0.136, p = 0.017). Conclusions: In geriatric patients, more negative views on ageing were weakly associated with higher loneliness independent of depressive symptoms. The small effect size suggests that views on ageing should be interpreted as one modest component within a broader biopsychosocial understanding of loneliness in geriatric care. Full article

Generative AI is increasingly embedded in knowledge work, yet employees may interpret the same technology either as a resource that extends their capabilities or as a threat involving replacement or monitoring. The psychological pathways linking this interpretation to job engagement and job embeddedness remain underexplored. Drawing on job demands–resources theory, this study positions perceived generative AI complementarity as a technology-based job resource and examines whether it is associated with job engagement and embeddedness through psychological empowerment and psychological safety. Data were collected through a cross-sectional online survey of 428 employees of digital platform service organizations in South Korea. A latent-variable structural equation model was used to evaluate the measurement model and all hypothesized associations, and path-specific indirect associations were tested using bias-corrected bootstrap resampling. Perceived generative AI complementarity was positively associated with both psychological resources, and both resources were positively associated with job engagement and job embeddedness. All four indirect associations were supported, whereas neither residual direct association was distinguishable from zero once measurement error was modeled; the two pathways did not differ significantly in magnitude. Because the data are cross-sectional, single-source, and self-reported, the findings describe associations consistent with the proposed model rather than causal effects. Full article

The rapid digitalization of health resources highlights the need to understand health information adoption in Indonesia. This study examines trust-related HBM belief pathways and Health Information Access Behavior (HIAB) as both a direct predictor and a moderator. Survey data from 260 respondents across urban, suburban, and rural settings were analyzed using PLS-SEM, with 20 semi-structured interviews used for interpretive context. Perceived benefits, cues to action, and self-efficacy significantly increased adoption, and HIAB had a significant positive direct effect. Moderation was limited: only the perceived barriers and HIAB interaction was significant and negative (β = −0.123, p = 0.023), while the other five interactions were not significant. Thus, access behavior does not uniformly strengthen trust-related HBM pathways; its moderating role is specific to perceived barriers. Full article

This qualitative study addresses a significant gap in existing literature concerning the emotional, psychological, and academic consequences of gender-based violence (GBV) among high school learners in Eswatini, a context where culturally embedded norms and systemic challenges may shape how GBV is experienced, disclosed, and addressed. While prior research underscores the detrimental effects of GBV, limited attention has been given to learners’ accounts within Eswatini’s socio-cultural landscape. Employing a qualitative descriptive design, data were collected from 36 learners (18 girls and 18 boys) across six high schools. Thirty learners participated in six focus group discussions, with five learners in each group, while an additional six learners participated in individual semi-structured interviews. No participant participated in both methods. Data were analysed using Braun and Clarke’s reflexive thematic analysis. Three overarching themes were developed inductively: (1) emotional trauma and demotivation, characterised by feelings of worthlessness, fear, anxiety, and withdrawal; (2) psychological effects, including anxiety, shame, isolation, and psychological distress; and (3) a decline in academic performance and engagement, reflected in perceived difficulties with concentration, attendance, participation, motivation, and academic performance. Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Model was subsequently used as an interpretive lens to examine how individual, interpersonal, institutional, community, and broader societal contexts shaped participants’ accounts. The study also considers similarities, differences, and contradictions in girls’ and boys’ accounts and recognises that participants occupy different positions in relation to GBV, including experiences of victimisation, witnessing, and acknowledgement of harmful behaviour. Because the study is qualitative and cross-sectional, the findings describe participants’ perceived relationships between GBV and educational and psychosocial experiences rather than establishing causal effects. The study highlights the importance of trauma-informed school environments, accessible psychosocial support, effective safeguarding and referral mechanisms, gender-responsive prevention, and coordinated interventions across ecological levels. Full article

Archaeological sites with limited surface visibility and low spatial legibility often depend on presentation systems to communicate historical functions and heritage meaning. Using the Site of Xuanquan Posthouse as a case study, this study examined how visual attention and visitor perceptions jointly inform the interpretive effectiveness of such low-visibility archaeological sites. A complementary two-stage quantitative design was adopted. First, 20 adults viewed 12 static presentation images, and visual attention was compared across eight categories of information. Second, 252 valid questionnaires were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and importance–performance map analysis (IPMA). Archaeological remains, reconstructed architecture or models, and digital media generally showed shorter time-to-first-fixation values and greater cumulative visual attention, whereas explanatory text, diagrams and maps, and bamboo and wooden slip documents were less visually prominent. Interpretation quality, perceived authenticity, and exhibition experience quality were all positively associated with perceived heritage understanding and perceived interpretation effectiveness, with heritage understanding playing a central mediating role. The findings indicate that effective presentation should connect visually prominent entry points with explanatory, spatial, and evidentiary information so that visitors can progress from recognizing physical remains to understanding their historical functions and heritage significance. Full article

