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Article
Publication date: 9 May 2023

Gabriella Arcese, Grazia Chiara Elmo, Fabio Fortuna, Maria Giovina Pasca and Mario Risso

The study investigates how consumers' food purchasing habits changed during the Covid-19 pandemic in Italy. The research aims to understand if traditional aspects, health…

Abstract

Purpose

The study investigates how consumers' food purchasing habits changed during the Covid-19 pandemic in Italy. The research aims to understand if traditional aspects, health consciousness and environmental concerns have influenced and changed the purchases of food products post-pandemic.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors developed a theoretical model to understand whether health consciousness, traditional aspects and environmental concerns affect consumers' purchasing intention. The study collects secondary data to analyse state of the art and investigate consumer behaviour in the agri-food system after the pandemic. Thereafter, a survey was conducted via a convenience random sampling procedure. The data (n = 622) were analysed using the formulated research framework and tested through the structural equation modelling procedure.

Findings

The findings reveal that health consciousness and traditional aspects (culinary traditions, ingredients usage from one's territory of origin, products' origin attention) are among the main reasons for purchasing agri-food goods after the pandemic. Instead, environmental concerns negatively affect consumers' purchase intentions.

Originality/value

The study identifies which aspects influenced consumers' purchasing intentions after the Covid-19 pandemic. It also provides insights for food companies and policymakers on the factors to be improved to optimize the agri-food sector following a sustainable perspective and in order to develop effective business strategies.

Details

British Food Journal, vol. 126 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0007-070X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 9 February 2024

Júlia Barros dos Santos, Paulo Marcelo Macedo Nascimento and Josiane Palma Lima

Identifying factors that impact workers’ health and performance is extremely important for companies and, in particular, for companies in the construction sector. Despite the…

Abstract

Purpose

Identifying factors that impact workers’ health and performance is extremely important for companies and, in particular, for companies in the construction sector. Despite the evidence, knowledge about the relationship between commuting, health and worker performance is still limited. More specifically on the relationship with work engagement, studies focus on work-related aspects, neglecting individual and behavioral factors. This study aims to verify the relationship between the commuting patterns of workers, their health and their work engagement in a civil construction company located in São José dos Campos, Brazil.

Design/methodology/approach

A structured questionnaire was applied to 43 civil construction workers. The participants’ physical and mental health was evaluated using the 12-item short-form health survey. Employees’ work engagement was assessed through the UWES-17 scale. A descriptive statistical analysis was performed on the relationship between physical and mental health, engagement and commuting to work.

Findings

The result corroborated the literature showing that the use of active transport positively influenced the mental health of construction workers and negatively affected those who use individual motorized transport. People working from home had the lowest values for total engagement, vigor and dedication.

Originality/value

This study provides evidence and a prior understanding of this relationship, serving as a basis for decision-making processes in the area of transport that contribute to the health and better functioning of companies in the construction sector. This work also contributes to the state of the art on the relationship between commuting, health and worker engagement.

Details

Journal of Engineering, Design and Technology , vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1726-0531

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 30 October 2023

Ziggi Ivan Santini, Ola Ekholm, Ai Koyanagi, Sarah Stewart-Brown, Line Nielsen, Charlotte Meilstrup, Vibeke Koushede and Lau Caspar Thygesen

Prior research on relations between mental health and pain has focused on negative mental health aspects (e.g. depression), while the literature is scarce in terms of positive…

Abstract

Purpose

Prior research on relations between mental health and pain has focused on negative mental health aspects (e.g. depression), while the literature is scarce in terms of positive aspects, such as mental well-being. This study aims to investigate prospective associations of mental well-being at baseline with pain and functional impairment due to pain in the following year.

Design/methodology/approach

Data stem from a Danish nationally representative survey of 5,000 adults (aged 15+) conducted in 2019 and 2020, which was linked to register data. The Short Warwick–Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale was used to assess mental well-being, both continuously (range 7–35) and categorically (low, moderate, high). Logistic regressions were conducted to assess associations between mental well-being in 2019 and pain and functional impairment due to pain (among those reporting any pain) in 2020.

