Should we adjust health education methodology to low-educated employees needs? Findings from Latvia, Poland, Slovenia and Spain

Objectives: The presented study explored health beliefs and experiences as well as health education needs of low-educated employees (LEEs) (incomplete primary, primary, lower secondary and basic vocational education) in comparison to those with higher education (secondary and tertiary education) in four European countries: Latvia, Poland, Slovenia and Spain. The main aim was to identify a specificity of low-educated employees (LEEs) by capturing their opinions, experiences, attitudes and needs concerning health education. Material and Methods: The sample consisted of 1691 individuals with the status of an employee (approximately 400 respondents in each of 4 countries participating in the project). The respondents were aged 25-54 (both the control group and the target group consisted in 1/3 of the following age groups: 25-34, 35-44 and 45-54). The respondents were interviewed during the years 2009 and 2010 with a structured questionnaire concerning their health, health behaviours as well as educational needs concerning health education. Results: The study revealed substantial differences in the attitudes of people from this group concerning methodology of health education. LEEs prefer more competitions and campaigns and less written educational materials in comparison to those with higher education. Additionally, they more often perceive a fee, longer time, necessity to take part in a knowledge test and a concern that their health will be checked as factors that can discourage them from taking part in a health training. On the other hand, LEEs can by encouraged to take part in such a training by a media broadcast concerning the event, snacks or lottery during the training, or financial incentives. Conclusions: The results of the study proved the need for specific health education guidelines to conduct health education for low-educated employees. These guidelines should take in account the sources of health education preferred by LEEs as well as the factors that can encourage/discourage their participation in trainings concerning health

Marketing motivations influencing food choice in 16 countries: segmentation and cluster analysis.

Food behaviour is governed by different kinds of motivations, some of individual nature and others related with the external food environment. This study investigated the eating motivations in sixteen countries with respect to commercial and marketing influences on food choices. The questionnaire survey was developed between September 2017 and June 2018, via online tools, targeting a convenience sample of residents in sixteen countries (Argentina, Brazil, Croatia, Egypt, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia and the United States of America). The number of valid responses received was 11,919 participants. The data were treated using SPSS software, and the main statistical techniques used included exploratory factor analysis, evaluation of internal reliability through Cronbach’s alpha, cluster analysis (hierarchical and k-means) and logistic regression. The results obtained showed two groups of people: low motivated and notably motivated consumers. The results showed high asymmetries between countries, with highest percentage of highly motivated consumers in Egypt and the lowest percentage of highly motivated in Portugal. It was further observed that consumers more influenced by commercial and marketing aspects (the notably motivated) tend to be women, young, single, less educated, less likely to be professionally active, and those who live mostly in rural or suburban areas. Less exercise and overweight are also factors associated with greater propensity for commercial and marketing motivations. Furthermore, health problems such as shellfish or gluten intolerance, hypertension and high cholesterol confer less propensity to be in the segment of the notably motivated consumers. In conclusion, this work highlighted the role of geographic, sociodemographic and lifestyle factors as food choice determinants.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Potentials of 3D extrusion‐based printing in resolving food processing challenges: A perspective review

Three-dimensional (3D) printing has promising application potentials in improving food product manufacturing, increasingly helping in simplifying the supply chain, as well as expanding the utilization of food materials. To further understand the current situation of 3D food printing in providing food engineering solutions with customized design, the authors checked recently conducted reviews and considered the extrusion-based type to deserve additional literature synthesis. In this perspective review, therefore, we scoped the potentials of 3D extrusion-based printing in resolving food processing challenges. The evolving trends of 3D food printing technologies, fundamentals of extrusion processes, food printer, and printing enhancement, (extrusion) food systems, algorithm development, and associated food rheological properties were discussed. The (extrusion) mechanism in 3D food printing involving some essentials for material flow and configuration, its uniqueness, suitability, and printability to food materials, (food material) types in the extrusion-based (3D food printing), together with essential food properties and their dynamics were also discussed. Additionally, some bottlenecks/concerns still applicable to extrusion-based 3D food printing were brainstormed. Developing enhanced calibrating techniques for 3D printing materials, and designing better methods of integrating data will help improve the algorithmic representations of printed foods. Rheological complexities associated with the extrusion-based 3D food printing require both industry and researchers to work together so as to tackle the (rheological) shifts that make (food) materials unsuitable.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Are Consumers Aware of Sustainability Aspects Related to Edible Insects? Results from a Study Involving 14 Countries

