Safety Behavior Research Articles

Experiences of Anxiety During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Avoidance and self-isolation are often adapted as safety behaviours to manage social anxiety. However, such safety behaviours were actively encouraged throughout the COVID-19 outbreak to reduce the spread of infection. This study aims to explore the impact of pandemic-related social isolation among anxious and non-anxious university students. Participants were screened using the Generalised Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire (GAD-7) and allocated to anxious and non-anxious groups based on their scores. Fifteen participants (9 female and 6 male) were interviewed remotely (mean age=28.6). The study found that whilst social anxiety and anxiety about pandemic related socialising co-occurred, there were no distinct differences between the two groups. Instead, intragroup difference (the impact of COVID-19, adaptability, and self-development) differentiated participants’ experiences. An increased desire for human connection, online communication, and the perspective of others were protective factors against the development of social anxiety related to pandemic lockdown for participants, regardless of their group. This research develops the field in understanding early pandemic experiences and its link to social distancing and isolation practices.

Determinants of university students' safety behavior during a pandemic

After the government allowed onsite classes in the Philippines, strict COVID-19 protocols were implemented in educational institutions as a precautionary measure. This research investigated the safety behavior of students to determine areas of weaknesses and identify suitable interventions in the event of another pandemic. The influence of safety belief, fear of COVID-19, perceived behavioral control, and social impact on the safety behavior of university students was explored using structural equation modeling. Data were gathered from students who attended onsite classes during the pandemic from October to November 2022. A total of 422 students from 19 schools and universities in the Philippines participated. Participants experienced a moderate level of anxiousness thinking about COVID-19 but were generally not worried about getting infected. The feeling of control in adhering to safety measures inside the campus is primarily low, especially wearing face masks and practicing hand hygiene. However, despite this feeling of low control, the participants exhibited positive safety behavior, especially in wearing face masks and/or face shields and practicing proper hand hygiene. A sense of control over safety actions favorably translates into actual safe behavior. Belief significantly influences behavioral control, and confidence in safety practices brings self-efficacy. Anxiety and worry about COVID-19 infection have a relatively strong effect on safety behavior. This study's findings would help policymakers develop safety guidelines to ensure the safety and well-being of the university population. In addition, this would help school authorities to create suitable interventions to ensure students follow safety protocols.

단위학교 소방안전교육 인식도 분석 및 개선방안 연구

This study analyzed the perception of fire safety education methods, satisfaction, consciousness, and behavior as the risk of fire increases due to the high-rise nature, complexity, and undergroundization of new schools and the aging of older school buildings. Based on the analysis, this study proposes improvement measures such as effective fire safety education methods, support measures, and curriculum organization. Differences in perception and needs between faculty and staff were first analyzed based on data of selfawareness of fire safety education conducted for school faculty and staff in the Sejong City Office of Education. As a result, remote training was the highest in the fire safety education method, and satisfaction was in the order of teachers, administrative staff, and educational assistants. In addition, the degree of change in fire safety awareness of faculty and staff was found in the order of teachers, administrative staff, and educational assistants. The degree of change in fire safety behavior was also in the order of teachers, administrative staff, and educational assistants, and an overall low awareness was found. By analyzing these needs, the following improvement measures are suggested. First, fire safety education should be conducted based on practice and experience from the perspective of an activist curriculum to enhance the ability to respond to actual incidents involving fire safety. Second, by linking fire safety education with the seven areas of school safety education, self-directed response ability can be enhanced from the perspective of a constructivist curriculum. Third, a plan is proposed to design and operate a fire safety curriculum by specializing in fire safety education according to the role of faculty members such as teachers and administrative staff.