Background/Objectives: The Exercise Benefits/Barriers Scale (EBBS) assesses perceived benefits and barriers to exercise, but no European Portuguese version had been psychometrically evaluated. This study aimed to translate, cross-culturally adapt, and evaluate the measurement properties of the EBBS in higher education students. Methods: A methodological cross-sectional study included translation, cross-cultural adaptation, content validity assessment, and psychometric evaluation in 324 students; 72 completed a seven-day retest. Structural validity, internal consistency, corrected item–total correlations, test–retest reliability, measurement error, floor and ceiling effects, and construct validity were examined. Results: The adaptation process supported content validity. The second-order confirmatory factor analysis yielded χ²/df = 2.512, CFI = 0.808, TLI = 0.797, RMSEA = 0.068, and SRMR = 0.0774, providing only partial and limited support for the original 43-item factorial structure. Cronbach’s alpha was 0.944 for Benefits, 0.831 for Barriers, and 0.926 for the total score. Test–retest reliability was acceptable (ICC = 0.784–0.847), and no problematic floor or ceiling effects were observed. Construct validity evidence was mixed for exercise motivation but more consistent for physical activity, sedentary behaviour, and exercise participation. Conclusions: The European Portuguese EBBS is culturally appropriate and shows favourable reliability, interpretability, and evidence for several aspects of construct validity. However, the original factorial structure is not adequately confirmed. Generalisability is limited by the single-institution convenience sample, predominantly comprising female and health-school students. Further evaluation in larger, more diverse samples is required. Full article

Digital influencers have become increasingly relevant in tourism communication, particularly in the dissemination of destination-related information and experiences through social media. This study examines the association between selected digital influencer attributes and respondents’ perceived influence of travel influencers. A quantitative survey of social media users who followed digital influencers was conducted, yielding 147 valid responses. The questionnaire measured perceptions of influencer-generated content, credibility, authenticity, influencer experience, interactivity, relationship-related characteristics, and other relevant attributes using seven-point Likert scales. An exploratory principal component analysis (PCA) with Oblimin rotation was conducted to identify the empirical structure of the observed dimensions, followed by binary logistic regression to examine their associations with respondents’ perceived influence by travel influencers. The PCA yielded eight empirical components accounting for 81.188% of the total variance. Among the dimensions included in the estimated regression model, content essence was the only predictor that reached conventional statistical significance (β = 0.556, p = 0.035; Exp(B) = 1.743). The remaining predictors did not reach statistical significance at the 5% level. The findings provide exploratory evidence that content-related characteristics may have particular statistical relevance for respondents’ perceived influence by travel influencers when several influencer-related components are considered simultaneously. However, the results should be interpreted as statistical associations rather than causal effects. The study contributes to the tourism influencer marketing literature by highlighting the relevance of content-related characteristics while emphasizing the need for further research using larger samples, validated measurement models, and clearly specified behavioral outcomes. Full article

Background and Objectives: Yoga has been proposed as a supportive intervention to enhance mindfulness and reduce stress among nursing students, but evidence from mixed-method studies remains limited. This study aimed to examine the effects of a 12-week course-based yoga intervention on mindfulness and perceived stress and to explore students’ experiences of practicing yoga. Materials and Methods: A total of 42 second-year nursing students at a university in Istanbul, Türkiye, participated in a mixed-methods study, with 22 students enrolled in the elective Health and Yoga course constituting the intervention group and 20 students enrolled in another elective course constituting the control group. Group allocation was non-randomized and determined by students’ elective-course enrollment. The intervention group attended weekly 90 min yoga sessions for 12 weeks, delivered by a certified instructor (E-RYT 200). Quantitative outcomes were measured using the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS) and Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), with baseline-adjusted ANCOVA and change score analyses performed to control for pre-test differences and gender. Effect sizes (partial η²) were reported, and 95% CIs were calculated for the mean differences in change scores. Qualitative data were collected via semi-structured interviews and analyzed thematically, integrating findings with quantitative results. Results: Baseline-adjusted ANCOVA revealed greater improvements in mindfulness (F(1, 39) = 29.686, p < 0.001, partial η² = 0.432) and perceived stress (F(1, 39) = 158.293, p < 0.001, partial η² = 0.802) in the intervention group, controlling for baseline scores. Change score analyses confirmed these findings: mindfulness increased (MD = 10.68, 95% CI [6.62, 14.75], p < 0.001) and perceived stress decreased (MD = −11.40, 95% CI [−13.32, −9.48], p < 0.001) significantly more in the intervention group than controls. Qualitative findings complemented the quantitative results, indicating perceived physical (flexibility, posture, pain reduction), mental (positive emotions, awareness, emotion regulation), and social (motivation, interaction) benefits of yoga. Some participants reported hesitation in applying yoga in nursing practice due to cultural barriers. Conclusions: The findings suggest that participating in a course-based yoga program may help improve mindfulness and support stress reduction among nursing students. Qualitative findings complemented the quantitative results by providing insight into students’ perceived physical, mental, and social experiences of yoga. Given the small, single-center, and self-selected sample, these findings should be interpreted cautiously. Larger, multicenter randomized studies with longer follow-up are needed to confirm these findings and assess their generalizability. Full article

