The study investigates the extent to which human capital and production factors (physical capital and total factor productivity) contribute to economic growth in Ho Chi Minh City (HCM City) from 2011 to 2023, using an extended Cobb - Douglas production function. The findings reveal that physical capital contributes an average of 67.10% to GRDP growth, labor (representing human capital) accounts for 18.27%, and total factor productivity (TFP) averages 14.63%, serving as a critical “shock absorber” during periods of uncertainty. Notably, TFP exhibits significant volatility, underscoring the pivotal role of knowledge and innovation in crises. To sustain growth, HCM City should improve the quality of the labor force, align human resource development policies with investment promotion strategies, encourage research and the development of business incubators, integrate social and economic policies, and transition to a growth model based on knowledge, technology, and innovation.
Extended Abstract
Background: The inadequacy of the supply of agricultural inputs with the demand for various products of this sector reveals the need for the optimal use of resources and increasing productivity. In this regard, addressing the issue of productivity in rice production is very important due to its essential role in feeding different sections of society, providing food security, reducing dependence on imports and foreign exchange, strengthening trade interactions with other countries, generating income, creating employment, creating balance in the business and capital market, and many other issues. In 2022, Mazandaran Province produced 1.6 million tons of paddy as a strategic product, responsible for 44.47% of Iran's paddy production, and in this sense, it has been ranked first in the country. This province has long been known as the hub of rice production, and this user product, having about 76% of Mazandaran's irrigated crop area, has always made an important contribution to the province's employment. For this purpose, the present study aimed to identify factors affecting the prosperity of the rice production business in Mazandaran Province, focusing on measuring the inefficiency of various production inputs, especially the labor force.
Methods: Three institutional, managerial, and policy-market criteria effective in the prosperity of rice production business were extracted in this study. The input criterion includes all production factors affecting the productivity of this product, which includes eight subcriteria as water, labor, land, fertilizer, poison, machinery, capital, and seed. The management criterion is all management actions by relevant organizations and bodies (Jahad Keshavarzi, Regional Water, Room of Commerce), which includes six regulatory, executive, organizational, service, and innovation options. The political-market criterion also covered the macro-government policies that can affect the productivity of rice, and there are six financial, economic, structural, commercial, marketing, and strategic development options. Thus, 19 effective options in the productivity of rice production were considered in this study. In this study, factors affecting the productivity of this product were exracted and prioritized using the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) method, measuring the production efficiency of important cultivars of this product (high-quality rice and high-yielding rice) using the data envelopment analysis method (DEA), and then examining productivity changes over time using the Malmquist Index (MI). The data needed for identifying and prioritizing factors in this research were collected by designing a questionnaire, which was completed based on the opinions of 18 experts, including those from the Agricultural Jihad Organization of Mazandaran Province and Sari City, as well as the academic community. The statistics and information of the Agricultural Jahad Organization of the province were used to complete the data in measuring the productivity of production and efficiency of inputs.
Results: The results indicate that among the eight production factors, water, mechanization, and land are the most important input factors in rice production with weights of 0.36, 0.2, and 0.14, respectively. Among the five management factors, benefiting from the opinions of agricultural experts, implementing the optimal cultivation pattern of crops according to the climatic conditions and the status of water resources in the province, and using new technologies in agricultural operations with weights of 0.40, 0.25, and 0.14, respectively, were known as three important and superior factors for the management of rice production business. In addition, the financial, economic options, and improvement of the structure of the rice product marketing system were determined with the weights of 0.30, 0.22, and 0.19, respectively, as three policy-market subcriteria affecting the rice productivity of this province. Based on the findings in the agricultural year of 2017-2018 in the east of this province, Qaemshahr City, the land, machinary, poison, and fertilizer inputs were inefficient at 52.68%, 48.26%, 34.37%, and 33.16%, respectively. In 2018, the inefficiency rates in the use of land, labor, and poison inputs were 71.36%, 15.09%, and 4.46%, respectively. In the production of high-yielding rice in the east of the province, there has been inefficiency in the use of land, machinary, seed, water, and fertilizer inputs. Accordingly, Behshahr City acted inefficiently in consuming the mentioned inputs by 68.29, 52.60, 16.65, 12.63, and 7.55%, respectively. In 1998, the cities of Behshahr and Neka acted inefficiently in the consumption of all the investigated inputs, except for machinery. The percentages of inefficiency in the labor input are 16.14 and 42.07%, respectively. In addition, the productivity growth index values of Malmquist in the production of high-quality rice and high-yielding rice are 1.155 and 1.094, respectively. Hence, it can be concluded that the production productivity of this product has increased in this province.
