Community Acceptance Research Articles

Effective communication by health care workers to promote HPV vaccination: Lessons learned from Kenya, India, and Nigeria

Health care workers play an essential role in maintaining the public trust in vaccination programmes globally, and more specifically, in low- and middle-income countries. This role is particularly important in building trust in the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine. While there are many factors that affect HPV vaccine acceptance, health care workers are one of the most critical influences in the decision-making process among parents as well as adolescent girls. In this paper, we sought to better understand how health care workers in a diverse set of countries communicate and promote HPV vaccines. We summarize communication approaches and lessons learned by health care workers in Kenya, India, and Nigeria through a case study approach. In Kenya, the utilization of a multisectoral approach proved to be very important. In India, intense social mobilization with targeted messaging by target audience laid the groundwork for community acceptance. An evolving communication strategy was essential in Nigeria, where there is no national HPV vaccination programme. Given the increase in vaccine hesitancy globally, the lessons learned through these three country examples highlight the importance of communication efforts in increasing vaccine acceptance.

National goal, local resistance: How institutional gaps hinder local renewable energy development in Taiwan

In most countries, energy transitions are well supported by the public; however, the implementation of renewable energy policies at the local level is often beset with resistance. Previous research has mainly focused on factors influencing community acceptance and strategies to improve social acceptance. Meanwhile, there has been limited analysis of the institutional gaps that lead to local resistance and the dynamic effects of institutional factors on renewable energy implementation at the local level. This paper thus investigates Taiwan's regulations for renewable energy development, presenting a detailed case study from a local context. It examines the factors contributing to local resistance to the implementation of national renewable energy policy targets and explores the dynamics of these resistance actions. Furthermore, through the lens of multi-level governance, the study reveals the institutional gaps and interactions that influence the execution of national policy at the local level. Six major institutional gaps in Taiwan's renewable energy governance were identified, including the lack of energy governance authorizations for local governments, a lack of superordinate site selection criteria and evaluation mechanisms for development zones, lack of governance systems that can address multiple issues, lack of scientific and academic information, lack of information disclosure and public participation mechanisms, and the burden of carbon reduction responsibilities and costs on local communities with few or no benefits. Compounded together, these six institutional gaps lead to the buildup of negative experiences interacting with the government and the renewable energy industry and feelings of worry, panic, distrust, and injustice among the local populace. These ultimately trigger resistance attitudes and the adoption of protest actions, hindering solar farm developments from reaching national policy targets. This study highlights the critical role of multi-level governance in facilitating the energy transition, emphasizing that the successful development of renewable energy requires a robust institutional framework. Such a framework is essential for addressing the complex governance challenges that arise during this transition, particularly aspects supporting local engagement. The six institutional gaps identified from the Taiwan case can serve as policy references for countries or cities intending to promote ground-mounted solar power.

Drones and Technopreneurship in Malaysia: Unlocking the Economic Potential of Drones in Built Environment Development

Drones, with diverse technological capabilities, are poised to revolutionise various traditional tasks, particularly in-built environment development while driving economic growth, innovation, and job creation. Within the Malaysian context, drones have evolved beyond recreational use to become sophisticated unmanned aerial vehicles with untapped business potential. Against this backdrop, this paper explores a comprehensive review of drone development in Malaysia. Using a multidisciplinary approach, the review includes selected publication data from academic journals and online media published between 2018 and 2023, complemented with insights gathered from expert interviews. Aiming to bridge the discursive gap surrounding emerging drone technologies, the review focuses on identifying patterns and trends in recent Malaysian publications on drone applications, as well as understanding current issues related to its technology adoption. The thematic findings reveal a notable surge in interest in drone-related publications and draw clear connections between drone applications and diverse industrial sectors over the past six years. The paper emphasises critical issues such as community acceptance, the transforming landscape of business, diverse industry applications of drone technology, and government strategies for advancing drone technology. As a preliminary study, this paper establishes the foundation for leveraging the benefits of drone technology within the broader context of the built environment, social, and economic landscape. By shedding light on the evolving drone ecosystem in Malaysia, the paper contributes to fostering informed discussions and strategic initiatives in the integration and advancement of drone technologies. Thus, it offers valuable insights for professionals, economists, engineers, policymakers, and researchers alike.