Findings

In the fully adjusted models, each point increase in mental well-being was inversely associated with pain (OR = 0.97, 95%CI 0.95–0.99) and functional impairment due to pain (OR = 0.96, 95%CI 0.94–0.99). As compared to low mental well-being, moderate mental well-being was associated with an OR of 0.76 (95%CI 0.58–0.99) for pain and an OR of 0.63 (95%CI 0.46–0.87) of functional impairment due to pain, while high mental well-being was associated with an OR of 0.56 (95%CI 0.40–0.77) for pain and an OR of 0.53 (95%CI 0.34–0.79) for functional impairment due to pain.

Originality/value

Higher mental well-being levels may be protective against pain and functional impairment due to pain. Wider mental health promotion may be considered to prevent pain and associated functional impairments in the general population.

Details

Journal of Public Mental Health, vol. 22 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1746-5729

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 8 August 2022

Williams E. Nwagwu and Omwoyo Bosire Onyancha

This paper aims to examine the global pattern of growth and development of eHealth research based on publication headcount, and analysis of the characteristics, of the keywords…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to examine the global pattern of growth and development of eHealth research based on publication headcount, and analysis of the characteristics, of the keywords used by authors and indexers to represent their research content during 1945–2019.

Design/methodology/approach

This study adopted a bibliometric research design and a quantitative approach. The source of the data was Elsevier’s Scopus database. The search query involved multiple search terms because researchers’ choice of keywords varies very significantly. The search for eHealth research publications was limited to conference papers and research articles published before 2020.

Findings

eHealth originated in the late 1990s, but it has become an envelope term for describing much older terms such as telemedicine, and its variants that originated much earlier. The keywords were spread through the 27 Scopus Subject Areas, with medicine (44.04%), engineering (12.84%) and computer science (11.47%) leading, while by Scopus All Science Journal Classification Health Sciences accounted for 55.83% of the keywords. Physical sciences followed with 30.62%. The classifications social sciences and life sciences made only single-digit contributions. eHealth is about meeting health needs, but the work of engineers and computer scientists is very outstanding in achieving this goal.

Originality/value

This study demonstrates that eHealth is an unexplored aspect of health literature and highlights the nature of the accumulated literature in the area. It further demonstrates that eHealth is a multidisciplinary area that is attractive to researchers from all disciplines because of its sensitive focus on health, and therefore requires pooling and integration of human resources and expertise, methods and approaches.

Details

Global Knowledge, Memory and Communication, vol. 73 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2514-9342

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 8 August 2022

Manoj Kumar Dash, Rajendra Sahu, Gayatri Panda, Deepa Jain, Gaurvendra Singh and Chetanya Singh

With the changing times, the role of social media has increased manifold. It acts as one of the platforms for disseminating information to the public faster. Social media enables…

Abstract

Purpose

With the changing times, the role of social media has increased manifold. It acts as one of the platforms for disseminating information to the public faster. Social media enables us to focus on widespread ways of reaching the target audience. The principal motto of this research study is to identify the role of social media in public health development with a systematic review of literature in terms of its practice, assistance and application in future areas of public health measures.

Design/methodology/approach

The research adopted a bibliometric analysis method to analyze the data from vast sources. The Scopus database was used to extract papers using appropriate keywords. Thus, the study tries to answer the following research questions: (1) to determine the key journals, authors and keywords in the public health development research; (2) to provide a theme-based cluster based on the keywords’ cooccurrences; and (3) to develop a research framework for the upcoming researchers.

Findings

The study's findings provide a path to understanding the present research stream regarding the highest publication in terms of journals and the year and relevance of social media in public health development. Five theme-based clusters have been identified based on keyword cooccurrences. Thus, future researchers can extend the research field using different themes and frameworks, adding value to the present research works.

Practical implications

This research work is helpful to the government, health practitioners, policymakers and researchers in investigating areas where social media can be implemented. Lastly, social media applications will provide health development measures and lucrative results to the public.

Originality/value

The research enumerates the significance of social media in public health development through bibliometric analysis. The research work analyzed, reviewed and measured the importance of social media in health development measures by recognizing its usage, application and potential future research directions. The theme-based clusters have also been identified from the keywords’ cooccurrences.