Conclusion: The results indicate that the productivity of different rice varieties has increased during the studied period. In the case of high-yielding rice, however, the technical efficiency of producers in newer technology is lower than in older technology. Therefore, it is necessary for trustee organizations and knowledge-based companies to invest in the research, innovation, and promotion of new technology in training to use this technology. In this study, "water" has been determined as the most important input affecting the productivity of this product; therefore, it is recommended to take necessary measures to promote water storage and reduce its consumption. It is also suggested to provide financial support to rice farmers and the development of knowledge-based companies to provide new irrigation systems. Referring to the results of this study, the use of "machinery" is considered the second most effective factor in increasing productivity. In addition to reducing the cost of manpower and saving time, the uniformity and accuracy of the work are increased with mechanized cultivation, and seedlings are exposed to less damage. However, this issue does not mean to ignore the role and importance of the workforce in the production and elimination of job opportunities. Rather, it is recommended to train skilled and specialized human resources to benefit from mechanization for the long-term stability of the rice production business and stable rural employment.
Mehdi Mirzaei-Alavijeh, Kiomars Sharafi, Mojtaba Haeidari-Chegeni
et al.
The lack of people's involvement in recycling and separating household waste is a major factor contributing to the ongoing rise in waste production globally. This study aimed to identify the key psychological and social factors that influence Waste Separation Behaviors (WSB) among Iranian households. The RANAS (Risks, Attitudes, Norms, Abilities, and Self-regulation) approach was utilized for this purpose. In Kermanshah, a city in western Iran, a total of 1504 households were invited to participate in this cross-sectional study. Out of these, 1374 households agreed to take part. To gather data, a written questionnaire was used to assess demographic characteristics, factors of the RANAS model, and domestic solid WSB at the source. The mean age of the participant was 40.74 [SD: 9.51] years. Gender (women) (Beta = 0.136), educational level (Beta = 0.100), family economic status (Beta = 0.142), housewife (Beta = 0.150), attitude (Beta = 0.324), Perceived Behavior Control (PBC) (Beta = 0.103), and commitment (Beta = 0.193) had significant effects on WSB at the source among the Iranian households. Collectively, the variables accounted for 34 % of the variation in WSB at the source, F = 31.520, P < 0.001. Our findings indicate that the level of WSB at the source was low in western Iran. These results serve as a warning to environmental policy makers and health planners in Iran, highlighting the need for the development and implementation of educational planning. These findings also emphasize the importance of educational programs that focus on increasing attitude, commitment, and PBC. Development of recycling and separating household waste promotion campaigns focusing on disadvantaged households could have an important role in increasing recycling and separating household waste.
To evaluate the carbon emissions and carbon reduction potential of heat-resistant conductors, this study divides their life cycle into four stages: manufacturing, transportation and installation, operation, and end-of-life recycling. The sources of carbon emissions at each stage are analyzed in depth, and a carbon emission calculation model is established using the carbon emission factor method. Carbon reduction amount, carbon reduction cost, and marginal abatement cost are selected as key evaluation indicators for assessing the carbon reduction performance of heat-resistant conductors relative to conventional conductors. A 110 kV transmission line in Beihai City, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, is used as a case study to examine the impact of different factors on carbon reduction effectiveness. The results indicate that heat-resistant conductors not only demonstrate superior carbon reduction performance but also deliver promising economic benefits. Therefore, they possess significant potential for large-scale application and promotion, which will support China’s efforts to achieve its “dual-carbon” goals of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality.
