Search Results (957)

Traditional wet markets are critical components of Indonesia’s urban food system, yet remain largely unexamined from an occupational health and safety (OHS) perspective. This study identified and prioritized OHS risks among vendors and visitors at Nanggalo Market, a high-density traditional market in Padang, West Sumatra. This was an exclusively qualitative, descriptive, non-probability (purposive) study; no actual occupational accidents, injuries, or exposure incidents were evaluated, and risk levels reflect participants’ perceptions together with researchers’ triangulated observations rather than objective incident records. An observational qualitative design combined elicitation surveys with 45 participants (20 vendors, 20 visitors, 5 market managers), direct observation, and in-depth interviews with 7 key informants. Risk assessment followed the AS/NZS 4360:2004 matrix, classifying risks by likelihood and consequence severity based on participant- and researcher-perceived evidence rather than recorded incident data. Ten potential hazards were identified across six activity zones: traffic and parking; buying and selling; culinary activities; building structures and floor conditions; security and stray animals; and emergency access. Seven risks were classified as high-level, including slipping on wet floors, lack of evacuation routes, lack of fire extinguishers, narrow circulation paths, poor toilet conditions, crowding, and traffic injuries, while three were moderate. All high-level risks lacked adequate controls. Recommended interventions span the full hierarchy of controls, prioritizing engineering and administrative measures, and propose community-based occupational health posts as a sustainable mechanism. These findings provide an evidence base for strengthening OHS governance in traditional wet markets across Indonesia and comparable low- and middle-income country settings. Full article

Background/Objectives: Transportation insecurity and chronic health conditions can substantially influence healthcare access and alternative in-person healthcare utilization in urban areas. Alternative healthcare delivery models, such as telehealth services and professional homecare visits, may help address mobility-related barriers. This study examines how transportation insecurity, chronic health status, and healthcare access challenges are associated with homecare visits and telehealth utilization, while also assessing differences in health and well-being perceptions among individuals with and without chronic health conditions in Dallas, Texas, and Detroit, Michigan. Methods: A cross-sectional survey design was employed among 1649 respondents using a questionnaire. Binary logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine associations between transportation insecurity, chronic health status, healthcare access challenges, homecare visits, and telehealth utilization. Mann–Whitney U tests were used to compare perceived physical health and mental health between participants with and without chronic health conditions. Results: Transportation insecurity emerged as having a significant relationship with homecare visits, with transportation-insecure respondents being approximately 4.7 times more likely to receive homecare services than transportation-secure respondents. Transportation insecurity and healthcare access challenges were also significantly associated with greater telehealth utilization in Detroit and both cities combined. Participants without chronic health conditions reported significantly more favorable perceptions of physical and mental health than those with chronic conditions. Transportation affordability, lack of available rides from family or friends, and long waiting times were identified as the most common healthcare transportation barriers. Conclusions: Healthcare utilization and well-being outcomes are significantly associated with self-reported chronic health status and transportation insecurity. Expanding transportation assistance programs, strengthening homecare services, and improving telehealth availability may enhance healthcare access and support better health outcomes among transportation-disadvantaged and chronically ill populations. Full article

Background: Perceived characteristics of the food environment may influence individuals’ dietary practices and health outcomes. This study analyzed associations between social and housing conditions, food environment perception, and food security, and their associations with maternal and child nutritional status. Methods: A cross-sectional study conducted between 2022 and 2023 with 314 participants in Vitória de Santo Antão, Pernambuco, Brazil. Socioeconomic variables, housing conditions, perceptions of domestic and community food environments, food security, and anthropometric indicators were assessed using generalized structural equation modeling (GSEM, p < 0.05). Results: Better social and housing conditions were associated with a more favorable perception of the domestic food environment (β = 0.79; 95% CI: 0.23–1.34) and lower food insecurity severity (β = −1.05; 95% CI: −1.62 to −0.48). No significant associations were observed between the domestic food environment and food insecurity, nor between the community food environment and the remaining model variables. No significant indirect associations were identified, indicating no mediation through food environment perceptions. Greater food insecurity severity was positively associated with maternal BMI (β = 0.19 95% CI: 0.002–0.37), and maternal BMI was positively associated with child BMI-for-age (β = 0.25 95% CI: 0.09–0.39). Conclusions: Social and housing conditions play a central role in shaping food security and nutritional outcomes, while food environment perception showed limited relevance. These findings reinforce the need for intersectoral public policies addressing social inequalities and promoting healthy eating. Full article