Details

Kybernetes, vol. 52 no. 11
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0368-492X

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 7 June 2023

Sadaf Mollaei, Leia M. Minaker, Jennifer K. Lynes and Goretty M. Dias

University students are a unique population with great potential to adopt eating habits that promote positive human and planetary health outcomes. The purpose of this study is to…

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Abstract

Purpose

University students are a unique population with great potential to adopt eating habits that promote positive human and planetary health outcomes. The purpose of this study is to illustrate the current perceptions of sustainable eating behaviours among the students and to examine the determinants of sustainable eating behaviours.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected from December 2020 to May 2021 through focus group discussions among university students in Ontario, facilitated through synchronous online sessions. There were 21 student participants during the course of five focus group sessions (4–5 participants per session) from various departments within the university. The discussions were transcribed and analyzed for main themes and concepts using open coding; deductive coding based on the framework by Deliens et al. as well as the literature; and inductive coding for emerging themes.

Findings

The students had different perceptions about what constituted sustainable eating behaviours, some of which were not based on fact. A variety of individual, environmental (macro, micro and social) and university characteristics were mentioned as factors influencing sustainable food choices, with “food literacy” and “campus food” being the top two factors.

Originality/value

This study presents a novel and holistic overview of how sustainable eating behaviours and sustainable foods are perceived among university students and identifies the perceived determinants of adopting sustainable eating behaviours. This study helps with identifying opportunities to promote sustainable eating behaviours among university students and the design/implementation of informed interventions and policies aimed at improving eating behaviours.

Details

International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, vol. 24 no. 9
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1467-6370

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 26 March 2024

P. Padma Sri Lekha, E.P. Abdul Azeez and Ronald R. O'Donnell

Contextual to the recognition of the complex interplay between health and behavioral aspects, integrated behavioral health (IBH) has emerged. Although this model is becoming…

Abstract

Purpose

Contextual to the recognition of the complex interplay between health and behavioral aspects, integrated behavioral health (IBH) has emerged. Although this model is becoming popular in the Western world, its presence in the global context is not promising. This paper aims to explore the need for IBH in India and address its barriers to implementation and possible solutions.

Design/methodology/approach

We analyzed the case of IBH and its potential implications for India using the current evidence base, authors' reflections and experience of implementing similar programs.

Findings

This paper identifies contextual factors, including increased instances of non-communicable diseases and psychosocial and cultural determinants of health, that necessitate the implementation of IBH programs in India. The key features of different IBH models and their applicability are outlined. The current status of IBH and potential challenges in implementation in India in terms of human resources and other factors are delineated. We also discuss the potential models for implementing IBH in India.

Originality/value

Integrating behavioral health in primary care is considered an effective and sustainable model to promote health and well-being across various target populations. Towards this end, this paper is the first to discuss the contextual factors of IBH in India. It is a significant addition to the knowledge base on IBH and its possible implementation barriers and strategies in low- and middle-income countries.

Details

Journal of Integrated Care, vol. 32 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1476-9018

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 15 April 2024

M. Rezaul Islam

This chapter provides a comprehensive exploration of the pivotal role of family planning in advancing sustainable development goals (SDGs). It elucidates the intrinsic connection…

Abstract

This chapter provides a comprehensive exploration of the pivotal role of family planning in advancing sustainable development goals (SDGs). It elucidates the intrinsic connection between family planning and sustainable development, scrutinizes the harmonization of family planning initiatives with SDG targets and indicators, gleans insights from global approaches, and identifies formidable challenges, with a particular focus on marginalized communities. This chapter culminates with a set of substantial recommendations aimed at surmounting these challenges and propelling SDG attainment through the prism of family planning.

Details

Family Planning and Sustainable Development in Bangladesh: Empowering Marginalized Communities in Asian Contexts
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-83549-165-2

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 5 December 2023

Hao Wang and Yunna Liu

This study aims to construct a mental health service system for middle school students in the post-COVID-19 era with the framework of Six Sigma DMAIC (define, measure, analyze…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to construct a mental health service system for middle school students in the post-COVID-19 era with the framework of Six Sigma DMAIC (define, measure, analyze, improve and control) and analyze the influencing factors of the mental health service system to study the implementation strategies of quality-oriented mental health services in middle schools.

