Perceived hospital environment quality indicators: A study of orthopaedic units

The purposes of this study are to develop perceived hospital environment quality indicators for rating hospital settings, and to use those scales to compare hospitals selected to differ in their spatial–physical humanization (design features that support users’ needs and well-being). Orthopaedic units in three different hospitals in a major Italian city were selected to represent low, moderate and high levels of environmental humanization. Two architects rated the settings on 120 qualities and provided modest corroboration for the three levels. In each orthopaedic unit, patients, visitors and staff completed questionnaires including four scales about the physical and social environments (N=202). A total of 12 Perceived Hospital Environment Quality Indicators (PHEQIs) scales emerged from factor and reliability analyses of these responses. The PHEQIs had face validity, reflecting the main features articulated by the scientific literature on humanization, and overall had good inter-item reliability. ANOVAs supported hypotheses that patients and visitors would rate humanized environments more positively, although staff members seemed to be less sensitive than service users to differences in design quality.     

Users' views of hospital environmental quality: Validation of the Perceived Hospital Environment Quality Indicators (PHEQIs)

Environmental Quality Perception (EQP) is an important construct used to help to understand the relationship between people and the hospital environment. From a patient-centered care perspective, it is important that hospital design take into account the patients' (and other users') point of view. This paper presents the adaptation and validation of a measure of hospital EQP, the Perceived Hospital Environment Quality Indicators (PHEQIs; Fornara, Bonaiuto, & Bonnes, 2006), and seeks to confirm the factor structure of this construct in a different cultural context. Three scales, two focusing on physical environments and one evaluating the social environment, were completed by 562 users of four orthopedic units in Portuguese hospitals, two older and two recently built or renovated. To assess criterion validity, hospital physical environments were also objectively evaluated by two architects. Using a confirmatory factor analysis the three validation procedures produced acceptable fit indices in the final measurement models. Overall reliability values were satisfactory, as was the evidence for criterion validity. PHEQIs scales and factors correlated with global evaluation of the environment, supporting concurrent criterion validity; and predictive criterion validity was demonstrated given that users of older and newer hospitals differed significantly on the perception of quality of hospital EQP, and that high congruence between users' and experts' evaluations was found. Discriminant construct validity was supported, and some difficulties in showing convergent validity are discussed in terms of item formulation adequacy. Implications for research and practice are described.     

Listening to locals on payments for environmental services

Payments for Environmental Services (PES) is gaining recognition worldwide as a serious option for conservation of ecosystems, as well as potentially improving the livelihoods of people providing environmental services. However, little attention has been paid to research on views of local people in their potential roles as service providers. In this research we explore perspectives of poor people living in a National Park in Vietnam, where introduction of PES is being considered. In-depth interviews and workshops were conducted – with strong emphasis on the use of visual techniques, to help facilitate learning processes and provide insight into local perspectives. From the research, two models were developed to indicate general factors that influence the likelihood of people adopting, and adhering to, PES schemes. We suggest these models can be used to guide the design of PES. Our findings also reveal three main requirements important in design of pro-poor PES: (1) Thorough scoping studies for ensuring that schemes are based on sound understanding of potential providers' perspectives and context. (2) Such studies should emphasise qualitative research and draw on participatory tools, to facilitate open dialogue and co-learning by researchers and participants. (3) Policy makers should consider designing hybridized schemes, i.e., in which PES concepts are combined with integrated conservation and development.     

In their words: How Detroit residents perceive the effects of their physical environment

Abstract

This article examines results from in-depth interviews conducted with parents of children with asthma living in an urban environment. We examine themes from the in-depth interviews related to participants' perceptions of the influence of their physical environment on their mental and physical health, and the actions that they take in an effort to protect their health within this context. The findings from this study suggest several implications for understanding the interface between the physical environment of urban communities and residents' health, as well as for the policy and practice of risk assessment strategies.     