A low-carbon society aims to achieve sustainable social development through innovative technologies and mechanisms, promoting low-carbon economic models and lifestyles. In light of China’s commitment to achieving carbon neutrality and transitioning to a low-carbon society, it is crucial to control waste generation at its source, as the waste management sector is highly polluting and contributes substantially to carbon emissions. Adopting the 3R (reduce, reuse, and recycle) approach, reducing the quantity of waste is the priority in waste management. Therefore, exploring rural residents’ willingness to adopt the “pay as you throw” (PAYT) policy in underdeveloped mountainous areas and the factors influencing this willingness is highly valuable. This paper adopts the Contingent Valuation Method (CVM) with a face-to-face questionnaire survey, involving 1429 farmers from six cities around the underdeveloped mountainous area in Northwestern China. It measures their willingness to pay (WTP) and preferred payment levels for the PAYT policy. Based on the theory of planned behavior, the paper finds that farmers’ environmental knowledge, environmental awareness and social trust positively influence their WTP, while farmers’ perception of pollution and daily waste disposal do not significantly impact their WTP. Additionally, social trust negatively moderates the relationship between environmental knowledge and WTP. This paper provides empirical results that can support the implementation of a nationwide waste fee management system and the promotion of volume-based waste fee management. It also offers targeted suggestions for the government to establish PAYT and improve the efficiency of rural household waste management in rural China.
Las transformaciones acontecidas a partir de la segunda mitad del siglo XX, impactaron en la apropiación y práctica turística. Como resultado, se asiste a un proceso de diversificación de atractivos y destinos, sumado a la creciente valorización del paisaje, la naturaleza, la tranquilidad y la vida saludable. En este marco, en Argentina se expanden y consolidan proyectos termales, al tiempo que surgen y se multiplican nuevas propuestas. El presente artículo tiene por objetivo analizar la coordinación entre actores multiescalares (públicos, privados y colectivos) que traccionan a Tapalqué como destino turístico termal, seleccionando un recorte temporal desde el año 2005 hasta 2023. Para ello, se adoptó un abordaje exploratorio cuali-cuantitativo a través del empleo de la revisión documental y la implementación de técnicas de observación directa, entrevistas a residentes, y encuestas a actuales y antiguos residentes. La información recabada permite inferir la existencia de procesos de coordinación entre actores, que podrían favorecer el desarrollo de procesos de gobernanza a escala local en el largo plazo.
Recreation leadership. Administration of recreation services, The city as an economic factor. City promotion
Revealing the characteristics of the spatial and temporal evolution of regional tourism-related ecological security and exploring its driving factors are of great theoretical and practical value to promoting the coordinated and sustainable development of the tourism economy and the ecological environment. Taking the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region as a case study, this study constructed a tourism-related ecological security evaluation index system based on the DPSIR theoretical framework. The tourism-related ecological security index was measured from 2011 to 2022 and its spatiotemporal characteristics and dynamic evolutionary process were analyzed. Finally, the panel quantile regression model was used to analyze its driving factors. The results show that: (1) in time, the average value of tourism-related ecological security fluctuates and rises, and the differences between the units show a convergent trend, which is mainly manifested in the catching-up effect from low-value cities to higher-value cities; (2) in space, Beijing and its southeastern cities have a high level of tourism-related ecological security, and although the study area is mainly at the less secure level, it is developing continuously and progressively; (3) in terms of the dynamic evolution characteristics, the type transfer of tourism-related ecological security has certain “path dependence” and “self-locking” effects, often occurring between neighboring levels, and the type transfer under the influence of different neighborhoods has significant differences; (4) in terms of driving factors, environmental pollution has a significant inhibitory effect on the level of tourism-related ecological security, and the level of economic development has the largest positive marginal effect on tourism-related ecological security, while other influencing factors such as the level of tourism development have certain differences in terms of their positive role in the promotion of the level of tourism-related ecological security. This study can provide a reference for decisionmakers to promote ecological protection and high-quality tourism development in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region.