In recent years, edible insects have been suggested as an alternative food that is more sustainable compared with other sources of animal protein. However, knowledge about the sustainability aspects associated with this source of food may play a role in convincing consumers to adopt insects as part of their diet. In this context, the present study investigated the level of knowledge about the sustainability of edible insects in a group of people originating from 14 countries, with some naturally entomophagous and others not. To measure the knowledge, 11 items were selected and the scores obtained were tested with statistical tools (t-test for independent samples, analysis of variance—ANOVA) to search for differences according to sociodemographic and socioeconomic characteristics, geographical origin, and consumption habits of edible insects. The obtained results showed that, in general, knowledge is moderate, with the values of the average scores for the 11 items investigated ranging from 0.23 ± 0.99 to 0.66 ± 1.02, on a scale ranging from –2 (=very low knowledge) to 2 (=very high knowledge). The highest scores were found for items relating to the lower use of animal feed and lower emission of greenhouse gases required for the production of insects compared with beef. When investigating the differences between groups of participants, significant differences were generally found, revealing a trend for higher knowledge among males and young adults, for participants residing in urban areas and in countries such as Spain, Mexico, and Poland, and for participants with higher education levels and higher incomes. When testing the influence of consumption variables on the level of knowledge, the results showed a higher knowledge for participants who had already consumed insects or are willing to consume them. Finally, it was observed that higher knowledge was found for participants whose motivation to consume insects related to curiosity, a wish to preserve the planet, the gastronomic characteristics of insects, and their nutritional value. In conclusion, these results clearly indicate a very marked influence of a number of variables on the knowledge about the sustainability of edible insects, and this may be helpful to delineate strategies to effectively raise knowledge and eventually increase the willingness to consider insects as a more sustainable alternative to partially replace other protein foods, even in countries where this is a not a traditional practice.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Edible Insects: Perceptions of Marketing, Economic, and Social Aspects among Citizens of Different Countries

Because edible insects (EI) have been, in recent years, recommended as a nutritious animal protein food with enormous environmental advantages over other sources of animal protein for human consumption, studies aimed at investigating the consumer perspective have become more prominent. Hence, this study intended to examine the perceptions of participants from different countries about the commercialization and economic and social impacts of edible insects. The study was made using a questionnaire survey, and data were collected in Brazil, Croatia, Greece, Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania, Mexico, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, and Turkey. The final number of received answers was 7222 participants. For the treatment of the results, different statistical techniques were used: factor analysis, internal reliability by Cronbach’s alpha, cluster analysis, ANOVA to test differences between groups, and Chi-square tests. The results obtained confirmed the validity of the scale, constituted by 12 out of the 14 items initially considered, distributed by 4 factors: the first related to the economic impact of EIs, the second related to the motivation for consumption of EIs, the third related to the places of purchase of EIs, and the fourth corresponding to a question presented to the participants as a false statement. A cluster analysis allowed identifying three clusters, with significant differences between them according to all the sociodemographic variables tested. Also, it was found that the participants expressed an exceptionally high level of agreement with aspects such as the difficulty in finding EIs on sale, knowledge acting as a strong motivator for EI consumption, and the role of personalities and influencers in increasing the will to consume EIs. Finally, practically all sociodemographic variables were found to be significantly associated with perceptions (country, sex, education, living environment, and income), but not age. In conclusion, the perceptions about EI commercialization were investigated and revealed differences among samples originating from different countries. Moreover, the sociodemographic characteristics of the participants were found to be strongly associated with their perceptions.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Koncentracje metali ciężkich (Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn) w świerku pospolitym Picea abies L. wzdłuż dróg o różnym natężeniu ruchu samochodowego na obszarze Podhala

The aim of the paper was to determine influence of traffic density on heavy metal concentrations (Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn) in two years needles of spruce Picea abies L. along the roads of various traffic density located in the Podhale region, Southern Poland. The samples of Picea abies L. were collected along two roads: heavily frequented main road no. 95 Kraków - Zakopane between Chabówka and Nowy Targ and a district road of low traffic density no. 1644 Łopuszna - Dursztyn, between villages Łopuszna and Nowa Biała. The samples were collected along five transects: three at the road no. 95 and two at the road no. 1644 at the following distances from the road: 5 m, 10 m, 50 m and 100 m. Generally, metal concentrations descended according to the increasing distances from the road. The highest concentrations were stated in case of Cu, Ni and Pb at the distance 5 meters from the road Chabówka - Nowy Targ (10,1 ± 1,3 µg Cu/g; 2,9 ± 0,2 µg Ni/g and 2,4 ± 0,6 µg Pb/g), and the lowest concentrations with exception of Cd were stated for both mentioned roads at the distance 100 meters. Traffic density influenced heavy metal concentrations in spruce Picea abies L. The differences in metal concentrations along two roads were presented by concentration coefficients, calculated as quotient of metal concentrations at the roads of various traffic density. The highest concentration coefficients at the distance of 5 m were stated for: Ni (2.6); Pb (2.4) and Cu (1.7) and the lowest for Cd (0.5), Cr (0.9) and Zn (0.8).W artykule przedstawiono wpływ natężenia ruchu samochodowego na zawartość metali ciężkich (Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn) w świerku pospolitym Picea abies L. Próbki świerka pospolitego (dwuletnie igły) zostały pobrane wzdłuż dwóch dróg: o wysokim natężeniu ruchu (Kraków – Zakopane na odcinku Chabówka – Nowy Targ) oraz o niskim natężeniu ruchu (Łopuszna – Dursztyn na odcinku Łopuszna – Nowa Biała). Transekty, w których pobrano próbki, usytuowane były prostopadle do osi jezdni, w czterech odległościach od drogi (5 m, 10 m, 50 m i 100 m). Zauważono prawidłowość, że w miarę oddalania się od drogi koncentracje metali ciężkich, z wyjątkiem Cd, zmniejszały się. Stwierdzono również, że natężenie ruchu samochodowego miało wpływ na zawartość metali w igłach świerka. Różnice w zawartości metali wyrażone za pomocą współczynników koncentracji, w odległości 5 m od drogi, osiągały najwyższe wartości w przypadku niklu (2,6) oraz ołowiu (2,4) i miedzi (1,7)