Design/methodology/approach

This study was conducted in Tianjin, China, from September to November 2022, and 350 middle school students from Tianjin Public Middle School were selected as subjects. A questionnaire survey was used to collect data. In this study, the Six Sigma DMAIC method, sensitivity analysis method, exploratory factor analysis and principal component analysis were used to analyze the mental health services provided to middle school students.

Findings

Based on the Six Sigma DMAIC framework, this study indicates that the contribution rate of the mental health service process factor is the largest in the post-COVID-19 era. The mental health cultivation factor ranks second in terms of its contribution. Mental health quality and policy factors are also important in the construction of middle school students’ mental health service system. In addition, the study highlights the importance of parental involvement and social support in student mental health services during the post-COVID-19 era.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, a study on middle school students’ mental health in the post-Covid-19 era has not yet been conducted. This study developed a quality-oriented mental health system and analyzed the influencing factors of mental health for middle school students based on data analysis and the Six Sigma DMAIC method.

Details

International Journal of Lean Six Sigma, vol. 15 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2040-4166

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 21 August 2023

Olaya García-Vázquez and Carmen Meneses-Falcón

The purpose of this paper was to explore the health of trafficking survivors in Spain, which is relatively unstudied (Sweileh, 2018). Therefore, the objectives of this study are…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper was to explore the health of trafficking survivors in Spain, which is relatively unstudied (Sweileh, 2018). Therefore, the objectives of this study are to describe the health conditions, access to health-care facilities, COVID-19 protection and health challenges in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic reported by women survivors of human trafficking in Spain.

Design/methodology/approach

Due to the pandemic situation, limited research and the complexity of the issue, the authors took a qualitative approach. A cross-sectional study was carried out through interviews with women survivors of human trafficking for sexual exploitation in Spain. Prior to the interviews, the researchers conducted written interviews with social workers to understand the most important challenges that the women survivors were experiencing during confinement. As a result of these written interviews, the interview script for the survivors was modified.

Findings

To sum up, the COVID-19 situation poses several challenges, including social difficulties (food insecurity; violence; terrible housing conditions; working pressure; poor sleeping habits; and cultural, linguistic and religious challenges), medical insecurity (due to lockdowns, negative experiences in care, lack of official documents, collapse of hospitals, telephone monitoring and fear of contagion), great emotional distress reported by women (anxiety, fear, sadness, post-traumatic stress disorder, stigma and substance use) and physical health problems (serious weight loss, muscle pains, dental problems and sexual and reproductive health-care limitations).

Research limitations/implications

As is usual in qualitative research, rather than obtain generalizable results, the main objective was to delve deeper into under-researched or complex issues (Polit and Beck, 2010). While this report provides a timely overview marked by COVID-19 of an important population, there are some limitations. The major limitation of this research was the sample representativity, because the sample was conducted with only one non-governmental organization and only individuals who voluntarily agreed to make the interview; as such, other victim profiles may not be represented.

Practical implications

The findings can provide information for detecting victims of human trafficking for sexual exploitation and contribute to understanding the pandemic’s impact. Furthermore, the paper emphasizes the need to adopt measures for the recovery of victims, such as medical and psychological assistance, in accordance with the Palermo Protocol. As people transition out of the pandemic, it is crucial for Spain, along with other European countries, to guarantee that all residents, particularly the victims of human trafficking, have access to social and health-care protections during times of crisis.

Social implications

As already mentioned, further investigation should be done to fill the gaps on health of human trafficking (Sweileh, 2018) and improve the recovery of victims of trafficking (García-Vázquez and Meneses-Falcón, 2023 0; Sweileh, 2018). The paper acknowledges the existing research gap in the field and emphasizes the importance of future studies to delve deeper into the challenges faced by victims, calling for a more nuanced understanding of health.

Originality/value

The Coronavirus pandemic has increased and reinforced the vulnerability of sex-trafficked victims, especially creating different mental health problems. One of the biggest concerns for this group has been the difficulty of access to basic goods such as food. Furthermore, psychological distress impacted the well-being of trafficking victims, and many suffered from eating disorders. Less than half of the women who were forced to continue in prostitution did not have the means to protect themselves against COVID-19 and did not have easy situations to overcome illness.

Details

International Journal of Migration, Health and Social Care, vol. 19 no. 3/4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1747-9894

Keywords

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