David Gómez Zárate, Carlos Alberto Santamaría Velasco
El artículo analiza la percepción del territorio entre agentes clave del campo turístico local para indagar cómo incide en el abordaje del turismo en Ameca, Jalisco, municipio al occidente de México marcado por la migración, cuyo potencial turístico plantea una alternativa para su desarrollo socioeconómico. La metodología utilizada es fenomenológica, recurriendo a la entrevista semiestructurada y el análisis interpretativo para profundizar en la percepción de los participantes, complementada de etnografía y análisis documental para contextualizar el lugar. Los resultados indican que, al interiorizar componentes socioeconómicos y culturales que afectan sus experiencias en el territorio, los agentes forman una imagen del lugar que puede ser condicionante al desarrollo turístico, orientando sus disposiciones en un sentido negativo a pesar de cualquier potencialidad, así mismo, a través de su percepción pueden encontrarse estrategias endógenas correctivas
Recreation leadership. Administration of recreation services, The city as an economic factor. City promotion
Marina Zanfardini, Mara Alejandra Jalil, Andrea Gutauskas
El presente artículo explora, desde la perspectiva de género, cómo las dinámicas territoriales virtualizadas se desarrollan en el mercado del trabajo de la actividad turística, tomando como unidad de análisis a las/los profesionales del sector que se desempeñan en la Norpatagonia Argentina.
La adopción de las herramientas digitales constituye un reto para las organizaciones turísticas lo que podría afectar, a nivel individual, el desarrollo profesional de las mujeres, tanto a sus posibilidades de ingreso como de permanencia en sus empleos.
La aproximación al estudio de este tema se realiza a través del concepto de “Doble Brecha de Género” ya que, no sólo pueden existir inequidades respecto a los niveles jerárquicos que podrían ocupar las mujeres en las organizaciones, sino que también por sus habilidades digitales.
Basado en una investigación exploratoria, los resultados obtenidos son alentadores para las mujeres profesionales turísticas de la Norpatagonia, en cuanto a su posición jerárquica dentro de este tipo de organizaciones. Sin embargo, para poder sostener estos puestos deben contar con mayores niveles formativos. Los hallazgos ofrecen un insumo para el desarrollo de políticas de inserción de las mujeres en el mercado del trabajo del sector turístico.
Recreation leadership. Administration of recreation services, The city as an economic factor. City promotion
Firoza Haffejee, Jennifer Ducray, Jyotika Basdav
et al.
ABSTRACTSouth Africa is the epicentre of the HIV pandemic. Although there have been health promotion education campaigns to reduce HIV incidence, these have not achieved the desired outcomes. When exploring the effectiveness of these campaigns, it is useful not only to examine HIV knowledge, but also to explore the relationship between that knowledge and health-related behaviour. This study aimed to determine the (1) level of knowledge of HIV prevention, (2) relationship between the level of knowledge and the adoption of these behaviours and (3) barriers to sexual behaviour change of vulnerable women in Durban’s city centre, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. A mixed methods approach was used to collect information from a marginalised population of women (n = 109) attending a non-governmental organisation, which provides for the needs of people from low socio-economic strata. Data were collected during September 2018 at a wellness day programme at the centre. A total of 109 women, over the age of 18 years answered the questionnaire. Knowledge of HIV transmission was high, with majority of participants correctly identifying modes of transmission. Almost all the participants (91.2%) had been tested for HIV, with 68.8% tested a minimum of three times. Despite this, sexual risk behaviour was high. Despite the high level of knowledge of HIV transmission, there was no relationship between HIV knowledge and adoption of behaviours for the prevention of HIV transmission (p = .457). However, bivariate analysis showed an association between transactional sex and living in informal housing (OR = 31.94, 95% CI: 5.65–180.63, p < .001). Living in informal housing was also associated with having multiple current sexual partners (OR = 6.30, 95% CI: 1.39–28.42, p = .02). Multivariate analysis, after adjusting for all other factors, indicated that the odds of having transactional sex was increased by 23 times in those who did not have formal housing (OR = 23.306, 95% CI: 3.97–144.59, p = .001). Qualitative responses showed that women perceived poverty as the overarching factor determining the lifestyle choices which impacted their health. They indicated a need for employment opportunities and provision of housing to alleviate both poverty as well as transactional sex. Although, participants from this study understood the benefits of the protective behaviours to prevent HIV transmission, economic and social factors do not afford this vulnerable group the opportunity nor the motivation to adopt such behaviours. In the current climate of increasing unemployment and escalating GBV, urgent interventions are needed in terms of employment opportunities and empowerment drives to prevent an increase in HIV transmission.
