Plastic-free behavior of millennials: An application of the theory of planned behavior on drinking choices

The impact of mortality salience and explicit self-esteem on plastic reduction intention: A moderated mediation model

Mortality salience (MS) and self-esteem affect attitudes and behavioral intentions in various contexts, including pro-environment behavioral intentions. This study aimed to explore how MS and explicit self-esteem impact on attitude towards plastic reduction for future generations (APRFG) and intention to reduce plastic use, by integrating the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and Terror Management Theory (TMT). An experimental design was employed, with 357 participants aged 20 to 70 recruited via an online platform. The participants were randomly assigned to either an MS condition, or a control condition and then measured their explicit self-esteem by the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. Subsequently, the experimental group was exposed to information on the fatal health risks associated with microplastics, while the control group was reminded of their own experiences of dental pain. After a few minutes, all participants were asked to complete a self-report questionnaire, including APRFG, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control, and intention to reduce plastic use. Data were analyzed using the PROCESS macro to examine mediation and moderation effects. Our findings showed that MS significantly enhanced APRFG, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control, which in turn led to stronger intention to reduce plastic use. Among these three factors, the mediating effect of APRFG was the most pronounced, highlighting its central role in linking MS to plastic reduction intention. MS, when combined with explicit self-esteem, significantly influences APRFG and intention to reduce plastic use. The relationships between MS and APRFG/plastic reduction intention were particularly pronounced among the participants with lower explicit self-esteem. Policymakers can leverage these insights to craft marketing messages that enhance plastic-reduction efforts, taking into account individual differences in explicit self-esteem.

Factors influencing civil servants' willingness to implement cardiopulmonary resuscitation in Chongqing, China: Based on the theory of planned behavior

Background

Timely bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation is the key to improving the survival rate of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. Civil servants are potential bystander CPR providers. This study aimed to explore civil servants' willingness to implement CPR in Chongqing, identify the influencing factors and mechanisms affecting civil servants' willingness to perform CPR, and then seek countermeasures to improve civil servants' willingness to implement CPR.

Methods

We introduced the theory of perceived risk into the theory of planned behavior, developed a 7-point Likert scale based on the extended theory of planned behavior, and conducted a questionnaire survey on civil servants in Chongqing, China. Descriptive statistical analysis and one-way ANOVA were employed to explore respondents' willingness and differences. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the relationship between attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control and perceived risk and respondents' willingness to implement CPR.

Results

A total of 1235 valid questionnaires were included for analysis. 50.1 % of respondents were willing to implement CPR. Male, over 40 years old, living with the elderly, having previous experience performing CPR on another person, and having higher CPR knowledge scores were associated with a more positive willingness to perform CPR. Attitude, subjective norm and perceived behavioral control had significant positive effects on willingness, and the standardized regression coefficients were 0.164, 0.326 and 0.313, respectively. The perceived risk has a significant negative effect on willingness, and the standardized regression coefficient was -0.109. The four latent variables accounted for 44.2 % of the variance in the willingness of civil servants to implement CPR.

Conclusions

The willingness of civil servants in Chongqing to implement CPR needs to be improved, and the countermeasures to enhance the subjective norm and perceived behavioral control of civil servants should be emphasized, such as developing a social support network for rescuing conduct, establishing regular training mechanisms and improving the practical applicability and popularization of the Chinese-style "Good Samaritan Law" etc., to improve the willingness of civil servants in Chongqing to implement CPR.

Breaking the plastic habit: Drivers of single-use plastic reduction among Thai university students

This study investigated the decision-making dynamics for pro-environmental behavior among Thai university students, focusing on reducing the consumption of single-use plastics (SUP). By adopting a dynamic approach to the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), the research examined the influence of psychosocial factors, including attitudes, perceived behavioral control, and subjective norms, on SUP reduction intention at different phases of behavior change. Using structural equation modelling, we analyzed quantitative data (n = 317) from the selected universities. The results revealed that attitudes predicted behavioral intentions only among individuals in the contemplation phase of reducing SUP. Attitudes had a small but limited influence on the behavioral intentions of students who had not yet acted. Perceived behavioral control, on the other hand, significantly impacted behavioral intentions across all phases of behavior change, highlighting its importance in SUP reduction. The study also confirmed subjective norms' positive influence on students' behavioral intentions in the pre-contemplation phase. Practical implications suggested segmenting residents based on their behavior change phase so that public policymakers can allocate resources more efficiently and effectively by tailoring campaigns to specific behavior change phases, ultimately promoting sustainable behavior among university students.