Investigation of Community Engagement in Sustainable Construction Projects: Case Studies from Nigeria

This study investigates the role of community engagement in sustainable construction projects in Nigeria, focusing on three case studies: a green residential building in Lagos, an eco-friendly community center in Abuja, and a sustainable water infrastructure project in rural Kano. Using a mixed-methods approach, data were collected through interviews, surveys, and document analysis. The research identifies significant variations in engagement practices, with Lagos showing high engagement levels, leading to greater community acceptance and better environmental outcomes. Key success factors include strong leadership, adequate funding, and effective communication, while challenges such as socio-cultural barriers and political interference were noted. The findings emphasize the importance of sustained, tailored engagement strategies to enhance project sustainability and community support. This study contributes to the literature by providing empirical data on the long-term impacts of community engagement, offering insights for policy makers and project managers to improve community participation in sustainable construction.

Kajian Potensi Lanskap Desa Kamal Kecamatan Arjasa Kabupaten Jember untuk Pengembangan Wisata Sejarah Berbasis Masyarakat

Jember is one of the regencies located in East Java. Jember seeks to explore new tourism potentials that have not been widely developed, including in the field of historical and cultural tourism. This potential can be found in Kamal Village, Arjasa Sub-district. The purpose of this study was to assess the landscape potential of Kamal Village as an initial analysis of the development of a community-based historical tourism area. The analysis used includes land suitability analysis, historical analysis, thermal humidity index analysis, and community acceptability analysis. Based on the results of the analysis, the general condition of Kamal Village has the potential to be developed as a tourist area. Kamal Village has cultural heritage objects in the form of kenong stones, dolmen stones, menhir stones, lumpang stones, direction stones, and slate stones. All of these cultural heritage sites are quite feasible in terms of their historical value. There are two arts and cultures in Kamal Village that can be used as additional tourist attractions in the form of the Kadisah Ritual and Ta'Butaan. Regarding community acceptability, 100% of villagers agreed with the development of the area as a tourist destination. A total of 86.67% are very willing to play an active role in tourism. Therefore, Kamal Village has high potential to be developed as a community based historical tourism area.

PhD students’ acceptance of the university teaching community’s cultural norms and by the teaching community: a phenomenographic study

ABSTRACT One of the aims of PhD students’ socialisation is for them to accept the norms of the teaching culture and to be fully engaged with and accepted by the university teaching community. However, when PhD students enter universities, they do not necessarily accept all of the university teaching community’s cultural norms, nor do they all experience acceptance by the community. This phenomenographic study aims to develop an understanding of the variation across PhD students’ lived experiences of their acceptance by the teaching community, and their acceptance of the university teaching community’s cultural norms. Twenty-five Estonian doctoral students participated in the study. The study identified three qualitatively different ways in which PhD students experienced acceptance of the teaching culture and acceptance into the teaching community. These were: as equal partners, as knocking against boundaries and as being on the margins.

Participatory multi-criteria decision making for optimal siting of multipurpose artificial reservoirs

Water resources management is a crucial activity due to climate change concerns and increasing water scarcity. The increase of water storage by building new artificial reservoirs is one of the most common solutions to fulfill the community’s needs for potable water, energy, irrigation, and prevention of flood risk. The siting of the reservoirs is usually assessed based on topographical and hydrological considerations. However, there are additional crucial factors, often disregarded in common engineering top-down design approaches, that should be considered to determine suitable locations, such as bio-physical, socio-economic, regulatory, and environmental factors, especially where there are competing interests in the use of territory. Involving the communities in the initial stages of the decision-making process is therefore crucial. In this work, we present a methodology, based on multi-criteria decision-making analysis (MCDA), for identifying the optimal locations for new reservoirs while simultaneously addressing all the aforementioned factors through community engagement. The presented method aims at overcoming two major challenges in existing works, i.e., retrieving quantitative information from the participatory approach and going beyond standard hydro-morphological suitability of a dam site. In a first step, an algorithm assesses a large number of sites using a Digital Elevation Model (DEM). Then, MCDA is conducted to rank all potential locations. The selection criteria are defined quantitatively, based on a territorial analysis combined with hydrological modelling. The criteria include: geometric and morphological aspects (reservoir volume, etc.), hydrological indicators (water balance, potential flood mitigation), anthropization (population, infrastructures, etc.), landscape, archaeological heritage, ecology, environmental components and natural hazards. A web-based survey tool based on the pairwise comparison is developed to engage the community in the decision-making process, allowing them to express their perspectives on the relative significance of each criterion. The application of this methodology is demonstrated through a case study in the Pesa river watershed, Italy, showcasing its effectiveness in identifying the most suitable reservoir locations while targeting the highest environmental preservation and community acceptance. The results show that sole engineering criteria might not reflect the sensibility of the community and that variations of the size of the dam can lead to distinct trade-offs between costs and benefits where interference with impact elements occurs.

