Search Results (23,756)

Urban playgrounds are vital public spaces that support children’s play, social interaction, and well-being. However, many playgrounds in socially disadvantaged or aging urban areas experience physical deterioration, limited play diversity, and declining use. Although corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives have increasingly supported playground regeneration, many projects continue to emphasize short-term physical improvements rather than participatory processes and social value creation. This study conceptualizes CSR-supported, child-participatory playground regeneration as a social value creation process and examines how CSR enables process continuity through a structured six-stage participatory approach spanning planning, design, construction, and post-opening use. Two cases were selected from the “Save the Playground” program in Seoul, Korea: Saerok Children’s Park in a stable residential neighborhood and Mukjeong Children’s Park in a high-mobility, multicultural commercial district. Using a qualitative multiple-case study design, the study triangulates workshop outputs, observational records, facilitator field notes, and official program documents through thematic and cross-case analyses. The findings indicate that CSR support primarily ensured process continuity and facilitated multi-actor coordination across project stages. By securing implementation continuity and stabilizing governance arrangements, CSR support allowed participatory outputs to be iteratively translated into design development and post-opening evaluation. Post-opening outcomes differed by urban context; nevertheless, both cases showed social value creation through strengthened place attachment, responsibility-oriented use, and inclusive mixed-group play. This study advances a cross-case analytical framework linking urban context, participatory mechanisms, and post-opening social value outcomes, contributing to a more context-sensitive understanding of CSR-supported participatory design processes and their implications for sustainable urban public space development. Full article

China’s “Sponge City” initiative, launched in 2014, is a transformative approach to urban stormwater management that aims to deliver multiple benefits through nature-based solutions. Despite its widespread adoption in China, questions remain regarding its long-term viability. Through a new conceptual framework, this study examines the viability of the Sponge City model by analyzing insights from 30 practitioners and domain experts working in Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen. Drawing on semi-structured interviews and field studies, it investigates how participants interpret the concept, integrate climate adaptation strategies, and assess effectiveness across six dimensions: governance, economy, environment, urban form, civic engagement, and human wellbeing. The findings reveal diverse perspectives shaped by local contexts, disciplinary backgrounds, and professional experiences. While participants expressed cautious optimism, they also identified persistent challenges, including funding constraints, fragmented planning processes, and insufficient public engagement. Climate adaptation emerged as a central concern, with mixed views on the initiative’s ability to address extreme weather events. Overall, the study suggests that the Sponge City model holds promise, but its viability depends on continued refinement, interdisciplinary collaboration, and adaptive governance tailored to local needs. This study offers insights to inform future practice and broaden global efforts in stormwater management and urban resilience. Full article

Interventions aimed at reducing stress levels and sick leave have been implemented from different perspectives for workers. The aim of this study is to analyze the effectiveness of two interventions, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and strategies and workshops enhancing well-being (Well-being Route), on stress and sick leave levels. A quasi-experimental design was employed, with three conditions (control group, n = 41; Well-being Route group, n = 36; and Well-being Route + Cognitive Behavioral Therapy group, n = 17). A two-way MANCOVA with one within-subjects factor (intervention: 2 levels, pretest (Time 1), posttest (Time 2)), one between-subjects factor (group: 3 levels, CG, WBR, and WBR+CBT), and a covariate (job control) was used for analysis. Baseline differences among groups were found. The interaction between the intervention and the three conditions was statistically significant. The findings suggest that WBR+CBT within organizations can effectively mitigate stress and sick leave among workers, although sick leave was measured with a single item. Full article