RESEARCH ON THE INFLUENCE MECHANISM OF INCLUSIVE LEADERSHIP ON EMPLOYEES’ SILENT BEHAVIOR

According to the social theory of exchange, we look into how inclusive leadership affects employees' quiet behavior. We also look into how psychological safety, power distance orientation, and active personality play a part in these relationships. The structural equation model analysis of 343 data obtained from three tracking surveys found that: inclusive leaders have a significant negative effect on employee silent behavior; inclusive leadership has a significant positive impact on employees' psychological security; there is a significant negative relationship between psychological security and employees' silent behavior; and psychological security plays an intermediary role between inclusive leadership and employees' silent behavior. The power distance orientation of employees has a negative regulatory effect on the relationship between inclusive leaders and their psychological safety. In other words, employees with a high power-distance orientation experience a weakened positive impact from inclusive leadership on their psychological safety. For employees with a low power-distance orientation, inclusive leadership has a more significant positive impact on employees' psychological safety. The proactive personality of an employee can strengthen the connection between psychological safety and silent behavior. This means that employees with high initiative will experience a greater negative impact from psychological security on silent behavior, while those with low initiative will experience a less significant negative impact.

Қызметкерлерді ынталандыру арқылы қауіпсіз еңбек жағдайын жасау

The main idea of the article is the creation of safe working conditions at the enterprise with the help of labor motivation. In the modern system of occupational risk management in production, the importance of encouraging the safe behavior of an employee is increasing. The article studies the problems of labor motivation among employees working in hazardous production facilities. The reasons for non-compliance with the basics of safety regulations are considered. The result of this article is the development of recommendations for improving safe working conditions at especially hazardous production facilities.

Implementasi Satuan Pendidikan Aman Bencana terhadap Kesiapsiagaan Bencana Gempa Bumi pada Siswa

This research aims to determine whether increased knowledge and changes in disaster preparedness behavior can be formed properly through a comprehensive education process that has a long and sustainable impact. The effectiveness of the learning approach through the disaster curriculum method in schools can optimize educational outcomes from the disaster preparedness curriculum. The method used in this research is cross sectional with a total percentage of 67%, then Quasi-Experiment 27% and Experiment 6%. The results of the research show that the influence of the Disaster Safe Education Unit Program on Disaster Preparedness Education can be seen from the results of the analysis of studies in Indonesia showing that Disaster safety education unit education significantly increases students' knowledge, attitudes and actions in dealing with earthquakes and that this program can certainly increase students' knowledge, metacognitive awareness, safety behavior and general well-being regarding earthquakes. The overall conclusion of this research is that the Disaster Safe Education Unit program has had a significant positive impact on students' preparedness for earthquakes. Keywords: Earthquake Disaster Disaster Preparedness, Students, Disaster Safe Education

Intolerance of uncertainty predicts indecisiveness and safety behavior in real-life decision making: Results from an experience sampling study

In decision making, intolerance of uncertainty (IU) may be linked to safety behavior, which could ironically maintain IU and, thus, foster indecisiveness. In a smartphone-based experience sampling study, 247 participants described their real-life decisions six times per day and rated (a) their situational indecisiveness, (b) decision characteristics, (c) situational IU, and (d) problematic safety behaviors. Participants higher in dispositional IU reported more indecisiveness and engaged in more problematic safety behavior across measurements. The same relationships were observed with situational IU at the level of individual measurements. Engaging in more problematic safety behaviors during the first days predicted indecisiveness on the last day, mediated by IU. The results demonstrate the real-life relevance of the relationship between IU, indecisiveness, and safety behavior.

Sun protection in outdoor workers - Development and validation of standardized questionnaires for behavior and knowledge.