Rainbow within and beyond: A qualitative study on the experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender staff nurses in the Philippine hospital settings.

An individual's sexual orientation plays a fundamental role in their self-identity, relationships, and health. Years have shown both progressive and regressive responses to the LGBT community's social acceptance, particularly observable in various areas. Yet existing literature overlooks the Filipino healthcare settings, particularly with lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) staff nurses. Exploring their perspectives and experiences, whether challenges or successes, is crucial for gaining insights into occupational matters, workplace dynamics, and policy development. The research aimed to explore the lived experiences of LGBT staff nurses in the hospital settings. Husserl's Transcendental Phenomenology research design was utilized in this study. Participants included LGBT staff nurses with at least a year of experience at any hospital department. Individualized unstructured interviews were conducted with three participants interviewed face-to-face and five through online video conferencing platforms from March to April 2024. All interviews were transcribed, coded, themed, and analyzed using Colaizzi's approach. Data saturation was achieved with eight participants. Seven themes emerged, including: Recognizing Gender Stereotypes, Optimizing Nursing Care, Yearning for Acceptance, Generating Meaningful Relationships, Battling Heteronormative Gender Norms, Inspiring Potentials beyond Gender and Profession, and Valuing the Progress of LGBT Inclusivity. The study revealed that LGBT staff nurses had multifaceted experiences with patients, colleagues, and superiors in the hospital settings as their workplace. They faced gender stereotyping and battled against limits on expression but fought to defend their authentic identities. They built relationships with colleagues and strived to be defined beyond societal perceptions. As they yearn for amplified LGBT acceptance in the workplace and society, they expressed gratitude for progress towards acceptance of the LGBT community.

Moringa Leaf Cookies: A Nutritious Snack to Prevent Stunting in Sawocangkring Village

Stunting is a global health issue that significantly impacts the growth and development of children, particularly in regions facing nutritional deficiencies. In Sawocangkring Village, there is a pressing need for innovative nutritional interventions. This study aims to utilize moringa leaves in the production of cookies as a nutritious snack solution to combat stunting. The community service program was designed with distinct stages, including preparation, implementation, and evaluation, employing observation techniques to assess community engagement. The activity centered on developing moringa leaf cookies while monitoring the community's acceptance of the product. The findings indicate that these cookies not only enhance the nutritional value of snacks but are also positively received by the local population. The novelty of this initiative lies in integrating moringa leaves into a familiar food product, thereby promoting both health benefits and local agricultural resources. The implications of this program suggest that the sustainable production of moringa leaf cookies could serve as a viable livelihood strategy for the community, while also contributing to the broader effort of reducing stunting through improved nutrition. Highlights: Moringa leaf cookies enhance nutritional value, addressing stunting in children. The community service program involved preparation, implementation, and evaluation stages, fostering local engagement. Positive community acceptance suggests potential for sustainable production as a livelihood strategy. Keywords: Stunting, moringa leaves, cookies, nutrition, community service.