Background: Adolescence represents a critical period for the adoption of lifestyle behaviors that may influence physical health, emotional well-being, and health-related behaviors later in life. However, limited evidence exists regarding the combined association of dietary habits and physical activity with motivation toward physical education, particularly among adolescent girls from different residential environments. Objective: This study aimed to examine the relationship between adherence to the Mediterranean diet, physical activity levels, and motivation toward physical education among adolescent girls from urban and rural settings. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out involving girls aged 12 to 14 years (n = 217; N_Urban = 108 and N_Rural = 109). Adherence to the Mediterranean diet, physical activity levels, and motivational dimensions toward PE were assessed using validated questionnaires. Differences between groups were analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA), and an analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was performed controlling for physical activity levels. Effect sizes were calculated using partial eta squared (η²p). Results: Significant differences were observed in intrinsic motivation, identified regulation, introjected regulation, and amotivation according to adherence to the Mediterranean diet (p < 0.05), with small to moderate effect sizes (η²p = 0.029–0.040). Post hoc analyses indicated that girls with optimal adherence to the Mediterranean diet exhibited higher intrinsic motivation toward PE compared with those with low adherence. The ANCOVA revealed that higher physical activity levels were significantly associated with greater intrinsic motivation, particularly among girls from urban environments. No significant differences were found between urban and rural environments in overall physical activity levels or dietary adherence. Conclusions: Greater adherence to the Mediterranean diet and higher levels of physical activity are associated with more self-determined motivational profiles toward physical education in adolescent girls. These findings highlight the importance of integrated school-based interventions that promote healthy eating and active lifestyles to enhance motivation and engagement in PE among adolescent girls. Full article

Background: Mental health problems in childhood and adolescence constitute a major public health concern, influencing developmental trajectories, educational outcomes, and long-term well-being. This study aimed to assess developmental and socioeconomic gradients in perceived mental health and mood disorder risk among children and adolescents, integrating parental evaluations, symptom-related indicators, and sociodemographic correlates. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 1177 parents or legal guardians of children aged 6–18 years in Poland. Data were collected via a structured questionnaire assessing perceived physical and mental health, socioeconomic characteristics, and seven symptom-based items aligned with the Children’s Depression Inventory 2 (CDI-2) diagnostic framework. Nonparametric tests (χ², Spearman’s ρ, Kruskal–Wallis H) were applied to examine age-related differences and socioeconomic gradients in perceived mental health and mood disorder risk. Results: Parental evaluations indicated a consistent discrepancy between physical and mental health, with psychological well-being rated less favorably and exhibiting greater variability. Both perceived mental health and mood disorder risk showed strong age-related differentiation, revealing declining scores with increasing age (ρ < 0, p < 0.001). Family financial situation demonstrated the strongest association with mental health outcomes (H = 71.39, p < 0.001), while parental occupational status exerted moderate effects and educational attainment showed no significant influence. Concentration difficulties, affective distress, and somatic symptoms such as fatigue and sleep disturbance were commonly reported. Conclusions: Findings indicate that child and adolescent mental health is shaped by interacting developmental and socioeconomic determinants. Adolescence and financial disadvantage represent key vulnerability factors associated with poorer psychological outcomes. The results highlight the need for developmentally targeted and socially equitable mental health strategies within pediatric and preventive healthcare systems. Full article

A regenerative economy refers to an economic system that regenerates various forms of capital, including natural resources and social systems, for long-term use. Regenerating these forms of capital enables the sustained improvement of social well-being. This concept differs from a traditional consumption-based economy or a sustainable economy, which primarily aims to secure the satisfaction of future needs. Traditional capitalism has regenerated capital in production but has often consumed natural capital and sometimes degraded social capital. The concept of a regenerative economy provides principles for restoring these forms of capital. This paper discusses how digital transformation (DX) technologies can help realize a regenerative economy, using development projects for DX technologies as case studies. Airport-adjacent districts in three countries—Japan, the Philippines, and Thailand—representing different industrial sectors are examined, and the impacts of these technologies are analyzed based on Fullerton’s concept of a regenerative economy. Based on qualitative assessment, we found that these technologies are expected to contribute to improving some principles of a regenerative economy, but challenges remain in others. As a result, the concept of a regenerative economy can be useful for a conceptual yet holistic assessment of the regeneration of natural and social capital. Full article