Outdoor workers are at increased risk of developing non-melanoma skin cancer. We aimed to address the lack of validated German-language measurement instruments for outdoor workers' sun safety behavior and knowledge by compiling and validating two questionnaires. By expert consensus, items for the assessment of protective behavior (OccuSun) were compiled based on existing instruments. For knowledge, a translation of the Skin Cancer and Sun Knowledge (SCSK) scale was selected. After a pre-test, a validation study including 68 outdoor workers (62% female) was conducted in 2020. The retest reliability was r = 0.93 (95% confidence interval: 0.86-0.96) for the protection score and rs = 0.78 (0.67-0.86) for the knowledge score. Protective behaviors were correlated with respective diary data (0.38≤rs≤0.74, p<0.001) and skin pigmentation changes (-0.23 ≥ rs ≥ -0.42, 0.007≤p≤0.165) but not with self-reported sunburn frequency (0.21 ≥ rs ≥ -0.04). Among German outdoor workers, two questionnaires for the assessment of sun protection behavior (OccuSun) and knowledge (SCSK) demonstrated good reliability. The OccuSun had generally good validity. Both instruments are fit for subsequent validation to determine their sensitivity to change.

Socio-demographic, agricultural, and personal protective factors in relation to health literacy among farmers from all regions of Thailand.

Farmers are vulnerable to adverse health effects from pesticide exposure due to their health literacy (HL). Therefore, this study aims to investigate HL among farmers in four main regions of Thailand, investigating socio-demographics, agricultural, and personal protective factors to their HL. This cross-sectional design study was conducted on 4,035 farmers from January to July 2023. The European Health Literacy Survey Questionnaire-47 items were used to measure HL. Thai farmers had a mean HL score of 34.7 ± 8.7, and the farmers in the North region of Thailand had the highest frequency of limited HL (75.8%). Socio-demographic factors that were associated with HL included gender, region of living, marital status, education level, co-morbidity, and number of family members. Agricultural factors associated with HL included planting status, working hours on farm, spraying pesticides, harvesting crops, pesticide use of >1 type, access information from government officers, access information from posters/brochures, information from online multimedia, and access information from neighbors. Personal protective factors that were associated with HL included wearing a hat, goggles, a rubber apron, and a long-sleeved shirt. Our study recommends that strategies and interventions to enhance the HL of farmers should be focused on the target populations, which include men, widows, or divorced, those with low levels of education, those who have co-morbidities, and those who applied pesticides of more than 1 type and improper personal protective equipment (PPE) use. The primary emphasis needs to be on the North region of Thailand, making that the target area to improve health equity in Thailand. These efforts would enhance the HL of farmers and sustainably improve pesticide safety behavior. Additionally, there is an urgent need for supportive measures aimed at altering on-farm practices and promoting education on alternative pest management strategies, particularly non-chemical crop protection, to ensure sustainable agriculture.

Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Community Pharmacy Services on Rational Medication Use in Elderly Patients with Hypertension and Diabetes

Objective: To explore the effect of community pharmacy services on rational medication use in elderly patients with hypertension and diabetes. Methods: Between November 2022 and December 2023, 80 elderly patients with hypertension and diabetes were selected and randomly divided into a control group (routine medication guidance) and an observation group (community pharmacy services), with 40 subjects each. The medication effect scores, blood pressure, blood sugar levels, and quality of life scores before and after intervention were compared between the two groups. Results: Comparison of pharmaceutical knowledge, medication compliance, and safe medication behavior scores showed that the observation group had higher scores as compared to the control group (P &lt; 0.05); blood pressure (systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, heart rate) and blood sugar (fasting blood glucose, 2 h postprandial blood glucose, glycated hemoglobin) index levels were compared, and the observation group’s index levels were lower than those of the control group (P &lt; 0.05); the scores of physical health, mental health, social relationships, and environment in the observation group were higher than those in the control group (P &lt; 0.05). Conclusion: Community pharmacy services improved the rational medication effect of elderly patients with hypertension and diabetes, and improved their blood pressure, blood sugar control levels, and quality of life.

Data-Driven Discovery of Design Specifications (Student Abstract)

Ensuring a machine learning model’s trustworthiness is crucial to prevent potential harm. One way to foster trust is through the formal verification of the model’s adherence to essential design requirements. However, this approach relies on well-defined, application-domain-centric criteria with which to test the model, and such specifications may be cumbersome to collect in practice. We propose a data-driven approach for creating specifications to evaluate a trained model effectively. Implementing this framework allows us to prove that the model will exhibit safe behavior while minimizing the false-positive prediction rate. This strategy enhances predictive accuracy and safety, providing deeper insight into the model’s strengths and weaknesses, and promotes trust through a systematic approach.