Ludwin Estrada Ramirez, Paula Viveros Moreno, Arianna del Ángel Pacheco May
et al.
El sector turístico fue duramente afectado por la pandemia del coronavirus (COVID-19) durante los dos últimos años, causando repentinamente su caída debido a la prohibición de realizar viajes a los sitios turísticos de todo el mundo. El turismo comunitario que se desarrolla en el sureste del estado de Campeche se da principalmente en el municipio de Candelaria, debido a sus zonas vastas de vegetación, flora, fauna silvestre y endémica, así como mantos acuíferos que son atractivos para el turista, el objetivo de la investigación fue analizar el impacto económico debido al confinamiento ocasionado por la pandemia en los sitios ecoturísticos del municipio mediante la observación, cuestionario y entrevistas previamente validadas mediante el coeficiente alfa de Cronbach con valor satisfactorio de 0.80, los resultados fueron analizados mediante el programa IBM Statics, indicando que los ingresos a partir del mes de abril del 2020 tiene una caída estrepitosa la cual los ingresos de cada sitio ecoturístico mantuvo un panorama catastrófico de 11 meses, la pérdida de empleos del 89% y la falta de apoyo por parte del gobierno estatal generó una desestabilización económica en las familias que dependían de esta actividad turística durante y después del periodo crítico de la pandemia.
Recreation leadership. Administration of recreation services, The city as an economic factor. City promotion
Background Family physicians play a key role in responding to the growing demand for primary healthcare due to aging. The work attitude of family physician team members (FPTMs) impacts their work efficiency and quality. Knowing how satisfied they are with their jobs can help identify potential directions and entry points for incentives. The purpose of this study is to analyze the job satisfaction status and influencing factors of grassroots health service personnel after the implementation of the family physician contract system in China. Methods The study conducted a cross-sectional survey with 570 FPTMs in three prefecture-level cities in the Shandong Province. Satisfaction was measured using 30 items across seven dimensions. Responses were recorded on a 5-point Likert scale. Descriptive statistical analysis was used to analyze the general information and satisfaction of FPTMs. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to analyze the factors influencing job satisfaction. Results The overall job satisfaction among FPTMs was not high. Among the seven dimensions, interpersonal relationships had the highest satisfaction (4.10 ± 0.78), while workload had the lowest satisfaction (3.08 ± 0.56). The satisfaction levels of the three sample regions were different, and the results were opposite to their regional economic development levels. The results of the multifactor analysis showed that gender, income level, educational background, working years, daily working hours, number of training sessions per year and the proportion of performance pay had significant impact on overall job satisfaction. Conclusions The development of a family physician contract system has increased the workload of FPTMs. In addition to the implementation of the new policy, attention should be paid to the workload and working attitude of family physicians. The fundamental measures should focus on attracting more personnel to work at the grassroots level by accelerating education and training to solve the problem of insufficient health personnel at the grassroots level. Simultaneously, attention should be paid to the improvement of the medical staff's salary level and the need for self-promotion, such as training.