Background/Objectives: Advancing clinical competence within contemporary healthcare systems requires innovative educational approaches that bridge professional silos. While Interprofessional Education (IPE) is globally recognized as a mechanism to enhance teamwork, its implementation within resource-constrained public health systems marked by historical and structural inequalities remains poorly understood. This study explored the perspectives and experiences of healthcare professionals and clinical educators regarding how interprofessional education (IPE) may contribute to clinical competence in selected South African public hospitals. Methods: A qualitative descriptive design was used. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 22 purposively selected healthcare professionals and clinical educators from nursing, medicine, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, pharmacy, and social work. Interviews were conducted at selected hospitals following approval from hospital Chief Executive Officers. Data were collected by the researcher and co-researcher who is not part of this manuscript, audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using thematic analysis. Ethical clearance and institutional permissions were obtained, and informed consent was secured from all participants. Trustworthiness was ensured through credibility, dependability, confirmability, and transferability. Findings: The thematic analysis yielded two primary patterns: (1) the perceived capacity of IPE to enhance clinical decision-making, communication, and collaborative practices; (2) systemic and structural constraints, including rigid professional hierarchies, severe time constraints, and a lack of formally institutionalized opportunities. Conclusions: IPE is perceived as an important contributor to collaborative clinical competence, but its sustainability depends on explicit institutional mandates. These findings imply that hospital managers and curriculum developers must transition from ad hoc interactions to structured, short-duration interdisciplinary platforms to overcome operational bottlenecks. Full article

Background/Objectives: Workplace violence (WPV) is a major occupational health hazard and psychosocial safety concern in psychiatric nursing, yet evidence integrating exposure, worker well-being, and workforce stability within a single theory-informed model remains limited in Saudi Arabia. This study examined associations between WPV and proximal occupational outcomes (burnout, job satisfaction, and absenteeism) and distal outcomes (quality of life [QoL] and turnover intentions) among psychiatric nurses and tested burnout as a statistical mediator of the WPV–turnover intentions association. Methods: A multicentre cross-sectional census survey was conducted across three psychiatric facilities in northern Saudi Arabia between June and August 2025 (N = 171). Participants reported WPV exposure over the preceding 12 months using Arabic versions of standardised instruments, including validated Arabic versions where available and a forward–backward-translated WVSQ. Linear, negative binomial, and logistic regression models examined outcome associations and factors associated with WPV exposure; the PROCESS macro (Model 4, 5000 bootstrap resamples) tested statistical mediation. Results: Most nurses reported at least one WPV incident in the preceding 12 months, most commonly verbal abuse. Younger age, male sex, shorter psychiatric nursing experience, lower perceived staffing adequacy, and inadequate security were associated with higher WPV exposure. WPV exposure was associated with lower QoL across all WHOQOL-BREF domains, higher burnout, lower job satisfaction, higher absenteeism, and stronger turnover intentions. Burnout showed a partial statistical mediation pattern in the WPV–turnover intentions association. Because the study was not specifically powered for the indirect effect, the mediation result should be interpreted with caution. Conclusions: In this cross-sectional study, WPV was a pervasive occupational exposure among Saudi psychiatric nurses and was associated with poorer QoL and higher turnover intentions, with burnout showing a partial statistical mediation pattern. Multilevel prevention, safer staffing, and structured post-incident psychological support are needed to support psychiatric nurses’ well-being and workforce retention. Full article

The rapid adoption of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) has created a practical problem for virtual higher education: universities must distinguish legitimate AI-supported learning from undisclosed delegation of academic work, while maintaining valid, fair, and privacy-sensitive assessment. This study compared student and faculty perceptions of AI use and academic integrity at the Technical University of Machala, Ecuador. A descriptive-comparative cross-sectional survey was administered to 1660 students and 34 faculty members during the second academic semester of 2024. The student questionnaire examined AI-use frequency, perceived academic benefit, readiness for non-assisted assessment, observation of dishonest online practices, perceived efficacy of virtual assessment, and attitudes toward proctoring. The faculty questionnaire examined suspected AI-generated submissions, responses to suspected use, perceived assessment efficacy, training, control tools, ethical judgments and proctoring. Findings indicate a transitional integrity landscape: students view AI mainly as a useful academic support, whereas faculty interpret it primarily through authorship, evidence and assessment-security concerns. Both groups report limitations in current virtual assessment, suggesting the need for AI-resilient assessment design, explicit disclosure rules, faculty development, student AI literacy, and proportional use of proctoring. The article argues against both blanket prohibition and permissive ambiguity, proposing a governance model grounded in transparent policy, authentic assessment, due process and human-centered AI literacy. Full article