Understanding the long-term impact of historical land system failures on rural elderly dietary habits is essential for enhancing rural well-being. Existing studies focus on physiological effects but often neglect the deep-seated psychological mechanisms and resource boundaries driving irrational late-life consumption. By integrating the Stimulus-Organism-Response (S-O-R) model and compensatory consumption theory, this study uses balanced panel data from the CLHLS and a Cohort-Difference-in-Differences framework to identify causal effects. The results show that: (1) Early-life famine exposure creates a rigid life-cycle consumption imprint. Adolescent exposure leads to significantly higher levels of compensatory food consumption in later life despite current improvements in material conditions. (2) Learned helplessness drives historical trauma into compensation. Mechanism analysis shows that individuals attempt to restore a sense of order and security by controlling micro-level food intake. (3) The behavioral impact of this trauma depends on resource boundary conditions. The compensatory drive is stronger in resource-scarce regions but weakens with individual economic self-reliance. Additionally, professional community counseling shows a reversal effect, surpassing informal family support which suffers from a “compliance paradox”. These results are robust after a series of validation tests. Our study supports shifting rural revitalization policies from material aid to professional psychological intervention. Full article

Background: Work-related stress represents a major challenge for nursing professionals and has significant implications for well-being, job satisfaction, and workforce stability. This study aimed to assess psychosocial working conditions and workplace stress among nurses in Slovenia and to identify organisational and occupational factors associated with stress exposure across different levels of care. Methods: A cross-sectional, non-experimental study was conducted using an online self-administered questionnaire. The sample included 736 nurses employed in outpatient settings, hospital wards, and high-intensity care units. Work-related stress was assessed using the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) Work-Related Stress Indicator Tool. Group differences were examined using the Kruskal–Wallis test with Bonferroni-adjusted post hoc comparisons. Associations between HSE dimensions and sociodemographic and work-related variables were analysed using Spearman’s correlation coefficients and multiple linear regression models. Results: Statistically significant differences between job positions by level of care were observed for all HSE domains except Demands. Differences in psychosocial working conditions were observed across levels of care, with several domains showing more favourable scores in outpatient and hospital ward settings compared with high-intensity care environments. Regression analyses identified job position by level of care, education level, income, workload indicators, continuous healthcare provision, and job mobility intentions as significant predictors across multiple HSE dimensions. Correlation analyses revealed consistent associations between adverse psychosocial working conditions, increased workload, and indicators of job mobility. Conclusions: This study shows that psychosocial working conditions among nurses in Slovenia differ by level of care, with several domains showing more favourable scores in outpatient and hospital ward settings than in high-intensity care environments. Work organisation—especially workload, role clarity, and managerial and peer support—was central to stress, linking adverse conditions to workforce instability and retention risks. Full article

Background: Depression remains a major global health burden, yet fragmented care often leads to waiting times and unmet needs. Therefore, the Belgian collaborative Integrated Depression Care (IDECA) project strengthened primary care depression management by introducing a Reference Person Mental Wellbeing (RPMW) who functions as a case manager, supported by shared-care tools, structured psychoeducation modules, and targeted training for general practitioners (GPs). This study examines normalization in primary care practice. Methods: A single-arm, mixed-method study was implemented over 18 months in two Flemish Primary Care Zones (PCZ). Implementation outcomes were assessed every four months using the NoMAD questionnaire and analyzed using Wilcoxon signed-rank tests. Peer review sessions with professionals and interviews with patients were analyzed thematically. Caseload and service delivery were assessed using process evaluation logs. Results: Twenty-two professionals (17 GPs, two RPMWs, and three PCZ staff members) completed the NoMAD questionnaire. Intervention familiarity increased during the first eight months (T0–T1: p < 0.001; T1–T2: p = 0.022) and continued to rise thereafter (T3–T4: p = 0.008). Integration into daily practice and perceived impact on professional work improved progressively, reaching near-ceiling scores. Peer review sessions highlighted the RPMW’s central role in trust-building and care coordination. Over 12 months, one full-time equivalent RPMW supported 175 patients (mean age 40.7 years; 75% female), with an average of five consultations per patient. Patients reported high satisfaction, emphasizing accessibility, empathy, and practical support. Conclusions: Sustained results suggest successful normalization and support the potential of collaborative, low-threshold depression care. Future work will assess clinical and economic outcomes. Full article