Towards Safe Policy Learning under Partial Identifiability: A Causal Approach

Learning personalized treatment policies is a formative challenge in many real-world applications, including in healthcare, econometrics, artificial intelligence. However, the effectiveness of candidate policies is not always identifiable, i.e., it is not uniquely computable from the combination of the available data and assumptions about the generating mechanisms. This paper studies policy learning from data collected in various non-identifiable settings, i.e., (1) observational studies with unobserved confounding; (2) randomized experiments with partial observability; and (3) their combinations. We derive sharp, closed-formed bounds from observational and experimental data over the conditional treatment effects. Based on these novel bounds, we further characterize the problem of safe policy learning and develop an algorithm that trains a policy from data guaranteed to achieve, at least, the performance of the baseline policy currently deployed. Finally, we validate our proposed algorithm on synthetic data and a large clinical trial, demonstrating that it guarantees safe behaviors and robust performance.

Inclusive Sexual Education: Integrating Gender Approaches in Learning

The importance of integrating gender approaches into inclusive sexuality education is prominent in creating a safe, supportive educational environment as well as providing a holistic understanding of sexual and gender issues. This study aims to investigate the positive impact of integrating gender approaches in inclusive sexuality education on individual knowledge of gender issues, gender awareness and sexual behavior. The library research method is the main framework to explain the theoretical foundations and previous findings in this area, identify potential research gaps, and formulate a solid framework for this topic. The results showed that sex education that pays attention to gender issues has a positive impact on increasing understanding of gender roles in relationships and sexuality, reducing negative gender stereotypes, and creating an inclusive learning environment. In addition, gender awareness plays an important role in shaping attitudes that are supportive of gender diversity and sexual orientation, which in turn promotes healthy sexual behavior and open communication in relationships. Evaluating the effectiveness of sex education programs that incorporate gender issues has also proven to be very important in improving the quality of such programs. Inclusive and gender-sensitive sexuality education thus serves not only to increase understanding but also as a tool for building a more inclusive society, respecting gender diversity and promoting safe and healthy sexual behavior.

Boundary-aware value function generation for safe stochastic motion planning

Navigation safety is critical for many autonomous systems such as self-driving vehicles in an urban environment. It requires an explicit consideration of boundary constraints that describe the borders of any infeasible, non-navigable, or unsafe regions. We propose a principled boundary-aware safe stochastic planning framework with promising results. Our method generates a value function that can strictly distinguish the state values between free (safe) and non-navigable (boundary) spaces in the continuous state, naturally leading to a safe boundary-aware policy. At the core of our solution lies a seamless integration of finite elements and kernel-based functions, where the finite elements allow us to characterize safety-critical states’ borders accurately, and the kernel-based function speeds up computation for the non-safety-critical states. The proposed method was evaluated through extensive simulations and demonstrated safe navigation behaviors in mobile navigation tasks. Additionally, we demonstrate that our approach can maneuver safely and efficiently in cluttered real-world environments using a ground vehicle with strong external disturbances, such as navigating on a slippery floor and against external human intervention.

Sex upbringing and sexual education in Ukraine: to study the non-existent for creating the real

The article raises the problem of sex upbringing and sexual education in Ukraine. The current state of the implementation of sex education is considered: the absence of a specialized course, the mosaic inclusion of certain (not all) issues in the content of compulsory subjects of school education. The meaningful content of domestic training programs was studied, and a conclusion was drawn about their complete inconsistency with the modern requirements of social trends for the formation of safe and responsible sexual behavior in young people. The successful experience of the development and implementation of sex upbringing and sexual education in the countries of the European Union and the USA is analyzed, and the normative documents of the European Union that regulate this issue and which can become prototypes for the creation of a domestic system of sex education and sex education in Ukraine are given. The role of parents is emphasized; a conclusion about the need for cooperation of state institutions in the aspect of political will regarding the creation and implementation of the system of sex education and sexual education of youth in Ukraine, and the family and upbringing and educational institutions — as the main institutions that have a direct influence on all aspects of psychosexual development and socialization of the child was made. A general conclusion about the need to create and implement sex upbringing and sexual education into the school curriculum as one of the important steps towards a full-fledged European future of Ukraine was made. Key words: sex upbringing, sexual education, young people, safe responsible sexual behavior, sexuality