This paper empirically examines the impact of various variables on Perceived Risk of Crime (PRC) for Italian regions in the period of 2004–2022 using data collected in the framework of the Benessere Equo e Sostenibile (BES, Equitable and Sustainable Well-being) questionnaire conducted by the Italian National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT). The econometric analysis of the relationship is based on panel regressions (including fixed-, random-, and dynamic-effects estimations). Moreover, weighted least squares regression and machine learning algorithms are used as robustness checks. The results of the empirical estimation reveal the importance of both objective and subjective factors as drivers of PRC. The main positive influences on PRC are provided by pickpocketing cases and fear of crime, while generalized and judicial systems’ trust is negatively related to PRC. Additionally, future pessimism and dissatisfaction with the local environment contribute to higher levels of perceived risk. The analysis of the machine learning model confirms the reliability of the principal outcomes and shows the high accuracy of regularized linear regression as a forecasting tool. The clusters identified through the cluster analysis reflect region-specific differences in crime exposure, institutional trust, well-being, and perceptions of security. In summary, perceived insecurity depends not only on actual crimes but also on the combination of crime exposure, emotions and feelings, institutional trust, and the environment. Therefore, a multidimensional approach should be applied for developing an effective strategy aimed at preventing the risks associated with crimes. Full article

This study explores the introduction of investigative approaches to preservice mathematics teachers in countries where traditional exercise-oriented teaching remains dominant despite ongoing educational reforms promoting student-centered, competency-based learning. The Albanian mathematics education is taken as a case study representative of many other countries coming from highly structured teacher-centered mathematics education systems to more progressive models, where this implementation gap persists, and where curriculum changes are not always accompanied by attention to the local situations. The purpose of the study is to examine the characteristics of critical mathematical competence exhibited by preservice teachers when they engage in investigative activities and to identify the possibilities and barriers they perceive. A qualitative case study was conducted at an Albanian university with students of the master’s program in mathematics teacher education. The intervention included pattern investigations, mathematical modelling tasks, and an open-ended investigative task on food security. Data consisted of written reflections, group work recordings, written assignments, and interviews. The results show that participants exhibited mathematical, technological, and, to some extent, reflective knowing. They used mathematics to explore real-world problems about food security, evaluated data sources, and reflected on their validity. At the same time, they faced several barriers, including traditional orientations about mathematics teaching and lack of experience with investigative approaches, uncertainty when working with open-ended tasks, concerns about the reliability of data sources, and time constraints. Participants also identified important possibilities, such as student engagement, collaboration, critical thinking, and stronger connections between mathematics and real-life contexts. The study highlights both the potential and the complexity of integrating investigative approaches into mathematics teacher education in Albania, but also to other countries undergoing similar curricular reforms. Full article

The increasing integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into organizational processes has accelerated the adoption of algorithmic management, reshaping work structures across labor-intensive service organizations. However, empirical evidence remains limited regarding the simultaneous control-oriented and developmental dimensions of AI-enabled management systems. This study examines how algorithmic control and AI-supported skill development influence perceived autonomy and career security among employees in hospitality organizations. Data were collected from 441 employees working in hotel organizations in Bavaria, Germany. The data were analyzed using exploratory factor analysis (EFA), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), structural equation modeling (SEM), bootstrapped mediation analysis, and hierarchical regression. The results suggest that control-oriented and developmental dimensions of AI are associated with different aspects of employees’ work experiences. Algorithmic control was negatively associated with perceived autonomy, whereas AI-supported skill development was positively associated with both perceived autonomy and career security. Perceived autonomy did not mediate the relationships between AI-related workplace conditions and career security, and digital literacy did not moderate the relationship between algorithmic control and perceived autonomy. The study contributes to research on algorithmic management and AI-enabled workplaces by highlighting the importance of analytically distinguishing between the control-oriented and developmental dimensions of AI when examining the organizational implications of AI-enabled management. Full article