Value for solidarity: a proxy for community understanding and acceptance of the basic principles of community-based health insurance in rural Ethiopia

BackgroundSolidarity is an aspect of human association that gives emphasis to the cohesive social bond that holds a group together and is valued and understood by all members of the group. A lack of understanding of the solidarity principle is one of the main reasons for low population coverage in microhealth insurance schemes. This study aimed to examine the extent to which people value solidarity and the factors that explain the differences.MethodsA community-based cross-sectional study was carried out in two districts of northeast Ethiopia among 1232 randomly selected households which have ever been registered in a community-based health insurance scheme. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with household heads using a standardized questionnaire deployed to an electronic data collection platform. Solidarity was measured using three dimensions: income solidarity, risk solidarity, and cost coverage. Principal component analysis was used to construct composite variables, and the reliability of the tools was checked using Cronbach’s alpha. A multivariable analysis was performed using the partial proportional odds model to determine the associations between variables. The degree of association was assessed using the odds ratio, and statistical significance was determined at 95% confidence interval.ResultsThree-quarters (75%) of the respondents rated risk solidarity as high, while 70% and 63% rated income solidarity and cost coverage as high, respectively. Place of residence (AOR = 2.23; 95% CI: 1.68, 2.94), wealth index (AOR = 1.51; 95% CI: 1.07, 2.12), self-rated health status (AOR = 1.64; 95% CI: 1.12, 2.40), trust in insurance schemes (AOR = 1.68; 95% CI: 1.22, 2.30), perceived quality of care (AOR = 1.75; 95% CI: 1.33, 2.31) and frequency of outpatient visits (AOR = 2.05; 95% CI: 1.30, 3.24) were significant predictors of value for solidarity.ConclusionsThe community placed greater value for solidarity, indicating community understanding and acceptance of the core principles of microhealth insurance. Administrators of the insurance scheme, health authorities, and other actors should strive to create a transparent management system and improve access to high-quality health care, which will facilitate community acceptance of the insurance scheme and its guiding principles.

The effect of megaproject external social responsibility on community acceptance: the mediating role of public trust

PurposeBy extending corporate social responsibility research to a megaproject context, the purpose of this study is to examine the effect of megaproject external social responsibility (SR) on community acceptance through the mediating role of public trust.Design/methodology/approachDrawing from legitimacy theory as well as corporate social responsibility literature, this study developed hypotheses linking the constructs of SR, (public) trust and community acceptance of a megaproject. Thereby, a household survey questionnaire was administered to collect data from randomly selected 328 households in the local community who reside near the construction site of a mega hydropower project in Ethiopia. Guided by structural equation modelling, Smart Partial Least Squares4 (SmartPLS4) was utilized to analyze the data.FindingsThe empirical findings show that community-targeted SR has a significant positive effect on community acceptance of a megaproject, whereas the direct effect of natural environment-targeted SR on community acceptance was found to be non-significant. More importantly, the study reveals that trust in the contractor of the megaproject mediates the relationships between a megaproject SR (fully in the case of the natural environment and partially for community-targeted responsibility) and community acceptance.Originality/valueThe present study contributes to legitimacy theory by illustrating the consequences of megaproject external SR in terms of trust and community acceptance, an issue which has not received adequate attention in the project management literature.

Trend of RTS,S vaccine uptake in the malaria vaccine implementing programme (MVIP) pilot regions, Ghana; 2019–2022

