Empowering pro-environmental potential among hotel employees: Insights from self-determination theory

Purpose: This research examines the role of green, inclusive leadership, corporate social responsibility, and pro-environmental attitudes on proactive pro-environmental behaviour among hotel employees. It further examines the indirect effects of pro-environmental attitudes between green inclusive leadership, corporate social responsibility, and proactive pro-environmental behaviour, as well as the moderating role of psychological contract breach between pro-environmental attitudes and proactive pro-environmental behaviour. Design/methodology/approach: The participants of this cross-sectional study were employees in the Malaysian hotel industry, and 374 usable questionnaires were used for data analysis. The data were analysed using Partial Least Squares – Structural Equation Modelling. Findings: This study found that green, inclusive leadership, corporate social responsibility, and pro-environmental attitudes significantly influence proactive pro-environmental behaviour. For mediating effects, pro-environmental attitudes have been found to mediate the relationship between corporate social responsibility, green inclusive leadership and proactive pro-environmental behaviour. Research limitations/implications: The research proposes actionable measures to encourage environmentally friendly practices in the hotel sector. For companies to succeed, they must integrate green initiatives with their societal objectives. Pro-environmental mindsets are essential for implementing effective environmental policies, which in turn impact recruitment approaches. The advantages of fostering pro-environmental conduct encompass financial savings, enhanced standing, adherence to regulations, increased innovative thinking and improved workplace well-being. Originality/value: Over time, environmental degradation has been contributed by individual behaviours and the combined actions of businesses and organisations. This study significantly contributed to a new model underpinned by the Self-determination Theory by including new constructs influencing proactive pro-environmental behaviour

Prevalence and associated risk factors for mental health problems among young adults in Fiji Island during COVID-19: a cross-sectional study

IntroductionThe COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on mental health globally. To understand the impact of the pandemic on mental health in Fiji, this study aimed to investigate the prevalence of anxiety disorder and depression among the young adults.MethodAn online survey was conducted to assess the prevalence of anxiety disorder and depression among the general population in Suva, Fiji during the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 1,119 Fiji adults participated in the study. The study was conducted between May 20 to June 30, 2022, using a snowball sampling via social media platforms. The Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) and Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) scales were used to measure anxiety and depression, respectively. The COVID-19 related stressors was evaluated using the adapted SARS stressors assessment. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the factors influencing mental health among respondents.ResultsThe result shows that a significant portion of individuals experienced each of the stressors, with the highest prevalence seen for hearing information about the severity of COVID-19. The prevalence of anxiety and depression was found to be 45% and 49%, respectively. Being female, having pre-existing illness and COVID-19 stressors were a risk factor to develop anxiety and depression. On the other hand, employed individuals and having high BMI was a protective factor against developing depression during COVID-19 lockdown.ConclusionThese findings highlight the importance of addressing the mental health needs of the Fijian population during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond

Mental distress links with physical activities, sedentary lifestyle, social support, and sleep problems: A Syrian population cross-sectional study

BackgroundMental diseases are very widespread and difficult to treat, affecting around 12% of the global population in 2019. Since social interaction is crucial to human existence and loneliness has been proven to be a significant predictor of depressive symptoms, it stands to reason that social connection problems would also contribute to depression. Physical inactivity seems to weaken and aggravate insulin tolerance alterations, glucose homeostasis, and plasma triglyceride levels, thereby influencing one's mood and happiness. This suggests that physical inactivity may be a significant risk factor for mental illness. This research contributes to our understanding of the mental health situation in Syria by exploring associations between a set of measurable characteristics that may be adjusted.MethodsAn online quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted between March and April 2022 in Syria, using a structured questionnaire that assesses data on behaviors of health, health in general, wellbeing, and adult population quality of life.ResultsAmong 1,224 respondents (371 men and 853 women), women have shown higher levels of mental distress, sleep issues, low engagement in structured activities, and a difficult work environment than men. Women experiencing mental anguish have reported being more sedentary, participating in less scheduled activities, and receiving less social support.ConclusionsThere are observable connections between high sedentary time and women experiencing mental distress. The mental health of Syrian women in distress was associated with a lack of participation in both organized activities and physical exercise in their free time. Furthermore, sleep issues and financial troubles were seen in persons with mental diseases of both males and females

Knowledge, attitudes, and practices toward coronavirus and associated anxiety symptoms among university students : a cross-sectional study during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh

Background: University students’ knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) toward COVID-19 are vital to prevent the spread of the virus, especially in the context of developing countries. Consequently, the present study aimed to determine the KAP levels of university students and associated anxiety during the earlier stage of the pandemic in Bangladesh. Methods: A cross-sectional, online study with 544 university students was conducted during April 17–May 1, 2020. The questionnaire incorporated several KAP-related test items aligned with the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines. Anxiety was measured with the 2-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale (GAD-2). Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the association between KAP levels and anxiety adjusting for sociodemographic variables. Subgroup analyses included rerunning models stratified by gender and quarantine status. Results: Approximately 50% of students showed high levels of knowledge about COVID-19 guidelines, 59% reported behavioral practices that aligned with COVID-19 guidelines, and 39% had negative attitudes toward COVID-19 guidelines. Attitudes differed by anxiety (χ2 = 23.55, p < 0.001); specifically, negative attitudes were associated with higher anxiety (OR: 2.40, 95% CI = 1.66–3.46, p < 0.001). Associations were significant for male (OR = 2.36; 95% CI = 1.45–3.84, p < 0.001) and female (OR = 2.45; 95% CI = 1.3–4.34; p < 0.001) students. Stratified analyses found non-quarantined students with negative attitudes had three times the chance of experiencing anxiety (OR = 3.14, 95% CI: 1.98–4.98, p < 0.001). Non-quarantined students with low levels of knowledge had half the chance of developing anxiety (OR = 0.49, 95% CI: 0.31–0.78, p < 0.01). Conclusion: Based on these findings, it is recommended that university authorities continue to prioritize proactive and effective measures to develop higher levels of knowledge, more positive attitudes and better behavioral practices regarding COVID-19 for the mental health of their students

COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance among Low- and Lower-Middle-Income Countries: A Rapid Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Widespread vaccination against COVID-19 is critical for controlling the pandemic. Despite the development of safe and efficacious vaccinations, low-and lower-middle income countries (LMICs) continue to encounter barriers to care owing to inequitable access and vaccine apprehension. This study aimed to summarize the available data on COVID-19 vaccine acceptance rates and factors associated with acceptance in LMICs. A comprehensive search was performed in PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science from inception through August 2021. Quality assessments of the included studies were carried out using the eight-item Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal tool for cross-sectional studies. We performed a meta-analysis to estimate pooled acceptance rates with 95% confidence intervals (CI). A total of 36 studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in the review. A total of 83,867 respondents from 33 countries were studied. Most of the studies were conducted in India (n = 9), Egypt (n = 6), Bangladesh (n = 4), or Nigeria (n = 4). The pooled-effect size of the COVID-19 vaccine acceptance rate was 58.5% (95% CI: 46.9, 69.7, I2 = 100%, 33 studies) and the pooled vaccine hesitancy rate was 38.2% (95% CI: 27.2–49.7, I2 = 100%, 32 studies). In country-specific sub-group analyses, India showed the highest rates of vaccine acceptancy (76.7%, 95% CI: 65.8–84.9%, I2= 98%), while Egypt showed the lowest rates of vaccine acceptancy (42.6%, 95% CI: 16.6–73.5%, I2= 98%). Being male and perceiving risk of COVID-19 infection were predictors for willingness to accept the vaccine. Increasing vaccine acceptance rates in the global south should be prioritized to advance global vaccination coverage

Mental Health Status of University Students and Working Professionals during the Early Stage of COVID-19 in Bangladesh

A novel coronavirus disease known as COVID-19 has spread globally and brought a public health emergency to all nations. To respond to the pandemic, the Bangladesh Government imposed a nationwide lockdown that may have degraded mental health among residents, in particular, university students and working professionals. We examined clinically significant anxiety levels with the Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) scale and perceived stress levels with the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-4) in an online cross-sectional study with 744 adults. Approximately 70% of respondents were afflicted with clinically significant anxiety levels, and more than 43.82% were afflicted with moderate or high perceived stress levels. Multivariate logistic regression models showed that postgraduates (OR = 2.78, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.03–8.75, p &lt; 0.05) were more likely to experience anxiety than their student counterparts. No such differences emerged for working professionals, however. Living with family members compared to living alone was a risk factor for perceived stress among working professionals (OR = 4.05, 95% CI = 1.45–11.32, p &lt; 0.05). COVID-19 stressors such as financial hardship (OR = 1.84, 95% CI = 1.11–3.05, p &lt; 0.05) and worries of family members’ health (OR = 1.84, 95% CI = 1.12–2.99) were risk factors for anxiety among students. Questionable social media news exposure (OR = 2.99, 95% CI = 1.13–7.92, p &lt; 0.05) contributed to the development of mental stress among working professionals. These findings confirm that effective initiatives and proactive efforts from concerned authorities are necessary to cope with the mental health correlates of the COVID-19 pandemic, including in developing contexts such as Bangladesh

Spatial-temporal analysis of urban eco-environmental quality of an urban area using geo-spatial techniques: The case of Dhaka megacity, Bangladesh

This study determined the spatio-temporal changes of urban eco-environmental quality (UEEQ) of a rapidly growing megacity-Dhaka, Bangladesh, based on the Pressure-State-Response (PSR) framework. A comprehensive index with the combination of five vegetation indices and four urban indices that met the Pressure-State-Response (PSR) framework integrated through principal component analysis (PCA) was developed to assess urban eco-environmental quality index (UEQI) in 2000 and 2020. The results found that the high proportion of UEQI in the study area was very poor to poor and clustered in the city center and western periphery. Moran’s I and LISA confirmed the non-randomness pattern of UEQ in the city. The findings could provide a quantitative foundation for decision makers to balance eco-environmental quality and urbanization