Post-stroke upper limb pain is prevalent and challenging to manage once established. Early use of botulinum toxin can reduce spasticity and contracture development and has potential to prevent or reduce pain. A secondary analysis of the EUBoSS study was undertaken to report pain prevalence in people post-stroke with severe upper limb impairment and spasticity in a hyper/acute setting, identify if botulinum toxin Type-A (BoNTA) could prevent pain developing and reduce pain if already present and evaluate differences in analgesic use between BoNTA and placebo groups. Odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated. Ninety-three participants (48F:45M) were randomised at a median of 11 days post-stroke (IQR 8–19) and included in the intention-to-treat analysis. Pain prevalence increased from 29.0% (95% CI [20.1–37.9%]) to 63.4% (95% CI [54.0–72.9%]) at six months. BoNTA treatment may prevent the development of pain at six months (OR = 0.42, 95% CI [0.18 to 1.01]) but not at three months (OR = 0.57, 95% CI [0.25 to 1.32]). The odds ratio for being on at least one analgesic at six months in the BoNTA group was 0.35 ([95% 0.14 to 0.87]). This secondary analysis suggests that early treatment of spasticity with BoNTA may potentially help prevent post-stroke upper limb pain and reduce analgesic use but appears less effective once pain is established. Further prospective studies are required to verify the hypotheses generated from this secondary analysis. Full article

Grounded in a Critical Race Theory framework, this study explores the racial microaggressions experienced by Faculty of Color at one four-year university in California during what Bell would call a “peak of progress” for racial justice—where equity and inclusivity took center stage in the institutional agenda. We engaged a Critical Race Feminista Methodology, using group pláticas to gather stories of Faculty of Color from diverse racial and generational backgrounds to understand how they experienced everyday racism within the context of racial realism—the acknowledgement of the permanence of racism in U.S. society. Our findings revealed that despite the institutional focus on equity, Faculty of Color experiences with racial microaggressions were connected by threaded histories of imposed racial hierarchies, marginalization, and structural inequities. Faculty of Color across age, gender, and rank described the everyday racism that impacted academic trajectories and personal lives across time, from the late 1990s for the most senior faculty to the present for the most junior. However, we also found that faculty responded to those microaggressions through racial microaffirmations—the everyday ways People of Color affirm each other’s dignity, integrity, and shared humanity that make them feel seen and supported. Indeed, we found that Faculty of Color engaged powerful strategies of racial microaffirmations with each other across generations that supported their well-being and their careers. Full article

Present-day artificial intelligence systems (AI), virtual assistants, and devices connected to the Internet of Things (IoT) are playing an increasingly important role in decision-making processes in the everyday lives of individuals and daily operations of organizations. In this respect, the users’ trust is a key factor determining their acceptance and effective use. In contemporary digital ecosystems, this trust increasingly becomes a component of sustainable digital marketing, in which transparent data practices and responsible communication shape long-term consumer–technology relationships. This paper analyzes the halo effect as a psychological mechanism affecting the perception of competences, reliability, and ethics in the case of technologies based on AI. Based on the literature on behavioral economics, it was shown how positive associations with the interface, brand, or previous experience of the user may lead to excessive trust in technology. Such mechanisms also play a significant role in shaping sustainable consumption patterns, as users—guided by cognitive shortcuts—can adopt technologies in ways that either strengthen or weaken responsible digital behaviors. Moreover, the potential risks associated with this phenomenon were also indicated. The aim of this paper was to present how the utilization of the halo effect influences the generation of trust in smart systems and the formulation of implication for management practices and technology design. These implications are increasingly important in the context of sustainable digital marketing policy, where organizations must align persuasive communication with ethical standards and with rising expectations regarding sustainable digital transformation. Relationships between variables were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM), making it possible to verify complex dependencies between the perceived image of technology, the halo effect, and the users’ trust. This study tested three core hypotheses regarding the halo effect’s role, the foundational importance of security, and the mediating function of trust in technology adoption. The results of these analyses indicate that the halo effect significantly affects the level of trust in each of the investigated areas, with the strongest effect observed in the case of virtual assistants, where perception of the human-like characteristics of the interface considerably strengthened trust in the competences and reliability of the system. This finding has particular relevance for AI-driven personalization mechanisms, which increasingly guide consumer decision-making and shape their long-term behavioral patterns in online environments, with direct implications for sustainable consumption. This paper provides contribution to innovation management and technical marketing, stressing the importance of cognitive and emotional factors in the acceptance of new technologies. At the same time, it highlights the theoretical need to integrate responsible AI design with sustainable digital marketing strategies The findings suggest that ensuring trust, once established, has the potential to support not only technological innovation but broader societal goals related to responsible consumption, environmental stewardship, and long-term digital well-being aligned with sustainable development principles. However, this study stops short of empirically measuring sustainable consumption behaviors, offering instead a conceptual link that requires further empirical validation. Full article