Zawartość metali śladowych (Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn) w wybranych gatunkach roślin (mech rokietnik pospolity Pleurozium schreberi, mniszek pospolity Taraxacum officianale, świerk pospolity Picea abies) wzdłuż drogi Kraków – Zakopane

The goal of the paper was to define the phytoindication ability of selected plant species in the conditions of the impact of traffic on the environment. The contents of the following trace metals were analysed: Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn in three plant species: moss Pleurozium schreberi (Brid.) Mitt., dandelion Taraxacum officianale F. H. Wigg. and in Norway spruce Picea abies (L.) H. Karst alongside the communication route Kraków-Zakopane. The plant samples (green parts of moss, leaves of dandelion, and two year old needles of common spruce) were taken in seven transects perpendicular to the road in the following distances from the edge of the road: 5 m, 10 m, 50 m and 100 m. The moss Pleurozium schreberi turned out to be the best indicator among the tested plant species because it accumulated trace metals in the highest concentrations. In the leaves of the dandelion lower concentrations of metals were found, while the lowest ones were in the needles of the spruce.Celem pracy była ocena zdolności indykacyjnych wybranych roślin wskaźnikowych znajdujących się pod wpływem drogowych zanieczyszczeń komunikacyjnych. Oznaczono zawartości następujących metali śladowych: Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn w trzech gatunkach roślin: mchu rokietniku pospolitym Pleurozium schreberi, mniszku pospolitym Taraxacum officianale i w świerku pospolitym Picea abies pobranych wzdłuż drogi Kraków – Zakopane. Próbki roślin (zielone części mchu, liście mniszka pospolitego oraz dwuletnie igły świerka pospolitego) pobrane zostały w obrębie transeptów rozmieszczonych prostopadle do drogi w odległości 5, 10, 50 i 100 m od jej krawędzi. Rokietnik pospolity Pleurozium schreberi okazał się najlepszym indykatorem, bowiem kumulował największe ilości badanych metali. Niższe koncentracje metali stwierdzono w liściach mniszka pospolitego, a najmniejsze w igłach świerka

Tolerancja gorczycy białej na skażenie gleby wybranymi metalami ciężkimi

A strict experiment on simulated copper, zinc and nickel soil contamination has been performed in concrete-framed microplots, 1 m3 in capacity. White mustard proved to be the most sensitive to nickel contamination of soil and most tolerant to excess copper in the substrate. The concentration of nickel in aerial parts of white mustard increased up to 30-fold, whereas the level of copper was twice as much as in the control. The translocation factors computed for the analysed metals in plants showed that copper was the least transferable from roots to shoots and, as its level rose, increasing quantities of this metal were retained in roots. At higher rates of nickel pollution in soil, white mustard transferred more of this metal to shoots. White mustard is only suitable for phytostabilisation of soils moderately contaminated with copper.Przeprowadzono doświadczenie ścisłe w obetonowanych mikropoletkach, o pojemności 1 m3, z symulowanym zanieczyszczeniem gleby miedzią, cynkiem oraz niklem. Gorczyca biała okazała się najbardziej wrażliwa na zanieczyszczenie gleby niklem, a najbardziej tolerancyjna na nadmiar miedzi w podłożu. Zawartość niklu w częściach nadziemnych wzrastała nawet trzydziestokrotnie, podczas gdy zawartość miedzi zaledwie dwukrotnie w stosunku do kontroli. Na podstawie obliczonych współczynników translokacji badanych metali w roślinie stwierdzono, że miedź najtrudniej przemieszczała się z korzeni do pędów i wraz ze wzrostem poziomu zanieczyszczenia gleby była zatrzymywana w korzeniach w coraz większym stopniu. W przypadku wzrastającego poziomu zanieczyszczenia gleby niklem gorczyca przemieszczała ten pierwiastek w coraz większym stopniu do pędów. Gorczyca biała nadaje się do wykorzystania jedynie w procesie fitostabilizacji gleb średnio zanieczyszczonych miedzią