Probing the non-bonding interaction of small molecules with graphene oxide using DFT based vibrational circular dichroism

This study explores the non-bonding interaction of graphene oxide with small molecules such as NO2, SO3, SO2, and CO2 by density functional theory-based vibrational circular dichroism (VCD) and Raman spectroscopies. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulation is used to generate all possible and stable cluster conformers of the GO and small molecules. The non-bonding interactions between GO and small molecules in the gas phase are calculated with the help of density functional theory (DFT). VCD and Raman spectra are computed using ωB97XD/6-31G+(d) level of theory. Vibrational mode of the O–H wagging, C–H twisting, O–H bending, C–H bending, C–H rocking, C–H stretching, O–H stretching demonstrate representative VCD signature band in the gas phase. The highest and the lowest VCD signal are noticed for GO-NO2 and GO-CO2 complex, respectively. The most intense negative VCD signal is observed for GO-NO2, and GO-CO2 complexes, whereas the most intense positive VCD signal, is detected for GO-SO3 and GO-SO2 complexes. Non-bonding interaction of GO with NO2, SO3, SO2, and CO2 influences the various vibrational modes in the conformers, thus significantly changing the VCD signals. However, the Raman signal shows no significant changes for the non-bonding interaction examined in the multiple conformers. These findings indicate that vibrational circular dichroism may be employed for detecting the non-bonding interactions of graphene oxide with small molecules

COVID-19 Vaccine Acceptance Rate and Its Factors among Healthcare Students: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis

Healthcare students are clinicians-in-training likely to come into contact with COVID-19 as much as other frontline healthcare professionals. It is therefore necessary to prioritize vaccinations for this group. We conducted a global systematic assessment of COVID-19 vaccine acceptance rates and related factors among healthcare students using the PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases and keyword searches in March of 2022. We found 1779 articles with relevant information and 31 articles that matched our inclusion criteria. We performed a random-effects meta-analysis and quality assessment using the eight-item Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal test for cross-sectional studies. A total of 30,272 individuals from 16 countries were studied. Most of the studies were carried out in the U.S. (n = 6), China (n = 5), Poland (n = 5), India (n = 2), Italy (n = 2), and Israel (n = 2). The prevalence of the COVID-19 vaccine acceptance rate was 68.8% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 60.8–76.3, I2 = 100%), and the prevalence of the vaccine hesitancy rate was 25.8% (95% CI: 18.5–33.8, I2 = 99%). In country-specific analyses, Romania showed the highest acceptance rate (88.0%, 95% CI: 44.5–100%), while Iraq showed the lowest acceptance rate (66.2%, 95% CI: 35.5–90.8%). In time-trend analyses, we found that acceptance rates among healthcare students decreased over time. Students concerned about potentially serious side effects of the vaccine were less willing to accept the vaccine. National and international interventions should be adopted to reduce COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy rates among these important frontline workers

Dynamic channel estimation-aware routing protocol in mobile cognitive radio networks for smart IIoT applications

Cognitive Radio Networks (CRNs) have become a successful platform in recent years for a diverse range of future systems, in particularly, industrial internet of things (IIoT) applications. In order to provide an efficient connection among IIoT devices, CRNs enhance spectrum utilization by using licensed spectrum. However, the routing protocol in these networks is considered one of the main problems due to node mobility and time-variant channel selection. Specifically, the channel selection for routing protocol is indispensable in CRNs to provide an adequate adaptation to the Primary User (PU) activity and create a robust routing path. This study aims to construct a robust routing path by minimizing PU interference and routing delay to maximize throughput within the IIoT domain. Thus, a generic routing framework from a cross-layer perspective is investigated that intends to share the information resources by exploiting a recently proposed method, namely, Channel Availability Probability. Moreover, a novel cross-layer-oriented routing protocol is proposed by using a time-variant channel estimation technique. This protocol combines lower layer (Physical layer and Data Link layer) sensing that is derived from the channel estimation model. Also, it periodically updates and stores the routing table for optimal route decision-making. Moreover, in order to achieve higher throughput and lower delay, a new routing metric is presented. To evaluate the performance of the proposed protocol, network simulations have been conducted and also compared to the widely used routing protocols, as a benchmark. The simulation results of different routing scenarios demonstrate that our proposed solution outperforms the existing protocols in terms of the standard network performance metrics involving packet delivery ratio (with an improved margin of around 5–20% approximately) under varying numbers of PUs and cognitive users in Mobile Cognitive Radio Networks (MCRNs). Moreover, the cross-layer routing protocol successfully achieves high routing performance in finding a robust route, selecting the high channel stability, and reducing the probability of PU interference for continued communication