Pro-environmental behavior regarding single-use plastics reduction in urban-rural communities of Thailand: Implication for public policy

The study investigates residents' behavior towards reducing the use of single-use plastic (SUP), specifically in the context of food packaging. The widespread view holds that pro-environmental behavior (PB) results from a person's moral and rational deliberations. In reducing single-use plastic (SUP) consumption and waste, the relative roles of rationality and morality models in validating PB among rural and urban residents are not yet clear. In this empirical study, we compared the relative efficacy of two models for explaining people's SUP reduction behavior: the theory of planned behavior (TPB; rationality) and the value belief norm (VBN; morality). We investigated Thailand's rural (Sichang Island) and metropolitan (Nonthaburi city) areas. As a result, we surveyed people living on Sichang Island (n = 255) and in Nonthaburi city (n = 310). We employed structural equation modeling (SEM) for data analysis in this study. Findings showed that while morality better justified all the study participants' SUP reduction behavior, rationality underpinned behaviors of rural residents, while morality better explained the actions of city residents. We discussed future theoretical development and a policy roadmap based on these findings.

The interplay of food-related lifestyle and eating behavior in Italian women

Introduction

Women play a crucial role in food shopping and preparation, and their food choices have significant implications for their health and that of their families. This study aims to provide a perspective on women's eating lifestyle, which has undergone significant changes.

Methods

A factor analysis was conducted to assess the degree of involvement in food choices and the types of food items consumed among a sample of 399 Italian women.

Results

Through cluster analysis, four segments were identified: hedonic food consumers, sustainable- and balanced-diet consumers, food experimenters, and no food fondness consumers. The results reveal a correlation between the degree of food involvement and the type of food consumed.

Discussion

Furthermore, the food lifestyle of the sample is partially dependent on age. Individuals aged 25-28 years show more hedonic food consumption behavior, while the older age group (44-64 years) falls into the sustainable and balanced diet consumer cluster (the largest cluster) and the cluster of those who do not express definable food choices (no food fondness).

Examining the moderating effect of perceived risk from particulate matter on outdoor sports participants: a theory of planned behavior perspective

Purpose

This study, drawing from the theoretical framework of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), examines the structural relationship among attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control (PBC), and behavioral intention. The study focuses on investigating how the perceived risk associated with particulate matter moderates the relationships between "attitudes and behavioral intention," "subjective norms and behavioral intention," and "PBC and behavioral intention" within the context of individuals engaged in outdoor sports.

Design/methodology/approach

The data were collected from outdoor sports gatherings facilitated through a popular South Korean sports meetup application. Confirmatory factor analysis was employed to establish the construct validity of the measurement scale, assess factor loadings, averaged variance extracted (AVE), and construct reliability (CR). We also ensured the reliability of the measurement scale through Cronbach's α analysis. To achieve our research objectives, we utilized structural equation modeling with maximum likelihood estimation to examine the positive relationships under investigation. Additionally, we performed moderation analysis using the statistical software Jamovi.

Findings

The findings demonstrate the significant impacts of attitudes, subjective norms, and PBC on behavioral intention and reveal that perceived risk acts as a moderator, influencing the relationship between PBC and behavioral intention.