Residential satisfaction in council housing

Planners' and architects' knowledge of the needs of users as well as their perceptions of the residential environment, has been commented on in many studies dealing with residential satisfaction. In this study—based on primary research in an area of council housing in Madrid—the main goal is the study of objective and subjective factors, on both physical and social levels, which influence council housing residents' satisfaction. A sample of 447 housewives responded to a questionaire, a multiple regression analysis of which showed that attachment to the neighbourhood and relationships with neighbours explained the greatest variance in residential satisfaction. Some methodological issues about the measurement of residential satisfaction are also discussed.     

What can abnormal environments tell us about normal people? Polar stations as natural psychology laboratories

The psychological effects of unusual environments reveal different aspects of behaviour from those seen in more customary situations. Such environments provide natural laboratories in which many questions of psychological interest, varying with the specific environment, may be studied. This paper uses isolated polar stations to illustrate this point. In such settings, the usual parameters that control a variety of psychological processes are drastically changed, and confounding variables are stripped away. Consequently, the environment offers unique perspectives on environmental perception and cognition; adaptation to and use of the environment; environmental bonding; social interaction; and coping with environmental challenge.     

Assessment of outdoor school environments and physical activity in Ankara's primary schools

Outdoor school environments are sites for play and physical activity for many children, and shortcomings within these environments are considered significant factors that contribute to children's inactive lifestyles and high levels of childhood obesity. This study explores the associations between the physical characteristics of schoolyards and the physical activity of third and fourth year students in five Turkish primary schools. Data were collected through multiple methods, including behavior mapping of student activities during recess, physical assessments of schoolyards, and interviews with students, teachers and administrations. The findings show similarities in the landscape features and physical qualities of schoolyards, particularly in the types of play and activities in which students engage. Results indicated that active students who walk to and from schools have lower body mass index (BMI) values than passive students, and students in schools with larger yards have lower BMI values. Most of the students prefer spacious and vegetated yards. A major concern is the crowdedness of the yards during recess that limit children's activity. Schoolyards with advanced landscape features are preferred more, and this in turn affects students’ positive satisfaction. Outdoor school environments have a correlation to health outcomes and should be designed to promote more activity. Improving the physical and landscape qualities of the public schoolyards should be the primary concern of the designers in order to increase awareness of natural environment and more important, increase the health of children.     

Residential satisfaction among aging people living in place

Residential satisfaction is a significant topic in environmental psychology yet there is little research on residential satisfaction among elders. This research aims to identify the cognitive structure of residential satisfaction of elderly persons living in their own dwellings and to identify demographic and psychological variables related to this residential satisfaction. One hundred and three participants, ranging in age from 72 to 86 years old and living at home in the central France, answered (a) a purpose-developed questionnaire to measure their residential satisfaction, (b) an environmental quality questionnaire aimed at evaluating both the physical and social environments, and (c) several psychological variables including: the ESV, a French adaptation of the Satisfaction with Life Scale which examines the general well-being of aging people; and three single well-being items assessing financial well-being, perceived health, and perception of oneself as active. The results indicated that in this sample, residential satisfaction corresponds to a four-dimension structure organized by physical location rather than psychological or behavioral aspects. The four components were the local area, access to services, relations with neighbors, and the home itself. Satisfaction with each component was related to different predictors, supporting the idea that elders hold complex and nuanced views of their homes and neighborhoods.     

The role of perceived government style in the facilitation of self-determined and non self-determined motivation for pro-environmental behavior

Most North Americans are concerned about the environment and feel that responsibility for its protection lies primarily with government; however, no research to date has examined the influence of the government's approach toward environmental regulation on the motivation of individual citizens. According to self-determination theory, social contexts that support one's autonomy should facilitate self-determined motivation and social contexts that thwart autonomy should lead to non self-determined motivation and a sense of apathy or amotivation. In this study (n = 283), we examined the influence of perceptions of the government's approach toward environmental regulation on motivation toward the environment and frequency of self-reported pro-environmental behavior (PEB). Using structural equation modeling, we tested the hypothesis that frequency of PEB is predicted by motivation toward the environment and that motivation is predicted by the extent to which individuals perceive the government to be autonomy-supportive versus controlling in the implementation of environmental policies. The analysis revealed that perception of government autonomy-support contributed positively to autonomous motivation and negatively to amotivation, while perception of government control was positively related to both controlled motivation and amotivation. As predicted, autonomous motivation was positively, and amotivation was negatively, associated with frequency of PEB.     