Abstract A socio-economic study was conducted in district Mardan of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province of Pakistan to get a comprehensive knowledge of the agroforestry tree species grown on the farmlands, their yield, and carbon stock. For yield and carbon stock estimation, data were collected from 59 sample plots by measuring the diameter, height, volume, and biomass of selected agroforestry tree species through D-tape and Haga altimeter. A total of 59 sample plots were inventoried using 2.5 percent sampling intensity. Each sample plot has an area of 0.5 ha, where each tree with a Diameter at Breast Height (DBH) ≥ 5 cm was inventoried. The calculated amount of volume of each tree species was then converted to biomass by multiplying it by the density of wood and the Biomass Expansion Factor (BEF). Total yield and C stock for the selected agroforestry tree species were 11535.2 metric tons and 2102.2 metric tons, respectively. Populus euroamericana is classified as the main tree with 28% growing stock prior to Morus alba by 21%, while Melia azedarach, Eucalyptus camaldulensis, Dalbergia sissoo, Acacia nilotica, Salix tetrasperma, and Bombax ceiba consist of 15%, 12%, 8%, 6%,7% and 3% growing stock respectively. Among the species found in different sampling plots the yield of Populus euroamericana was found to be 4747.5 metric tons and it was followed by the species Morus alba found at 2027.3 metric tons. Similarly, the volume for Melia azedarach, Eucalyptus camaldulensis, Dalbergia sissoo, Salix spp, Boombox ceiba, and Acacia nilotica was 1532.2 tons,1503 ton,745.7,203.5ton, 555.4ton and 220.5ton, respectively. The carbon stock for Populus euroamericana was calculated as 777.8 ton/ha, while for Eucalyptus camaldulensis, Melia azedarach, Morus alba, Dalbergia sissoo, Acacia nilotica, Salix species, and Bombax ceiba it was calculated as 312.3ton/ha, 272.1ton/ha, 363ton/ha, 245.1ton/ha, 51.4ton/ha, 27.3ton/ha and 53.2ton/ha, respectively. The questionnaire survey conducted for price dynamics showed that the majority of respondents purchase timber from the market for construction. But they use farm trees with low-quality city construction. They dislike using local timber in the conventional building as timber from farm trees is liable to insect attack. Rs. 50,000-100000, (33.33%) of daily sales was concluded from 50% of the trader while (16.7%) of the traders have their sales between Rs.150,000-200,000. Therefore, it is concluded by the authors that both provincial and federal government should promote agroforestry in Pakistan through different incentives because it has the potential to cope with dilemma of deforestation of natural forests and improve the livelihood of local peoples. It is strongly recommended that special projects just like the Ten Billion Tree Afforestation Project (T-BTTP) should be launched for agroforestry plantation and promotion in the country to sustain the ecological harmony and uplift the socio-economic condition of the peoples of Pakistan.
Despite its importance, food habits of an individual in a foreign location has not received adequate attention in Asian research. Most of the previous studies were based in the US and Europe and focused on the students from a specific discipline (Greaney et al., 2009, LaCaille et al., 2011) or specific backgrounds (Nelson et al., 2009, Cluskey and Grobe 2009). Since the host culture is an important influence towards food consumption behaviour, this ethnographic study provides a unique, Malaysian perspective on international student’s food consumption patterns. The objective in this research was to ethnographically explore the food choice behaviour and influences on international students in private universities around Subang Jaya, Malaysia. Participant observation along with semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with the respondents.
The various emerging themes of the food consumption behaviour of international long-term education tourists included food neophilia, stress eating, convenience and health and the influences comprised of price, social networking sites, friends, and word of mouth. Difference in age between researcher and other international students along with the limitations of conducting semi-structured interviews were some of the major limitations. This research can help policymakers make informed choices regarding sustainable developmental and tourism marketing for similar long-term tourists. It can help sensitize local population on the challenges and issues faced by foreign students in a new country. Furthermore, this can help the F&B industry as well as the society get a deeper understanding on how to cater to foreign long-term tourists.
Recreation leadership. Administration of recreation services, The city as an economic factor. City promotion
Background & Aims: The population of the elderly has been on a rise, which shows more attention to ensuring the health and well-being of the elderly. On the other hand, the growth of the elderly population and its impact on the social and economic conditions of society leads to more attention to the issue of aging in society. In addition, physical and psychological abilities decrease with aging, which affects the quality of life of people. Overall, quality of life and well-being assessed by indicators such as health, happiness, and loneliness. Happiness is one of the most important needs of human beings, which considerably affects their psychological and physical health that helping the elderly cope with stressful situations. Another factor affecting well-being is self-transcendence, which is a powerful coping mechanism and can lead to personal transformation and improvement of the quality of life, thereby facilitating the process of understanding life changes such as aging. Therefore, self-transcendence is defined as a positive trait in relation to the expansion of one’s outlook on life. This issue includes factors such as spirituality, finding a purpose in life, optimism for the future, coping with problems, using power-based approaches, and connecting with others. In the elderly, by restoring the concept of aging and accepting disability, it reduces stress and focuses more on ability than disability. Therefore, happiness and self-transcendence are important factors in the elderly’s health dimensions. The present study aimed to determine the relationship between happiness and self-transcendence in the elderly of Khoshkrud, Zarandieh City.