Only the best for my kids: An extended TPB model to understand mothers' use of food labels

Despite the evidence that mothers' food purchasing behavior impacts the quality of children's diet, few studies have explored psycho-social factors influencing how mothers choose the food to buy for their children. To fill this gap, this study tested an extended Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) model to predict mothers' tendency to seek information on food labels before purchasing food for children. Participants included 311 Italian mothers who completed a self-report questionnaire measuring their information-seeking behavior, TPB variables, anticipated regret and healthy-eater identity. Results from a Multiple Correspondence Analysis showed that mothers' information-seeking behavior involved a continuum of choices ranging from selecting conventional or prepackaged foods to choosing to read the food label before making a purchase. Besides, a Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modeling analysis showed that information-seeking behavior was positively predicted by intention (β = 0.309, p < 0.001) and healthy-eater identity (β = 0.195, p < 0.001). In turn, intention was positively affected by attitude (β = 0.208, p < 0.001), subjective norms (β = 0.155, p < 0.01), perceived behavioral control (β = 0.124, p < 0.05), anticipated regret (β = 0.193, p < 0.001), and healthy-eater identity (β = 0.191, p < 0.001). These findings emphasize that future initiatives could usefully target attitude, anticipated regret and self-identity to encourage mothers' informed food choices for their children.

Understanding residents' behaviour intention of recycling plastic waste in a densely populated megacity of emerging economy

Plastic waste is choking our planet, but the recycling rate is still universally low. Understanding factors affecting recycling behaviours can help address this pressing issue. Taking Dhaka as an example, this study explores the determinants of the intentions to recycle plastic waste. We employed the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) and extended it with two additional variables: Moral Norms, and Perceived sufficiency of knowledge and policy support. Survey data of 577 were collected and analysed using PLS-SEM. The findings suggest attitude, perceived behavioural control, moral norms and subjective norms significantly impact recycling intention, among which moral norms (β = 0.148, p < 0.05) acts even more strongly than subjective norms (β = 0.12, p < 0.05). Moreover, low level perception of knowledge and policy support makes people perceive less control over recycling behaviour (β = 0.188, p < 0.05), but actually reinforce their recycling intention (β = -0.091, p < 0.1). This study enriches the theoretical discussion of TPB, and contributes to the efforts of encouraging plastic recycling in populated megacity of emerging economy.

Industrial symbiosis and agri-food system: Themes, links, and relationships

Industrial symbiosis is an eco-innovative system concept that is based on a circular economy and industrial ecology ideas. This process comprises the movement of materials, energy, and skills across enterprises located within eco-industrial parks, and strives to provide economic, environmental, and social competitive advantages for all the involved parties. Considering that the agri-food system creates a vast quantity of by-products along the supply chain, it is a sector that has huge potential within material and energy recovery systems and fits well into eco-industrial parks. The current study is a literature review that aims to evaluate the interest exhibited so far by scientific research in the topic of industrial symbiosis in the agri-food sector and to highlight the primary analytical techniques that have been used for this topic. Using the paradigm of multiple correspondence analysis, a content analysis was conducted from which the major themes of the researched phenomena emerged. The results indicate that the topic areas are unrelated and somewhat distant from each other. The analyzed case studies have revealed that the authors had neglected the communicative and collaborative elements among stakeholders, and instead focused on the potential use of some tools and approaches. Furthermore, it has been hypothesized that the hiding of information within a supply chain prevents industrial symbiosis procedures from being implemented. This research suggests the necessity of creating communication and cooperation platforms among stakeholders, which would promote the introduction of new techniques and tools for the development of circular production systems.

NAM and TPB Approach to Consumers' Decision-Making Framework in the Context of Indoor Smart Farm Restaurants

The movement toward smart farming, which has productivity and eco-friendly roles, is emerging in the foodservice industry in the form of indoor smart farm restaurants. The purpose of this study was to investigate the consumer decision-making processes in the context of indoor smart farm restaurants. The investigational framework was designed around the norm activation model (NAM) and the theory of planned behavior (TPB), with the moderating role of age. In particular, this study merged NAM and TPB to assess the effect of awareness of consumption consequences on consumers' attitudes as well as the role played by subjective norms in the formation of personal norms. Data were collected from 304 respondents in South Korea. As a result of structural equation modeling, the proposed hypotheses of causal relationships were generally supported, excluding only the relationship between subjective norm and behavioral intention. The moderating role of age was identified in the relationships between (1) subjective norm and attitude, and (2) personal norm and behavioral intention. This study presents not only theoretical contributions as the first empirical study on consumer behavior in the context of indoor smart farm restaurants but also presents practical suggestions from the perspective of green marketing.