Формування культури безпеки майбутніх фахівців з цифрових технологій як наукова проблема

The article examines the current problem of forming a safety culture of future specialists in digital technologies studying in technical institutions of higher education. An analysis of the conceptual and categorical apparatus of the study was carried out, in particular the terms: computer literacy, cyber literacy, Internet literacy, electronic literacy, information literacy, digital literacy, cyber safety. The latter term has been used by Western scholars who consider it in the context of the use of digital technologies and computers. Therefore, they understand cyber security as the formation of safe behavior in the online environment, based on the responsible use of the Internet and mobile technologies, as well as implemented measures that counteract possible risks. The use of the concept of digital literacy is proposed, as it includes not only the ability to use computer technologies, but also the ability to analyze information in the online environment, taking into account social, cultural, political and educational aspects in one's professional activity.&#x0D; The results obtained as a result of the analysis of psychological-pedagogical and methodical literature on the problem of forming a culture of safety in professional activity indicate that, despite certain achievements, this direction has not received conceptual clarity. Currently, even the term "safety culture of professional activity" does not have a scientifically based definition. Theoretical searches indicate the need to clarify its content and structure. In particular, for digital professionals, understanding and implementing a security culture becomes an integral part of their professional development. This involves not only technical skills, but also a deep understanding and internal adaptation of values and approaches that contribute to ensuring cyber security in the modern digital environment on the one hand, and on the other hand - compliance with the requirements for the organization of work in the process of professional activity.

Driverless metros are coming, but what about the drivers? A study on AI-related anxiety and safety performance

The application of automatic train operation (ATO) systems in rail transit gradually replaces manual labor, greatly impacting metro drivers’ daily work. Building on the cognitive appraisal theory of stress and the socially embedded model of thriving at work, this study explored how drivers’ perception of ATO systems would affect their safety behavior within the workplace, in other words, the psychological and behavioral costs of drivers’ AI-related anxiety. Specifically, we analyzed whether job insecurity and thriving at work would mediate the association between AI-related anxiety and safety performance. We also examined the potential attenuating effects of Human Resource (HR) system strength on AI-related anxiety’s impact on job insecurity, thriving at work, and safety performance. We gathered 364 sets of paired data from Chinese metro drivers and their direct supervisors based on a time-lagged design. Moderated serial mediation analyses revealed that AI-related anxiety exerted a significant serial indirect impact on safety performance via job insecurity and thriving at work. Additionally, we found conditional serial indirect effects of AI-related anxiety on safety performance as a function of drivers’ perceptions of HR system strength. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed for a scholarly and practical understanding of dealing with AI-related anxiety. Metro organizations were recommended to place more emphasis on the HR process to mitigate the costs of drivers’ AI-related anxiety.

Impact of challenge and hindrance job stressors on informal safety communication of construction workers in China: the moderating role of co-worker relationship