Background/Objective: To investigate short-term multidimensional recovery trajectories after physiotherapy with or without adjunctive pain education in individuals with Chronic low back pain (CLBP). Methods: This was a secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial (RCT) of 92 participants (46 participants per group) comparing physiotherapy alone with physiotherapy plus pain education. Changes from baseline values over six weeks were calculated for pain intensity, disability, psychological well-being, and self-efficacy to define short-term recovery trajectories across domains, and were standardized prior to analysis. Descriptive characterization of recovery dimensions by principal component analysis and identification of different recovery trajectory clusters by k-means clustering were performed. Sensitivity analyses with multinomial logistic regression were performed to determine robustness after adjustment for baseline characteristics. Results: Three recovery trajectories were found: minimal recovery (n = 40), psychosocial-dominant recovery (n = 26), and global recovery (n = 26). In the physiotherapy-only group, participants were classified as minimal recovery (61%) or psychosocial-dominant recovery (39%), with no cases of global recovery. In contradistinction, 57% of participants receiving physiotherapy with pain education were classified as within the global recovery trajectory, with fewer classified as minimal recovery (26%) or psychosocial-dominant recovery (17%). Psychosocial-dominant recovery occurred in both groups, and was characterized by large improvements in psychological well-being and self-efficacy with more modest changes in pain and disability. The distribution of recovery trajectories between treatment groups was large (χ²(2)= 36.25, p < 0.001; Cramer’s V = 0.63). Conclusions: Distinct short-term recovery trajectories were found after physiotherapy with or without pain education in individuals with CLBP, reflecting heterogeneity in multidimensional recovery that is not reflected in mean-based outcome analyses. Full article

Heat stress is a significant problem in dairy production that has detrimental effects on milk production, animal well-being and reproductive function. These effects are predicted to worsen due to climate change. With a focus on South African production systems, this review assesses the potential of combining precision livestock farming (PLF) and genomic selection (GS) technology to identify, measure and reduce heat stress in dairy cattle. In addition to PLF tools like wearable sensors, rumen boluses, infrared thermography, GPS- and weather-based decision-support systems, pertinent literature was reviewed to evaluate genomic approaches such as heritability estimates and genome-wide association studies identifying selection signatures for thermotolerance. While advances in genomic techniques have improved the identification of thermotolerance markers and the accuracy of breeding values for heat tolerance, evidence from recent studies shows that PLF technologies can accurately detect early physiological and behavioural indicators of heat stress in real time. The ability to select climate-resilient animals under realistic farm conditions is improved by combining high-resolution phenotypic data from PLF systems with genetic data. Overall, the review concludes that combining PLF and GS provides a useful and complementary approach to enhance the detection of heat stress, facilitate well-informed management choices and hasten the development of thermotolerant dairy cattle, all of which contribute to more sustainable dairy production under rising temperatures. Full article

Humans have made tremendous efforts to explore how biodiversity changes affect ecosystem processes and human well-being. It has been found that, in addition to biodiversity, various drivers of global change also play significant roles in ecosystem functioning. Land use is a key driver of global change, yet research on land use intensity has predominantly focused on agricultural and grassland ecosystems. There remains limited understanding of how land use intensity alters the relationships among biodiversity, ecosystem functions, and multifunctionality, particularly in forest ecosystems. This paper reviews recent advances in research on soil ecosystem multifunctionality, covering the effects of woodland use intensity, above- and belowground biodiversity, microbial diversity, and biotic interactions, as well as abiotic drivers. Through a comprehensive analysis of the integrated impacts of biodiversity, biotic interactions, and abiotic factors on soil ecosystem multifunctionality, the necessity of enhancing microbial research and its application in ecosystems is emphasized, providing a theoretical basis for forest management. Full article