Materials & Methods: This descriptive-correlational research performed on the elderly selected from those who referred to the health center to receive elderly-related care using sequential sampling. Data collection continued for three months (October-December, 2019), and 84 elderlies who were willing to participate in the research were selected. The inclusion criteria were the age of more than 60 years, the ability to respond to questions physically and mentally, having psychological health which assessed by Abbreviated Mental Test (obtaining a score above 7) and not losing a family member or experiencing a stressful situation in the past two months. Abbreviated Mental Test used to diagnose cognitive impairment, including dementia and delirium in the elderly, applied to assess concentration, attention, short-term and long-term memory. Notably, the Cronbach’s alpha of the tool was 0.76 in Iranian society. The Oxford Happiness Index has 29 questions that scored in a range of zero to 87 and includes five components of life satisfaction, self-honor, subjective well-being, satisfaction, and positive mood. Internal consistency was used to determine the reliability of the instrument. The Cronbachchr('39')s alpha coefficient for the components of life satisfaction, self-honor, subjective well-being, satisfaction, and positive mood estimated at 0.85, 0.71, 0.74, 0.79, and 0.77, respectively. On the other hand, the self-transcendence questionnaire included 15 items scored in a range of 15-60, where a higher score was indicative of higher self-transcendence. Internal consistency was used to determine the reliability of the instrument and its Cronbachchr('39')s alpha coefficient estimated to be 0.69. Researcher with questions from the elderly completed all tools and it took an average of 45 minutes for each elderly person to complete the tools. In addition, data analysis was performed in SPSS version 16 using descriptive statistics (to describe demographic variables and variables of happiness and self-transcendence) and parametric inferential statistics (Pearson’s correlation coefficient, independent t-test, and analysis of variance).
Results: In this study, the mean age of the elderly was 65.7±4.8 (60, 79). Moreover, 55 subjects were female (65.5%), 81% were married, 59.5% were illiterate and 64.3% were homemakers. In addition, the mean number of children of the participants was 6.2±1.6 (0, 14). Furthermore, 66.7% had an underlying illness, 56% had a moderate economic status, 61.9% had a family support system and 79.8% lived with their spouse. According to the results, the mean of happiness and self-transcendence in the elderly were 54.42±14.3 and 39.4±5.9, respectively. There was a significant and direct relationship between self-transcendence and happiness (r=0.263, P=0.016), components of life satisfaction (r=0.348, P=0.001) and satisfaction (r=0.325, P=0.003). In addition, a significant difference was observed between the level of education (P=0.038 and P=0.009, respectively) with happiness and self-transcendence and between occupational status and happiness (P=0.039). Moreover, a significant difference was found between the number of children (P=0.037) and residential status (P=0.028) with self-transcendence.
Conclusion: According to the results of the study, happiness and its components were more than the average level in the elderlies. In addition, the results were indicative that level of education, job, and economic status had significant differences with happiness. A proper education, job and economic status creates safety in the individual, which improves happiness. Self-transcendence was moderate and economic status, level of education, residential status and number of children had significant differences with elderly’s self-transcendence. Good economic situation causes security in the person and the person can try to help himself without worry and play a role in promoting self-transcendence. On the other hand, the level of education promotes awareness and the ability to obtain information from various sources, which can empower the elderly in self-care and increase their adaptation to old age, and ultimately lead to the promotion of self-transcendence. The presence of children, their support, and care for parents cause security for the elderly, who in return try to adapt to the current situation in order to calm their children and accept their situation and ultimately improve their self-transcendence. In general, self-transcendence promoted by having a good friend and a person to talk to, and in the traditional society of Khoshkroud, communication with children, relatives, and neighbors can promote self-transcendence. Although in the present study, the economic situation was moderate and most of the elderly were illiterate, the level of happiness and self-transcendence of the participants was above average, which can be attributed to the existence of social relations at the family and traditional society and respect for the elderly. These factors played a key role in individual satisfaction and support of the elderly and covered the educational and economic states. Moreover, there was a direct and significant relationship between happiness and self-transcendence. Happy people feel more in control, think more about their abilities rather than inabilities, better cope with life stressors, have higher self-esteem, value themselves, and love themselves. Overall, happiness can affect the scope of life and the way people relate and interact with the environment. As such, happiness promotes other life aspects, including self-transcendence. In Khoshkroud, where the elderly and families adhere to their religious and traditional beliefs and the family has a special position, the elderly enjoy health in all dimensions, and they can accept the conditions of old age and use effective adaptation mechanisms to improve well-being. It recommend that the families and authorities by meeting the economic, social and spiritual needs of the elderly to increase their ability to understand and accept themselves, create a sense of satisfaction and happiness, which increases their health. By creating a happy and lively environment, their performance will be improve, which has positive consequences for the elderly, family, and society. Furthermore, conditions should be provided for them to benefit from each otherchr('39')s experiences and to be present in public to improve their health.
