Objectives To identify and analyze the individual, interpersonal, community, and environmental factors associated with active commuting to school (ACS) among Spanish adolescents, and to examine the contribution of correlates from multiple ecological domains to ACS. Methods A total of 307 Spanish adolescents (14.4 ± 0.6 years) participated. Data on potential correlates of ACS were collected using validated questionnaires (individual and interpersonal levels), school and city information (community level), and GIS-based indicators and MAPS-Global audits (environmental level). Binary logistic regression models were conducted separately for each ecological level, followed by a multivariable model including all significant factors. Results At the individual level, ownership of two or more motorized vehicles, identified motivation, and perceived environmental/safety barriers were associated with lower odds of ACS, whereas independent mobility, perceived competence for ACS, and integrated motivation were associated with higher odds. At the interpersonal level, parental barriers were associated with lower odds of ACS, whereas greater perceived proximity to destinations was associated with higher odds of ACS. At the community level, attending high-SES schools reduced the odds of ACS compared with low-SES schools. Environmentally, shorter home-school distance, greater leisure-time PA opportunities around the school, and higher aesthetic and social quality of the home neighborhood were significant correlates. In the final multivariable model, ACS was positively associated with perceived competence, integrated motivation, aesthetic and social quality, and higher active transport score around the home, whereas motorized vehicle ownership, identified motivation, perceived environmental/safety barriers, destinations and land use score, higher home-school distance, and higher grand score for leisure PA for home were negatively associated. Conclusion ACS among Spanish adolescents was associated with multiple individual and environmental correlates.
This study examines the influence of facilitation preference on the desirability of four volunteering benefits: feeling useful, positive social interactions, helping others, and having an enjoyable experience. The moderating effects of brand strength on the proposed relationships are also examined. Data were collected (N = 490) from an online survey panel and analyzed using PLS-SEM. The results indicate that facilitation preference has a positive influence on all four desired benefits of volunteering, confirming its relevance for volunteer recruitment. The results also confirm the negative moderating role of brand strength, weakening the proposed relationships between facilitation preference and the relative desirability of two benefits, feeling useful and positive social interactions. We propose that by increasing the organization's brand strength, individuals' reliance on social reassurance associated with facilitation preference is attenuated. Practical implications, limitations and recommendations for future research are discussed.
Mountain ecosystems are susceptible to climate change, and alpine treeline ecotones (ATEs) represent one of the significant responsive indicators of climate-driven environmental change. This study examines long-term spatiotemporal dynamics of the ATE across the Eastern Slopes of the Canadian Rocky Mountains (ESCR) from 1984 to 2023, with the objective of assessing whether regional climate warming has influenced ATE extent and elevation across different aspects and watersheds. Multi-decadal Landsat imagery, ERA5-Land temperature data, and topographic variables were integrated within a Google Earth Engine (GEE) framework to map ATEs using the Alpine Treeline Ecotone Index (ATEI), a probabilistic approach designed to capture transitional vegetation zones. Temporal trends were evaluated using non-parametric statistics, correlation analyses, and watershed- and aspect-based comparisons. Results indicate that the total alpine treeline ecotone (ATE) area in the ESCR was approximately 13.3% larger in 2023 than in 1984. However, the temporal evolution of ATE extent and elevation was non-monotonic, and linear trend analyses did not detect statistically significant increasing or decreasing trends over the full study period. ATE elevation and expansion exhibited pronounced spatial heterogeneity, with greater changes occurring on north- and northwest-facing slopes and within selected watersheds. In contrast, summer (July-September) temperatures increased significantly (+2.84 degrees C), exceeding global land-only warming rates, and vegetation greenness (NDVI) showed a strong, statistically significant positive relationship with temperature. These findings show that while climate warming has clearly increased vegetation productivity, elevational ATE dynamics remain spatially heterogeneous and temporally non-synchronous with summer temperature trends.
Cause-related marketing (CrM) involves partnerships between companies and charities to support social causes. Although CrM can provide important benefits to charities, identifying appropriate partners remains challenging. Prior research indicates that company - cause fit enhances CrM effectiveness. Unfortunately, fit has been conceptualized inconsistently within the literature. In this research, we develop an integrative model of fit in CrM that organizes commonly examined fit forms along two orthogonal dimensions: commonality and valence. Using an online laboratory experiment (N = 513), we show that fit can be conceptualized in four broad categories - negative, neutral, low-positive, and high-positive. Within these four fit categories, we situate specific fit subtypes identified in the literature. Results demonstrate that these fit subtypes differentially influence consumer attitudes toward the partnership and purchase intentions for associated products and services. Theoretical and practical implications for CrM research and partnership selection are discussed.
Abstract The effectiveness of conservation areas often depends on the extent to which local people support their implementation. We used mixed methods to assess and contextualize people’s conservation attitudes in a village surrounded by a wildlife corridor and three distinct types of conservation areas in the Tarangire ecosystem of northern Tanzania: a national park, a wildlife management area (WMA), and a multiple-use ranch. Our study employed questionnaire surveys (n = 89) and in-depth interviews (n = 20) to illuminate people’s views. We analyzed the survey data using ordinal logistic regressions to assess demographic factors influencing attitudes and used a grounded theory qualitative approach to analyze the interview data. Across all four areas men held significantly more negative attitudes than women. Participants with formal education were generally more positive towards the national park and respondents with larger farms and livestock holdings held more negative attitudes towards the ranch. Ethnicity was a significant predictor of attitudes towards the WMA. Qualitatively, we found that village residents were primarily concerned with the impacts of conservation on their livelihoods: areas associated with seasonal livestock grazing were favourably received, while those seen to undermine tenure security and increase human-wildlife interactions on village land were viewed in a negative light. While acknowledging the importance of conservation governance and institutional dynamics, we conclude that direct effects on people’s livelihoods and material well-being are perhaps the most important policy-actionable factors affecting people’s attitudes towards conservation areas in this social-political-ecological context.