Food texture perception is an important determinant of food palatability and product quality. This study explored the applicability of DirectLiNGAM to directional relationships between instrumental texture features and the sensory perceptions of sakusaku and karikari. Baked cookie formulations and commercially available snacks were measured using a magnetic texture sensor, and seven force-derived features were paired with sensory ratings at the sample-group level. Edge stability was evaluated using 1000 bootstrap resamples. In the controlled cookie dataset, hardness and brittleness showed stable candidate direct effects on both sensory descriptors, with opposite signs for sakusaku and karikari. The commercial-product dataset produced more heterogeneous structures, reflecting differences in composition, geometry, and fracture behavior. Because the analysis used different samples for sensory and instrumental measurements and included parameters derived from the second compression, the identified directions should be interpreted as exploratory causal hypotheses rather than universal physical causality. The proposed framework may complement correlation and regression analyses by generating testable hypotheses about instrumental determinants of perceived food texture. Full article

Adolescents’ perceived security in relationships with parents and peers relates to psychosocial adjustment, yet the psychometric performance of the Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment (IPPA) has not been examined in Greece. This study evaluated the Greek IPPA in a non-probability sample of 432 adolescents aged 12–16 years from five schools in Attica (Greece). Internal consistency, item-level analyses, floor and ceiling effects, and one-factor, two-factor, correlated three-factor, and bifactor models were examined using ordinal WLSMV estimation. Relations with Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire scores were assessed. Parent Total Security and Peer Total Security showed high internal consistency (α = 0.94 and 0.93, respectively; ω = 0.94 for both). The correlated three-factor model showed acceptable fit for the parent form and weaker fit for the peer form, while Trust and Communication were highly correlated in both forms. Bifactor indices indicated substantial general-factor saturation, although the specific Trust factors were poorly defined. Higher total security scores were associated with fewer psychosocial difficulties. Overall, the parent and peer total scores appear more defensible than the separate subscales for preliminary, group-level descriptive use in similar samples, whereas subscale interpretation, particularly distinctions between Trust and Communication, should remain cautious. These findings require independent replication and do not support individual clinical decision-making or the identification of attachment classifications, attachment disorders, or disorganization. Full article

Chinese outbound tourists remain an important market for Thailand, yet destination adaptation is often fragmented across individual businesses and reduced to isolated practices such as translated information, familiar payment options, or targeted promotion. This study aims to identify the key dimensions of Chinese-friendly tourism and map them onto the responsibilities of tourism supply chain (TSC) members. It adopts an integrative literature review informed by Service-Dominant Logic. Recurring service conditions were identified inductively through iterative comparison and thematic synthesis and consolidated into five dimensions; the four S-D Logic value co-creation attributes were then applied deductively to interpret the theoretical functions of the final dimensions. These dimensions were retained as conceptually distinct because they address different service conditions across the visitor journey and are associated, respectively, with reduced communication friction, perceived convenience, perceived fairness and trust, reduced perceived risk, and perceived meaningfulness. The dimensions are mapped onto seven TSC members: accommodation, dining, transportation, shopping, sightseeing, tour operators, and government. The framework further conceptualizes coordination and service consistency across TSC members as a distinct enabling TSC capability that supports the effective and consistent delivery of the five dimensions throughout the visitor journey. The study contributes by reconceptualizing Chinese-friendly tourism in Thailand as a destination-wide TSC capability based on coordinated resource integration and service delivery across multiple TSC members. Full article