PurposeJob stressors have a considerable influence on workplace safety behaviors. However, the findings from previous studies regarding the effect of different types of job stressors have been contradictory. This is attributable to, among other factors, the effectiveness of job stressors varying with occupations and contexts. This study examines the effects of challenge and hindrance stressors on construction workers' informal safety communication at different levels of coworker relationships.Design/methodology/approachA three-dimensional framework of informal safety communication is adopted, including self-needed, citizenship and participatory safety communication. Stepwise regression analysis is then performed using questionnaire survey data collected from 293 construction workers in the Chinese construction industry.FindingsThe results demonstrate that both challenge and hindrance stressors are negatively associated with self-needed and citizenship safety communication, whereas their relationships with participatory safety communication are not significant. Meanwhile, the mitigation effects of the coworker relationship (represented by trustworthiness and accessibility) on the above negative impacts vary with the communication forms. Higher trustworthiness and accessibility enable workers faced with challenge stressors to actively manage these challenges and engage in self-needed safety communication. Similarly, trustworthiness promotes workers' involvement in self-needed and citizenship safety communication in the face of hindrance stressors, but accessibility is only effective in facilitating self-needed safety communication.Originality/valueBy introducing the job demands-resources theory and distinguishing informal safety communication into three categories, this study explains the negative effects of challenge and hindrance job stressors in complex and variable construction contexts and provides additional clues to the current inconsistent findings regarding this framework. The diverse roles of challenge and hindrance job stressors also present strong evidence for the need to differentiate between the types of informal safe communication.

Unique and interactive effects of emotion regulation difficulties and perceived stress on COVID-19 traumatic stress, anxiety, and safety behavior use: A four-year prospective study

Given that emotion regulation difficulties confer risk for poor responses to stress, they may predict who is at risk for adverse psychological reactions to major, chronic stressors such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Specific adverse reactions to the pandemic may include more severe traumatic stress, anxiety, and excessive safety behavior use (i.e., hand washing). While emotion regulation difficulties may be a diathesis for adverse reactions to chronic stressors, the context(s) by which they may confer elevated risk is unclear. Accordingly, the present longitudinal study examined the interaction between pre-pandemic emotion regulation difficulties and early pandemic perceived stress in predicting subsequent COVID-related traumatic stress, anxiety, and safety behavior use over 32 weeks of the pandemic. Community adults (N = 145) who completed a measure of emotion regulation in 2016 as part of a larger study were recontacted at the start of the pandemic (March 2020) and assessed every two weeks for 32 weeks. Consistent with a diathesis-stress model, the interaction between difficulties in emotion regulation and perceived stress was significant in predicting COVID-19 anxiety (p = 0.003, d = 0.52) such that at high, but not low, levels of perceived stress, difficulties in emotion regulation in 2016 significantly predicted higher COVID-19 anxiety in 2020. The interaction between difficulties in emotion regulation in 2016 and perceived stress early in 2020 approached significance in predicting COVID-19 traumatic stress (p = 0.073, d = 0.31) and safety behavior use (p = 0.069, d = 0.31). These findings highlight that current perceived stress is an important context that potentiates the effects of preexisting emotion regulation difficulties on the emergence of anxiety-related symptoms during COVID-19, which has important implications for diathesis-stress models of adverse reactions to chronic stressors.

Research on the evolutionary game of safety behavior of EPC consortium members based on prospect theory

ABSTRACT In recent years, the consortium, composed of the design enterprise, construction enterprise, and supplier, has witnessed rapid development in implementing the EPC project model in China. However, there are conflicts of interest and ambiguous safety management among EPC consortium members, leading to accidents. This study aims to explore the decision-making process regarding different safety behavior strategies among EPC consortium members. Given the uncertainty of the EPC project environment, consortium members show risk preferences and perceptual biases. Prospect theory reveals the irrational elements in the decision-making process. Therefore, this study incorporates prospect theory, constructs a safety behavior perception payoff matrix and an evolutionary game model involving design enterprise, construction enterprise, and supplier as the primary stakeholders, analyzes the interactive mechanisms of safety behavior among the three parties, and uses MATLAB simulation to explain the evolutionary path of behavioral strategies under varying parameters. The consequence indicates that the optimal strategy’s stable state in the safety behavior evolution system of EPC consortium members is affected by the players’ cognitive biases and risk preferences, and the costs of safety input, punishment intensity, and accident losses. This study mainly provides theoretical evidence and decision support for safety control activities among EPC consortium members.