Multiple environmental burdens and neighborhood-related health of city residents

Urban living environments are known to influence human well-being and health; however, little is known about the multidimensionality of different environmental burdens. The aim of this study is to examine the relations between multiple burdens and self-rated health of city residents in Berlin. A spatial analysis was conducted to determine neighborhood street blocks with high versus low levels of three environmental burdens (traffic noise, air pollution, lack of public green space) as study sites for a cross-sectional household questionnaire. Burden level served as a dichotomous predictor to compare residents' self-reports of neighborhood satisfaction, life satisfaction, health behavior, and psychological and physical health symptoms. Residents from high-burden blocks appraised the environmental conditions more stressful, reported poorer health behavior and were less satisfied with their neighborhood than residents from low-burden blocks. However, they did not differ in regard to more general health symptoms. Three other burdens (behavior-related noise, litter and dirt in public space, lack of urban vegetation), which could not be varied objectively, were assessed by their perceived intensity. Regression analyses of the relations between the perceived levels of all six burdens and outcomes in the total sample revealed the following: Neighborhood satisfaction could be predicted from multiple stressors and resources that co-occur independently, while more general health symptoms were related only to perceived air pollution. The results have implications for both urban planning and public health.     

干旱区绿洲城市的宜居性评价——以奎屯市为例

选取干旱区典型的绿洲城市新疆奎屯市为研究对象,运用主客观相结合的评价方法,评价其宜居程度;并选取经济、环境、社会三大类25个指标,采用主成分分析法对研究区2006-2012年的宜居水平进行评价.同时,从环境怡人性、生活便宜性、居住安全感、居住归属感四个方面21个指标,对城市居民宜居满意度调查.结果表明,社会生活环境质量、自然环境质量、经济发展状况是影响奎屯市城市宜居性的主要因素;研究区宜居程度不高,但呈增长态势;在人居环境满意度因子中,城市生态环境等指标,居民的满意率不高.     

提高土壤环境管理成效:推进三大环境要素协同治理

经过长期的大气污染和水污染治理实践,各地积累了一定的技术、工程和管理经验,但随着土壤污染问题的日益凸显,三大环境要素质量如何整体提升、确保区域生态系统服务功能稳定持续发挥、满足人民群众对环境产品的需求,成为各级政府推进环境基本公共服务均等化过程中需要正视和亟待破解的一个难题。本文在系统分析当前环境污染以单要素为主线实施治理的总体思路所面临困境的基础上,基于生态系统整体性和区域统筹考量,从治理主体、治理手段、治理过程三个方面,提出推进土壤环境-水环境-大气环境协同治理的基本路径,为国家出台土壤环境管理相关政策措施、促进城镇化过程中区域环境质量整体改善提供参考。     

The role of place identity and place attachment in breaking environmental protection laws

Place identity and place attachment have been related to several environmental variables such as appropriation, residential satisfaction, physical care taken of the neighbourhood, restorativeness, environmental attitudes and, especially, pro-environmental behaviour. However, the role of place identity and place attachment has not been analyzed in relation to anti-ecological behaviours such as transgressions of environmental protection laws. The aim of this study is to analyze the relationship of place identity, place attachment and environmental attitudes to the personal and social norms that explain the likelihood of illegal behaviours against the environment. The sample was composed of men and women, aged from 19 to 70 years, who were resident in rural, urban or tourist areas of a territory under high environmental protection. The strongest predictor of environmental transgression is personal norms, whereas place identity and place attachment have no direct relation with future transgression or personal norms. Place identity influences environmental attitudes and social norms, which are both antecedents of personal norms. The results led us to reconsider the efficacy of interventions aimed at encouraging compliance with environmental laws by only emphasizing individuals' bonds with the environment, and the need to extend the study of the role of personal and social norms in environmental protection.     