IntroductionThe uptake trend of a new vaccine is unpredictable and may reflect the quality of introduction process and community acceptance. The objective of this study was to conduct a trend analysis of RTS,S malaria vaccine uptake in the seven pilot regions of Ghana from 2019 to 2022. The findings are envisaged to strengthen malaria vaccine introductions in the future. MethodsA retrospective analysis was conducted on routine childhood immunisation data for 2019–2022. Coverages for the first (RTS,S1), second (RTS,S2), third (RTS,S3) and fourth (RTS,S4) doses of malaria vaccine; third dose of diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis-containing vaccine (DTP3/Penta3); first dose measles-rubella (MR1) and second dose measles-rubella (MR2) vaccines were calculated. Dropout rates and uptake gaps were estimated to assess variations in the uptake of consecutive RTS,S schedules; and the differences in the uptake of RTS,S and the comparator vaccines, respectively. ResultsNationally, the coverages of the first three doses of the RTS,S malaria vaccine rose sharply from 2019 (RTS,S1 = 54.9 %; RTS,S2 = 54.6 %; RTS,S3 = 38.6 %) through 2020 (RTS,S1 = 70.7 %; RTS,S2 = 67.4 %; RTS,S3 = 66.3 %) to peaks in 2021 (RTS,S1 = 76.0 %; RTS,S2 = 73.1 %; RTS,S3 = 74.2 %), and declined marginally in 2022 (RTS,S1 = 74.0 %; RTS,S2 = 69.9 %; RTS,S3 = 71.3 %). For the fourth dose, the low uptake in 2020 (7.5 %) was followed by a steep rise in 2021 (46.9 %) that continued, but at a reduced rate to 50.6% in 2022. The dropout rates and uptake gaps were initially high but declined consistently over the study period. Generally, the trends in vaccination coverages, and dropout rates and uptake gaps at the national level were reflected in the respective regions. ConclusionThe coverage of RTS,S malaria vaccine improved consistently over the study period despite the low uptake in the early phase of the pilot. While the decreasing dropout rates and uptake gaps may indicate improved community acceptance, strengthening immunisation service delivery is crucial in sustaining the observed trajectory.

Factors informing funding of health services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children: perspectives of decision-makers.

Background The factors informing decisions to fund health services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children are unclear. This study's objective aimed to describe decision-makers' perspectives on factors informing decisions to fund health services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. Methods We conducted semi-structured interviews with 13 participants experienced in making funding decisions at organisational, state, territory and national levels. Decision-makers were from New South Wales, Northern Territory, Queensland, Victoria and Western Australia. Transcripts were analysed thematically following the principles of grounded theory. Results We identified five themes, each with subthemes. First, prioritising engagement for authentic partnerships (opportunities to build relationships and mutual understanding, co-design and co-evaluation for implementation). Second, valuing participant experiences to secure receptiveness (cultivating culturally safe environments to facilitate acceptability, empowering for self-determination and sustainability, strengthening connectedness and collaboration for holistic care, restoring confidence and generational trust through long-term commitments). Third, comprehensive approaches to promote health and wellbeing (linking impacts to developmental milestones, maintaining access to health care, broadening conceptualisations of child health). Fourth, threats to optimal service delivery (fractured and outdated technology systems amplify data access difficulties, failure to 'truly listen' fuelling redundant policy, rigid funding models undermining innovation). Fifth, navigating political and ideological hurdles to advance community priorities (negotiating politicians' willingness to support community-driven objectives, pressure to satisfy economic and policy considerations, countering entrenched hesitancy to community-controlled governance). Conclusion Decision-makers viewed participation, engagement, trust, empowerment and community acceptance as important indicators of service performance. This study highlights factors that influence decisions to fund health services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children.

Media representation of recovery colleges in Australia: a content analysis

ABSTRACT Background: Recovery Colleges (RCs) are educational hubs that offer a distinct approach to mental health and wellbeing, fostering inclusive learning opportunities. This study aimed to investigate Australian media representations of RCs and discusses how these representations may influence overall community awareness and acceptance of RCs. Methods: Australian online and print news articles on RCs were identified using key words and extracted from two databases: (i) Google News and (ii) Factiva. Content analysis was used to summarise key characteristics of media articles and framing theory informed the identification of news frames. Results: Twenty–three news articles were included. Most were published in local or regional news outlets. Mental health was mentioned in most articles (n = 22), with the majority contextualising RCs as an alternative approach to mental health and recovery through education and participation. The sentiment in the articles was positive, however deficit language was still evident. Human interest and responsibility framing was common. Conclusion: Media coverage highlighted a role for RCs in promoting mental wellbeing through education and participation. However, key elements of their functioning, such as co–production or the role of people with lived experience were less visible. Greater engagement with media outlets to increase awareness and understanding of the individual and community benefits of RCs are needed.