Despite widespread adoption of cybersecurity awareness training (CSAT), a persistent knowledge–behaviour gap continues to undermine organisational security posture, particularly in resource-constrained and developing-country contexts. This 12-week quasi-experimental field study evaluated an AI-adaptive CSAT platform against traditional instructor-led training (ILT) across three Yemeni organisations (total N = 187; AI-Adaptive: n = 94; Control: n = 93). The system used a 4-parameter Bayesian Knowledge Tracing (BKT) engine—with interpretable guess and slip signals—as an auditable pedagogical decision layer that triggered Protection Motivation Theory (PMT) and Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB)-aligned interventions. Extreme baseline imbalances (Cohen’s d > 2.0), at which standard ANCOVA residual adjustment alone is known to be biased and which necessitated advanced causal-inference triangulation, were addressed via a four-method protocol (ANCOVA, Propensity Score Matching, Difference-in-Differences, mixed-effects). All four methods converged on consensus effect sizes of d = 0.66–0.89. IT-verified Tier 2–3 incidents declined by 48.9% (incidence-rate ratio [IRR] = 0.51, 95% CI [0.38, 0.68]); blinded phishing click-rates fell from 8.8% to 2.1% (χ²(1) = 8.74, p = 0.003). Bootstrapped mediation analysis (PROCESS Model 4; 5000 draws) indicated that coping self-efficacy and perceived behavioural control—but not threat appraisal—were jointly associated with 66.4% of the total compliance effect. Rosenbaum bounds Γ = 2.1; E-values ≥ 3.4. The findings are consistent with the hypothesis that AI-adaptive cybersecurity training produces robust, theoretically explicable benefits and that the coping-appraisal pathway, not threat salience, is the active psychological mechanism. The four-method triangulation framework offers a replicable standard for field evaluations with non-random assignment. the consensus envelope d = 0.66–0.89 is the observed range of point estimates across the four estimators; per-method 95% CIs are reported below indirect effect via coping self-efficacy = 0.843 [0.52, 1.19], via PBC = 0.524 [0.28, 0.81], via threat appraisal = 0.059 [−0.07, 0.21] (ns); direct effect c’ = 0.63 (p = 0.026); total effect c = 2.06 [1.58, 2.54]. Full article

Background: Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) is diffusing among consumers at exceptional speed, yet little is known about how its adoption relates to households’ prior engagement with digital financial services, or about the barriers associated with non-adoption. Methods: Using individual microdata from the 2025 Spanish Survey on ICT Equipment and Use in Households (INE; 14,642 internet users aged 16 and older), we estimate survey-weighted logistic regressions of GenAI adoption on financial digital engagement, digital skills and sociodemographics, with autonomous community fixed effects and cluster-robust standard errors, complemented by average marginal effects, alternative variance estimators, and an analysis of all stated reasons for non-use. Results: GenAI adoption is 37.3% among internet users. Online banking users have 73% higher adjusted odds of adopting GenAI (OR = 1.73; 95% CI 1.53–1.97), and adoption rises monotonically from 18% to 79% across a 0–4 financial digital engagement index, although this gradient is driven mainly by the online banking (extensive) margin. A steep age gradient is present, but the financial digital advantage does not significantly widen with age. Among non-adopters, the most frequently stated reason for non-use is a lack of perceived need (67%); privacy or security concerns are also prominent (43%) and are cited disproportionately by online banking users, women, and older individuals. Conclusions: Prior financial digital engagement is a strong correlate, rather than a demonstrated cause, of consumer GenAI adoption, consistent with experience and facilitating condition constructs in UTAUT2. Among capable non-adopters, for whom access and skills are not the obstacle, privacy- and security-related concerns, rather than a broader deficit of trust in AI, emerge as the most salient barriers to adoption, underscoring these concerns as priorities for consumer-facing AI in financial services. Full article

This study investigates the structural impact of marine conservation dimensions and institutional frameworks on visitor experiences and behavioral intentions within the National Marine Park of Alonissos–Northern Sporades (NMPA). Anchored in the sustainability prism model (SPM), the research examines how conservation-driven environmental capital, alongside economic, socio-cultural, and institutional pillars, influences tourist satisfaction and destination loyalty. Primary quantitative data were garnered via a cross-sectional survey administered to a statistically robust sample of 2251 visitors. Structural equation modeling (SEM) reveals that all four SPM dimensions significantly influence both immediate satisfaction and long-term loyalty. Crucially, the empirical outputs unveil an asymmetric dualism: while immediate tourist satisfaction is predominantly driven by the sensory consumption of pristine biodiversity and active marine conservation (β = 0.577), long-term loyalty is fundamentally anchored in the perceived efficiency of the institutional conservation governance framework (β = 0.413). These findings underscore the imperative of integrating transparent institutional mechanisms with active ecosystem preservation to secure the socio-ecological viability of marine conservation areas. Ultimately, this study provides actionable insights for balancing escalating ecotourism demands with strict, zero-compromise biodiversity conservation in vulnerable marine sanctuaries. Full article