Urban tourist destinations’ increasing popularity has been a catalyst for discussion about the tourist activity geographical circumscription. In this context, Big Data and more specifically location-based social networks (LBSN), appear as a valuable source of information to approach tourist and residents spatial interactions from a renewed perspective. This paper focuses on approaching similarities and differences between tourists and residents’ geographical and functional use of urban economic units. A user classificatory algorithm has been developed and applied on YELP’s Dataset for that purpose. A residents and tourists integration ratio has then been calculated and applied by types of businesses categories and their associated spatial distribution of the of 11 metropolitan areas provided in the sample: Champaign (Illinois, US), Charlotte (North Carolina, US), Cleveland (Ohio, US), Edinburgh (Scotland, UK), Las Vegas (Nevada, US), Madison (Wisconsin, US), Montreal (Quebec, CA), Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania, US), Phoenix (Arizona, US), Stuttgart (DE) and Toronto (Ontario, CA). Business category results show strong similarities in tourists and residents functional coincidence in the use of urban spaces and leisure offer, while there is a clear geographical concentration of activity for both user types in all analysed case studies.
Recreation leadership. Administration of recreation services, The city as an economic factor. City promotion
Gamification, storytelling and questing are the latest discoveries of marketing that are used for customers’ attraction. The implementation of new methods for promoting the city of Częstochowa is a vital aspect in tourism development. The objective of the paper is to present the assumptions underlying questing and to indicate the opportunities it provides in the case of city promotion. The paper is supplemented with the examples of using this form of promotion in Poland. In the study, the methods of observation and questioning are used. 108 respondents were interviewed. The results show that most people have not come across the concept of questing (68.2%) and only 17.9 % have ever taken part in quest. Despite that, the majority perceive the questing positively. It has been proved that, in the case of Częstochowa, the city dominated by the Monastery of Jasna Góra, questing can be the way to present many other interesting historic, cultural and natural sites. The results of the paper can be used in further research and analysis.
En este artículo se presenta un estudio vinculado al ámbito del turismo industrial y, más concretamente, a la didáctica desarrollada por los diferentes espacios vinculados al Sistema Territorial del Museo de la Ciencia y de la Técnica de Catalunya (STmNACTEC). Tiene como finalidad determinar cómo estos centros, que velan por la conservación y difusión del patrimonio industrial en Cataluña, intentan explicar esta historia al público general. En concreto, la investigación se enfoca en una disciplina sumamente desarrollada a nivel académico en nuestro ámbito geográfico: la didáctica del patrimonio. El estudio parte de la constatación que desde el STmNACTEC hay una sensibilidad por la didáctica vinculada a la divulgación del patrimonio industrial, pero ésta únicamente va destinada a un público escolar (y muy ligada a materiales y recursos didácticos en formato dosier) con muchas carencias a nivel de otras tipologías de público (especialmente a nivel de museografía didáctica). En este sentido, el estudio pretende abordar en qué punto se encuentra cada uno de estos centros a nivel didáctico para atender el público general, ya sea turista, adulto, familiar o experto, el grado de desarrollo de su museografía, y la vinculación entre los diferentes centros. La investigación concluye con un diagnóstico de la situación actual del nivel didáctico de los espacios vinculados al STmNACTEC.
Recreation leadership. Administration of recreation services, The city as an economic factor. City promotion