Security Officials’ Perspectives on Reintegration Challenges for Former Al-Shabaab Foreign Terrorist Fighters in Kenya

ABSTRACT This paper situates the perspectives of selected Kenyan security officials on the reintegration challenges for former foreign terrorist fighters (FTFs) (returnees) affiliated with the AlShabaab. The study reflects on the amnesty intervention program that was launched by the government in 2015 to rehabilitate AlShabaab returnees. This is a situation not unique to Kenya. Since the rise of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (post-2015), the dilemma became what states and, more principally, how western nations that had the bulk of foreign fighters would react upon their return from conflict theatres. In the Kenyan context, the rationale at the time was an unconditional surrender and consequently rehabilitation interventions to reintegrate these individuals into society. The Al-Shabaab is an insurgent group based in Somalia that has contributed to insecurity in the Horn of Africa region. This study, relying on a securitization theory lens, reflects on qualitative fieldwork insights with select government security officials in Kenya’s Mombasa and Nairobi Counties. The study probes how these officials frame the security threat that FTFs pose to Kenya, and indeed the region, and consequently their perspectives of reintegration challenges. The study findings present three major frames. The first is their framing of returnees as security threats. The second is their framing of returnees as hampered by legal/policy gaps. The third is their framing around gaps in community acceptance. The findings contribute to the literature on reintegration and offer lucid insights into how such programmatic interventions can be adapted for peacebuilding practice. The findings may be applied in the realm of contextual best practices on what works and does not in reintegration initiatives.

Toward Memory-Efficient Analog Design Using Precomputed Lookup Tables

Analog design productivity remains a challenge in the digitally driven semiconductor chip design field. Knowledge-based and simulation-based analog automation approaches have not achieved widespread acceptance in the analog design community. Systematic analog design using precomputed lookup tables (LUTs) is a promising approach that can address the design productivity challenge. Although modern computing systems have powerful memory capabilities, which make the LUT approach viable, reducing the memory footprint of the LUTs remains a challenge. A memory-efficient design technique using LUTs is proposed by using an incomplete grid in the MOSFET degrees-of-freedom (DoFs) space. An efficient indexing technique for the incomplete grid is also proposed, using a precomputed offset array in various scenarios, such as two-sided constraints and three-dimensional LUTs. The results show that the proposed technique can achieve up to a 67% reduction in memory footprint, in addition to improving LUT generation time and query performance.

Community engagement enhances undergraduate civil engineering capstone design projects

Abstract Over the past several decades numerous studies have shown the value of community engagement in global water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) programs. Engaging and collaborating with communities through the design process enables wider community acceptance and ownership of WASH interventions, ensures a more functional and impactful design, and opens the door for co-benefits of these systems. Accounting for a range of dimensions within a community is critical to creating WASH designs that provide the most benefits. Undergraduate engineering curriculums focus on design, but often do not explicitly account for the social, environmental, and economic elements that affect the success, efficacy, and sustainability of a design. There is increasing emphasis on educating engineers on sustainability and systems thinking so they are equipped to solve complex, multidisciplinary problems. To understand how social, environmental, and economic elements fit into engineering design and how to create sustainable WASH interventions, undergraduate engineering students benefit from participating in WASH design projects that engage and collaborate with communities. This perspective highlights the value of community engagement with partners in Uganda in teaching water resources and environmental engineering design to undergraduate civil engineering students.

Enhancing Urban Climate Resistance Through the Application of Selected Strategies and Technologies

Adapting cities for climate resilience is crucial as climate change increases the frequency and severity of extreme weather events. This study outlines a comprehensive set of resilience strategies aimed at enhancing urban resilience across four key domains: water, food, shelter, and energy. These strategies, applicable to both new and existing neighborhoods, range from simple, short-term measures to complex, long-term initiatives. A three-pronged evaluation framework, consisting of three platforms, is introduced to assess these strategies where criteria are initially selected based on their impact on strategy adoption and implementation. This framework employs hypothetical scores and weights that can be adjusted for specific urban contexts through detailed studies. Key outcomes of the evaluation conducted in the first platform include a systematic method to rank strategies based on six criteria: cost, infrastructure impact, scalability, regulatory and zoning challenges, community acceptance, and maintenance needs. For example, community gardens and rainwater harvesting systems are highly scalable and accepted, whereas green roofs require more investment and maintenance. The second and third platform of the framework facilitate the identification of strategies that enhance resilience across each of the resilience domains, as well as across several domains. The results highlight the top-performing strategies under different weighted scenarios. Strategies like green roofs strategy scores high in domains like water management, due to its capacity to absorb and manage stormwater, and energy, by providing natural insulation that reduces heating and cooling demands. Additionally, green roofs contribute to food production when utilized for urban agriculture and enhance shelter by improving building durability and increasing biodiversity This data-driven framework supports the strategic prioritization of resilience strategies, enhancing urban planning and investment decisions globally. Its modularity ensures adaptability to diverse urban settings and climatic issues.

