Protecting place, protecting nature: predicting place-protective behaviors among nature preserve visitors

As COVID-19 has become a global pandemic, health researchers and practitioners have focused attention on identifying the factors that may help to shape health-protective behaviors, protecting individual health and well-being, and helping to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. This study explores the potential role of self-leadership and psychological capital (PsyCap) as key cognitive resources for shaping health-protective behaviors. Using multiple theoretical frameworks (social cognitive theory, psychological resources theory, and the health belief model), this paper develops and tests a hypothesized serial mediation model in which PsyCap and coping self-efficacy mediate the relationship between self-leadership and health-protective behaviors including hand washing, wearing face masks, and social distancing. Results suggest that PsyCap and coping self-efficacy mediate the positive relationship between self-leadership and health-protective behaviors. These results yield valuable insights regarding the usefulness of self-leadership and PsyCap as cognitive resources for shaping health-protective behaviors and for possible self-leadership and PsyCap interventions, potentially tailored to at-risk populations, which should have practical benefits for both the current and future pandemics and health crises.

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COVID-19 related moral injury: Associations with pandemic-related perceived threat and risky and protective behaviors

Journal of Psychiatric Research ◽

10.1016/j.jpsychires.2021.07.037 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

A.J. Khan ◽

K. Nishimi ◽

P. Tripp ◽

D. Maven ◽

A. Jiha ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Moral Injury ◽

Perceived Threat ◽

Protective Behaviors

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Which Factors Influence Farmers’ Use of Protective Measures During Pesticides Exposure?

Workplace Health & Safety ◽

10.1177/2165079919827042 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 67 (7) ◽

pp. 338-349

Author(s):

Maryam Afshari ◽

Jalal Poorolajal ◽

Forouzan Rezapur-Shahkolai ◽

Mohammad Javad Assari ◽

Akram Karimi-Shahanjarini

Keyword(s):

Positive Impact ◽

Contextual Factors ◽

Physiological Arousal ◽

Protective Behaviors ◽

Protective Measures ◽

Safety Measures ◽

Factors Affecting ◽

Face To Face ◽

Pesticides Exposure ◽

Positive Effect

Farmers in developing countries use harmful pesticides while taking few or no protective measures. There is limited evidence on factors affecting their safety measures. The objective of this study was to identify the underlying factors influencing farmers’ protective behaviors (PBs) and use of personal protective equipment (PPE) during the exposure to pesticides. From April to August 2017, a descriptive study was conducted in Twiserkan County in western Iran among 474 farmers from 104 villages. A questionnaire was developed to measure demographic characteristics and factors suggested in integrated agent-centered (IAC) framework. The questionnaire was validated in terms of content validity through expert reviews and tested for reliability in a group of farmers. Data were collected by face-to-face interviews with farmers. Physiological arousal (β = .154, p < .05), intention (β = .345, p < .05), habit (β = .188, p < .05), and contextual factors (β = .101, p < .05) had a significant and positive impact on farmers engaging in pesticide PBs. Among the assessed factors, only physiological arousal (β = .122, p < .05) and habit (β = .646, p < .05) were found to have a significant and positive effect on the use of PPE, but the intention (β = –.039, p > .05) and contextual factors (β = –.009, p > .05) had no significant relation with the use of PPE. The results of this study identified determinants of farmers’ safety measures. Our results suggest that the IAC framework could serve as a guide to developing a more effective intervention for safety measures of Iranian farmers.

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Perceived Risk and Intentions to Practice Health Protective Behaviors in a Mining-Impacted Region

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph17217916 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 17 (21) ◽

pp. 7916

Author(s):

Courtney M. Cooper ◽

Jeff B. Langman ◽

Dilshani Sarathchandra ◽

Chantal A. Vella ◽

Chloe B. Wardropper

Keyword(s):

Perceived Risk ◽

Behavioral Intentions ◽

Health And Safety ◽

Health Belief ◽

Lead Contamination ◽

Protective Behaviors ◽

Lead Hazards ◽

Belief Model ◽

Northern Idaho ◽

The Health Belief Model

Effective risk communication strategies are critical to reducing lead exposure in mining-impacted communities. Understanding the strength of the associations between perceived risk and individuals’ behavioral intentions to protect their health is important for developing these strategies. We conducted a survey within three communities of northern Idaho, USA (n = 306) in or near a Superfund Megasite with legacy mining contamination. Survey data were used to test a theoretical model based on the Health Belief Model. Respondents had higher intentions to practice health protective behaviors when they perceived the risk of lead contamination as severe and recognized the benefits of practicing health protective behaviors. Women reported higher behavioral intentions than men, but age and mining affiliation were not significantly associated with behavioral intentions. Although managing lead hazards in communities impacted by mining is challenging due to widely distributed contamination, effective health risk messages, paired with remediation, are powerful tools to protect the health and safety of residents.

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Acceptability of COVID-19 Vaccines and Protective Behavior among Adults in Taiwan: Associations between Risk Perception and Willingness to Vaccinate against COVID-19

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18115579 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (11) ◽

pp. 5579

Author(s):

Feng-Jen Tsai ◽

Hsiu-Wen Yang ◽

Chia-Ping Lin ◽

Jeffrey Zen Liu

Keyword(s):

Risk Perception ◽

Final Analysis ◽

Personal Health ◽

College Level ◽

Protective Behavior ◽

Protective Behaviors ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Vaccine Acceptance ◽

The Impact ◽

To Receive

This study aims to evaluate acceptance of COVID-19 vaccines and the impact of risk perception on vaccine acceptance and personal health protective behaviors in Taiwan. A nationwide cross-sectional study was conducted from 19 to 30 October 2020; 1020 participants were included in the final analysis; chi-square and logistic regression analyses were conducted. In total, 52.7% of participants were willing to receive COVID-19 vaccines, 63.5% perceived the severity of COVID-19 in Taiwan as “not serious”, and nearly 40% were worried about COVID-19 infection. Participants with higher perceived severity of COVID-19 had significantly higher odds of refusing the vaccine (OR = 1.546), while those worried about infection had lower odds of poor health protective behaviors (OR = 0.685). Vaccine refusal reasons included “the EUA process is not strict enough” (48.7%) and “side effects” (30.3%). Those who had previously refused other vaccinations were 2.44 times more likely to refuse the COVID-19 vaccines. Participants’ age had an influence on COVID-19 vaccine acceptance. In general, the Taiwanese public’s acceptance of the vaccine was lower than that in other high-income countries. Elderly participants and those with college-level education and above who had previously refused vaccines had lower willingness to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Risk perception was positively associated with personal health protective behaviors but negatively associated with COVID-19 vaccine acceptance.

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