The influences of emotional factors on householders' decarbonizing cooling behaviour in a subtropical Metropolitan City: An application of the extended theory of planned behaviour

Carbon footprint of low-energy buildings in the United Kingdom: Effects of mitigating technological pathways and decarbonization strategies

There is a limited comprehensive analysis of the effectiveness of adopted carbon mitigation strategies for buildings over their life cycle, that are concerned with temporal perspectives of emissions. Accordingly, this paper explores a life cycle assessment (LCA) to address the concerns regarding mitigating the carbon footprint of a UK timber-frame low-energy dwelling. In particular, it aims to investigate the potential greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction in terms of three different heating and ventilation options, and to analyze the influence of decarbonization of electricity production as well as the technological progress of the waste treatment of timber on the building's environmental performance. Thus, the whole life‑carbon of the building case studies was evaluated for a total of eight investigated prospective scenarios, and they were compared to the LCA results of the baseline scenario, where the existing technology and context remained constant over time. Results show that using a compact heat pump would lead to a significant whole life-cycle emission reduction of the dwelling, by 19 %; while GHG emission savings can be reinforced if the assessed systems are employed simultaneously with grid decarbonization, exhibiting a 25 %-60 % reduction compared to the baseline scenario. Moreover, technological changes in the waste treatments of timber products could substantially reduce the buildings' embodied emissions, representing 3 %-23 %. From these emission-saving measures, the contribution of material efficiency strategies to achieve more embodied carbon savings should be highlighted in future construction practices.

Household energy-saving behavior, its consumption, and life satisfaction in 37 countries

Since energy consumption became an important contributor to climate change owing to carbon emissions, energy-saving behavior and expenditure at the household level have been attracting scholars' and policymakers' attention. This study identified whether greenhouse gas emissions at the household level can be reduced through purchase of energy-saving goods and whether the energy-saving behavior enhanced with household income increase. We conducted a large-scale survey across 37 nations using internet-based and face-to-face approaches, collecting 100,956 observations. The wealth effect on energy consumption expenditure at the household level was found to be positive across countries, confirming that energy consumption increases with household wealth improvement. Furthermore, households show a positive association between household energy expenditure and life satisfaction in 27 out of 37 countries, including China, India, the United States, and Germany. Additionally, the favorable effects of household energy-saving behavior are confirmed. However, purchase of household energy-saving products has a limited effect on energy consumption expenditure, compared with that of energy-curtailment behavior. In conclusion, achieving a carbon-neutral household by reducing energy consumption expenditure at the household level is challenging; thus, along with the use of energy-saving goods, alternative energy sources, such as renewable energies, are recommended.

Using the Theory of Planned Behavior to Explain and Predict Areca Nut Use Among Adolescents in India: An Exploratory Study

Context

Areca nut, used alone or in combination with tobacco, contributes to the high oral cancer burden in India. Used widely by adolescents, who perceive it as a harmless substance, areca nut is addictive and considered a precursor to tobacco use. Given its serious implications for addictiveness and physical health, urgent preventive interventions for areca nut use are required in India and South-East Asia. Studies examining the role of health behavior theory in explaining and predicting areca nut use and for development of its prevention among adolescents are scarce.

Aim

This study explored the role of the components of Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) such as attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and intention in predicting areca nut use among adolescents.

Settings and Design

Observational study with cross-sectional design conducted with 1884 male and female adolescents attending low-income schools in Mumbai, India.

Methods and Material

Self-administered surveys were used to gather data on age, gender, behavioral factors and areca nut use.

Statistical Analysis Used

Chi-square and Mann Whitney test for bivariate and logistic regression for multivariate analysis.

Results

Around 27.2% of 1884 participants were areca nut users. The mean age of users was 13.75 years. Intention-to-use and perceived behavioral control were statistically significant predictors of actual areca nut use (p<0.001). The components of TPB such as attitude, perceived subjective social norms, and perceived behavioral control had a statistically significant effect on the intention-to-use areca nut (p<0.05).

Conclusion

This exploratory study indicates that constructs from TPB could help us understand and predict areca nut use. However, more rigorous future research is required to generate insights that help craft effective theory-based behavioral interventions for areca nut prevention and cessation in adolescents.

What Influences Home Gardeners’ Food Waste Composting Intention in High-Rise Buildings in Dhaka Megacity, Bangladesh? An Integrated Model of TPB and DMP

Composting is a sustainable way of transforming organic waste into valuable organic fertilizers which have the potential to act as soil conditioners by controlling various biological processes. The prime objective of the current study was to determine the influencing factors behind the intent of home food waste composting, by employing the combined model of Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and Dualistic Passion Model (DMP). The combined model showed a higher predictive ability in comparison to the individual TPB model. The fit statistic of the integrated model was deemed good, and 65% of the variance for home composting intention was explained. Using a face-to-face questionnaire survey, a total of 203 valid responses were gathered from home gardeners and tested via a unique two-step methodology: the PLS-SEM and the artificial neural network (ANN). The results revealed that the composting intention can be significantly influenced by attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control. The study also confirmed the positive effect of harmonious passion and the negative effect of obsessive passion on the intention of food waste composting. Furthermore, the hybrid method produced more reliable results because HP was found to be the most important variable in both ANN and PLS-SEM results, while PBC was observed to be the second most important variable in ANN and the fourth most important in PLS-SEM. The results of the current study not only highlight the importance of passion in determining food waste composting intention in Dhaka, Bangladesh, but also provide helpful information for designing effective, sustainable tactics for encouraging residents to compost food waste at home.

Integrating the Extended Theory of Planned Behavior With the Stages of Change to Predict Exercise Among Chinese People With Type 2 Diabetes

Background: There have been very limited prospective studies examining social-cognitive models within stages of behavior change in the exercise domain. Purpose: We examined the utility of the theory of planned behavior (TPB), incorporating self-identity and descriptive norm constructs, to predict exercise behavior across the stages of change, in individuals with type 2 diabetes. Methods: Data were obtained from a longitudinal study. Multi-group structural equation modeling was used to estimate the association between extended TPB constructs and exercise within different stages groups. Results: 647 individuals completed a self-report questionnaire at baseline and at 3 months follow-up. The extended TPB model explained 8-15% variance of exercise behavior and 42-81% variance of exercise intention within three stages groups in the cross-sectional design. The extended TPB model explained 4%-13% variance of exercise behavior and 42-66% variance of exercise intention in the longitudinal design. Intention was significantly related to exercise behavior in the pre-action and action stages. Self-identity, perceived behavioral control and descriptive norms were stronger predictors of intention in different stages. Conclusion: Discontinuity patterns in the extended theory of planned behavior for the different stages groups were found. Intention was a significant predictor of exercise in the pre-action and action stages at 3 months.