Uncovering pathways towards sustainable transportation: Investigating factors influencing societal acceptance of end-of-life vehicle management in Indonesia.

Addressing the critical environmental challenge of end-of-life vehicle (ELV) management in Indonesia's transportation industry, this study investigates the complex interplay between societal factors and technical adoption. We use a comprehensive survey and path analysis to investigate the relationships between demographic characteristics (gender, age, income and education) and ELV acceptance, revealing complex preferences and concerns across several population groups. Comparative analyses with previous research reveal gender-specific inequities and age-related problems, emphasizing the importance of customized measures. Our findings indicate that environmental concerns exhibit a significant positive relationship with community acceptance (path coefficient = 0.426, p < 0.001). Moreover, technological familiarity (path coefficient = 0.352, p < 0.001) and infrastructure availability (path coefficient = 0.518, p < 0.001) demonstrate noteworthy positive associations, emphasizing the role of knowledge and accessible infrastructure in promoting acceptance. Conversely, the cost of adoption exhibits a negative relationship with societal acceptance (path coefficient = -0.269, p < 0.001), suggesting potential challenges that must be addressed. Mediation analysis uncovers the mediating roles of information exposure, perceived safety, as well as convenience and accessibility. Total effects analysis validates the collective influence of crucial factors while acknowledging the potential hindrance posed by the cost of adoption. Our findings contribute to inclusive policies and initiatives for sustainable ELV practices, offering insights to address a critical environmental issue in Indonesia. Although acknowledging limitations in scope and methodology, our research advances the discourse on sustainable transportation transitions and guides strategies to promote responsible ELV management in pursuing a greener and more socially equitable future.

Human-animal contact to inform zoonotic disease risk across gradients of agricultural land use change in the Central River Region (CRR) of The Gambia (ZooContact): a formative study.

Pilot studies are important initial steps in research, providing a preliminary assessment of the practicality, feasibility, and potential challenges of a proposed study. This study attempts to assess the feasibility, practicality, and acceptability of a study that integrates a human-animal contact (HAC) questionnaire, animal biodiversity survey using acoustic analysis, and zoonotic disease investigation in animals among rural households in the Central River Region (CRR) of The Gambia. The pilot study revealed granular insights that would otherwise go unnoticed, providing vital information that directly guided the design and implementation of the subsequent full-scale study on zoonotic disease risk. A pilot study was conducted in five villages in the CRR of The Gambia. Community sensitization was carried out together with the village leadership, followed by a familiarization tour of the study setting. Questionnaire-based interview was conducted among participants (n = 50) randomly selected to assess the acceptability and reliability of the questionnaire. The feasibility and acceptability of biodiversity surveys and animal sampling were assessed using verbal inquiries from participants and community leaders. The recruitment rate was 96%, and most participants, 50 out of 52, were willing to participate without compensation for lost time during interviews. For animal sampling, 45 out of 50 participants were willing to allow the study team to sample blood and feces from their animals without any form of incentive. All five village heads agreed to the usage of sound recorders to be placed within their community for animal biodiversity assessment. For the survey effort, one field assistant interviewed 25 participants per week. It took a total of 1 h to complete an interview, including random household selection, consenting, and questionnaire interview. The pilot study confirmed the feasibility of the research and informed the design of the larger study. Key parameters, such as community access, acceptability, recruitment success, and logistical requirements, contributed to robust sample size calculations and realistic project cost estimates. Additionally, the study enabled the research team to familiarize themselves with the communities and refine the methods for the full study.