This study examines continuance intention toward Islamic mobile banking with AI-related or AI-supported features in Aceh, Indonesia, a regulated Sharia-based financial ecosystem. It develops and tests a model linking perceived AI usefulness, perceived AI security, trust in AI-based financial services, AI user acceptance, Islamic financial literacy, and continuance intention. Survey data from 250 Islamic mobile banking users were analyzed using PLS-SEM. The findings show that perceived AI usefulness, perceived AI security, and trust are positively associated with AI user acceptance and continuance intention. AI user acceptance is the strongest direct predictor of continuance intention and acts as a complementary partial mediator in the relationships between usefulness, security, trust, and continuance intention. Islamic financial literacy is also positively associated with continuance intention and strengthens the relationship between AI user acceptance and continuance intention, confirming its quasi-moderating role. These findings suggest that continuance intention toward Islamic mobile banking with AI-related or AI-supported features depends not only on technological value, security, and trust, but also on users’ ability to evaluate digital financial services through Islamic financial principles. The study contributes to financial technology, risk management, and Islamic fintech literature by offering a context-sensitive explanation of AI-related continuance behavior in a Sharia-based financial ecosystem. Full article

The behavior of employees in the hospitality industry has gained strategic significance as it has become a competitive service industry where the level of customer satisfaction is highly dependent on the discretionary contributions made by employees. This study examined whether Employee Engagement mediates the relationship between Transactional Leadership and Organizational Citizenship Behavior and whether the Perceived Organizational Support moderates the relationship of Transactional Leadership and Employee Engagement among the employees working in a fine dining restaurant in Beirut, Lebanon. The study based its moderation mediation analysis on two theoretical frameworks—Social Exchange Theory and Organizational Support Theory. The study employed a quantitative, cross-sectional design and distributed 500 electronic questionnaires via Google Forms to staff working in upscale hospitality and fine dining restaurants after securing managerial approval. A total of 441 questionnaires were received. Following data screening procedures, 428 valid questionnaires were retained for analysis. The analysis was performed using the following applications: AMOS 24, SPSS 27, and the PROCESS Macro 4.2 through 5000 bootstrap resamples. Results showed that Transactional Leadership was positively associated with OCB. Employee Engagement significantly mediated the relationship between Transactional Leadership and Organizational Citizenship Behavior. POS was found to strengthen the relationship between Transactional Leadership and Employee Engagement, and the conditional indirect effect of Transactional Leadership on Organizational Citizenship Behavior through Employee Engagement was stronger when POS was high. Originality/value: This study addresses an important gap in the conditional process leadership literature by combining the concepts of Transactional Leadership, Employee Engagement, POS, and Organizational Citizenship Behavior into one empirical model tested in a hospitality setting plagued by a crisis. The results provide viable solutions for hospitality managers interested in developing improved Employee Engagement, discretionary behavior, and service quality in an operationally constrained environment. Full article

Universities increasingly compete through value propositions, service processes, and communication ecosystems rather than through program supply alone. Yet evidence remains limited on how students’ perceptions of the educational marketing mix are associated with satisfaction in non-metropolitan higher education settings in Latin America. This study examines a private university branch campus in a Latin American emerging economy using a quantitative, cross-sectional, non-experimental design and a probabilistic stratified sample of 287 complete student responses. Educational marketing was operationalized as students’ perceived evaluation of the educational marketing mix—product, price, place, and promotion—whereas satisfaction was measured with SERVQUAL-informed, performance-oriented service-evaluation items. The findings show a strong positive association between the perceived educational marketing mix and student satisfaction, with promotional communication emerging as the most closely related dimension. Descriptively, both constructs were concentrated at intermediate levels, indicating an acceptable but non-distinctive institutional experience and pointing to service weaknesses in security, empathy, and responsiveness. The article contributes by problematizing the use of marketing-mix logic in higher education, clarifying that satisfaction is not a proxy for educational quality or belonging, and showing how perceived value communication and service delivery are connected with students’ satisfaction judgments in an emerging-economy context. Full article