An integrative framework for sustainable supply chain management practices in the oil and gas industry

This paper proposes a framework for understanding the contextual factors of sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) practices in the O&G industry. It is based on a literature review of studies related to SSCM of O&G topics. The review reveals that there is a lack of SSCM research specific to the industry. Present studies focus on individual stages of its supply chain and do not consider all dimensions of sustainable development, namely economic, environmental and social factors. In addition, existing frameworks lack important contextual aspects of the industry's business and organizational environment. To address these gaps, our research develops an overarching framework operationalizing the internal and external contextual factors of the O&G industry environment that can influence the outcome of its SSCM practices. The proposed framework is useful as a tool in the formulation and implementation of SSCM strategy that enables alignment of a company's internal capabilities with its external environment.     

Effects of Place Identity,Place Dependence,and Experience-Use History on Perceptions of Recreation Impacts in a Natural Setting

It is generally accepted that recreation use in natural environments results in some degree of negative social and environmental impact. Environmental managers are tasked with mitigating the impact while providing beneficial recreation opportunities. Research on the factors that influence visitors' perceptions of environmental and social conditions is necessary to inform sound environmental management of protected natural areas. This study examines the effect of prior experience with the setting and two dimensions of place attachment (i.e., place identity and place dependence) on visitors' perceptions of three types of recreation impacts (i.e., depreciative behavior, environmental impacts, and recreation conflict). Principal components analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and structural equation modeling were used to test the study hypotheses using data collected from 351 visitors through on-site questionnaires (response rate of 93 percent). The results show that prior experience exhibited a moderate and significant direct positive effect on place identity, place dependence, and visitors' perceptions of recreation impacts. Contrary to study hypotheses and prior research, neither place dependence nor place identity exhibited a significant effect on the dependent variables. The results show that prior experience causes visitors to be more sensitive to depreciative behaviors, environmental impacts, and recreation conflict. These findings raise concerns over potential visitor displacement and deterioration of site conditions. Implications for resource managers are discussed, which include education, modifying visitor use patterns, and site design strategies.     

A Path Model of Whitewater Boating Satisfaction on the Cheat River of West Virginia

/ Recreation satisfaction is a complex psychological construct that is difficult to define and measure. Recent approaches suggest that overall satisfaction may be a function of multiple satisfactions derived from specific elements of a recreation experience such as the situational characteristics of a recreation setting or activity and the recreationist's subjective evaluations of the experience. In this paper, a path model of whitewater boating satisfaction was tested using data from a survey of 1210 commercial and 111 private boaters on the Cheat River of West Virginia. The pathmodel included the direct and mediating effects of situational variables and the subjective evaluations of boaters and explained 52% and 54% of the variation in satisfaction of commercial and private boaters, respectively. Factors related to the satisfaction of both groups included a composite variable representing opportunities for challenge, excitement, and skill testing on the river trip; water flow levels; and crowding perceptions. In combination, water flow level and boater's perceptions of opportunities to experience challenge, excitement, and test boating skills were the most important variables for explaining satisfaction of both groups. Additional factors affecting commercial, but not private, boater satisfaction included the motive of escaping the usual demands of life and a social interaction variable. Among private boaters, perceptions of the environmental conditions also contributed to overall satisfaction. The results support the multiple satisfaction approach of previous research. River management implications are discussed.KEY WORDS: Whitewater; River recreation; Satisfaction     

Diffusion of US army chemical weapons disposal technologies: public perception of technology attributes

This study was conducted to identify factors that influence individuals' acceptance of environmental management technologies for cleaning up hazardous materials. The study sample consisted of approximately 2600 residents living within emergency response zones surrounding eight US Army's Chemical Weapons Stockpile sites. The findings suggest that residents perceive clear differences between the desirable characteristics of the two technologies: incineration and neutralization. In a relative comparison, the majority of positive technological attributes were associated with incineration. Positive perceptions toward incineration were associated with individuals who trust the Army, who perceive that the media have made them more trusting of weapons disposal activities, who are ready to participate, and who are male. Unlike incineration, there was insufficient evidence that individual factors influence variations in perceptions toward neutralization. No community factor was related to perceptions toward either incineration or neutralization.     

Environmental planning and management: The need for an integrative perspective

Effective integration and implementation of environmental policies is directly related to the effectiveness of environmental management. Developing more effective environmental policy and programs requires coordinating the many factors related to environmental quality. The purpose of this paper is to point out the differences in perceptions and attributes of two operating groups in society: the technologists and the ecologists. Furthermore, an attempt is made to explain the need for effective environmental management and to suggest that only when such a role is fully institutionalized will decision makers have the impetus to take both the present and the future into consideration. Only by developing an understanding of the tools used by all groups working in the environmental arena will the environmental manager be able to provide both short- and longrange perspectives. By using these perspectives, the environmental manager will be able to mold environmental factors into operational policies and objectives.In conclusion, the systems analysis approach presented is the set of tools that can be used by the environmental manager to aid in bringing the two points of view closer together. The technologist, as well as the ecologist, will be required to work within a management system to more effectively and accurately define states of nature and assess alternatives in terms of primary, secondary, and higher-order consequences over both the short and long term.     

The Environmental Pollution Perception of Residents in Coal Mining Areas: A Case Study in the Hancheng Mine Area, Shaanxi Province, China

The environmental behavior of the residents depends on their perception of environmental pollution. Hence, it is important for scientific and policy experts to research on the impact of the environmental pollution perception of local residents. Owing to the richness of natural resources, Hancheng coal mine areas are abound in heavy industries, and environmental pollution is serious and typical in this area, thus, the residents are anxious about their health. Using questionnaires, this paper surveys the perception of residents living in the coal mine area. The influential factors of environmental perception were analyzed by the Rank Sum Test. The results were: (1) the majority of the residents in the coal mine area are not satisfied with their living environment. The perception order of pollution severity is: air pollution?>?noise pollution?>?sanitation?>?water pollution. The residents think that pollution is mainly caused by coal processing. Hence, coal mining is not the main reason of the pollution in the coal mine area. (2) Age and length of residence have significant positive effects on perceptions of air, water, and noise pollutions; whereas education has a significant negative effect on perceptions of water and noise pollutions, as well as sanitation. This phenomenon can be explained by the various cultural groups having varied perceptions on the environmental pollution. In addition, proximity to mine has significant negative effect on perceptions of water and noise pollution. In conclusion, the paper discusses the effects of demographical and social factors on the perception of environmental pollution and gives suggestions on the planning and management of the environment.     

People,protected areas and ecosystem services: a qualitative and quantitative analysis of local people's perception and preferences in Côte d'Ivoire

The long‐term integrity of protected areas (PAs), and hence the maintenance of related ecosystem services (ES), are dependent on the support of local people. In the present study, local people's perceptions of ecosystem services from PAs and factors that govern local preferences for PAs are assessed. Fourteen study villages were randomly selected from three different protected forest areas and one control site along the southern coast of Côte d'Ivoire. Data was collected through a mixed‐method approach, including qualitative semi‐structured interviews and a household survey based on hypothetical choice scenarios. Local people's perceptions of ecosystem service provision was decrypted through qualitative content analysis, while the relation between people's preferences and potential factors that affect preferences were analyzed through multinomial models. This study shows that rural villagers do perceive a number of different ecosystem services as benefits from PAs in Côte d'Ivoire. The results based on quantitative data also suggest that local preferences for PAs and related ecosystem services are driven by PAs' management rules, age, and people's dependence on natural resources.