Risky driving behavior among university students and staff in the Sultanate of Oman

Background

There is a well developed literature on research investigating the relationship between various driving behaviors and road crash involvement. However, this research has predominantly been conducted in developed economies dominated by western types of cultural environments. To date no research has been published that has empirically investigated this relationship within the context of the emerging economies such as Oman.

Objective

The present study aims to investigate driving behavior as indexed in the driving behavior questionnaire (DBQ) among a group of Omani university students and staff.

Methods

A convenience non-probability self-selection sampling approach was utilized with Omani university students and staff.

Results

A total of 1003 Omani students (n = 632) and staff (n = 371) participated in the survey. Factor analysis of the BDQ revealed four main factors that were errors, speeding violation, lapses and aggressive violation. In the multivariate logistic backward regression analysis, the following factors were identified as significant predictors of being involved in causing at least one crash: driving experience, history of offenses and two DBQ components, i.e., errors and aggressive violation.

Conclusion

This study indicates that errors and aggressive violation of the traffic regulations as well as history of having traffic offenses are major risk factors for road traffic crashes among the sample. While previous international research has demonstrated that speeding is a primary cause of crashing, in the current context, the results indicate that an array of factors is associated with crashes. Further research using more rigorous methodology is warranted to inform the development of road safety countermeasures in Oman that improves overall Traffic Safety Culture.     

Drivers of intensive Facebook usage among university students: An implications of U&G and TPB theories

Facebook usage among university students is increasing day by day, a reflection of which is evident through the amount of time these students spend on using social networking sites. This study examines the drivers that cause intensive Facebook usage among university students in Pakistan by using a modified framework. The data was collected using the questionnaire comprised of items related to escape, ease of use, information-seeking, social influence or subjective norm, social relationships, career opportunities, education, attitude, perceived behavior control, and intensive Facebook usage. The data was collected from 280 university students by using the convenience sampling approach. The Partial Least Square Structured Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) technique was applied to analyze the data. The findings show that social influence, social relationships, perceived behavior control, attitude, and information-seeking have a positive and significant impact on Facebook usage among students. The study concluded that individuals are more driven to use Facebook to make their social circle strong, learn new ideas, and use it for information-seeking. This study provides useful insights to the managers and academicians.     

Factors associated with young drivers' car crash injury: comparisons among learner,provisional, and full licensees

This exploratory study aimed to investigate factors associated with car crash injury among young drivers aged <25 years with different license status. Of special interest were the differences in risk patterns among different license holders of different age groups. Data utilised in this study were obtained from the New South Wales (NSW) police. The results indicated that female young drivers were more at risk of being killed or injured in a crash than males. Some risk factors, in particular environment-related factors, were identified as license-status-and-age specific. On the contrary, disregarding their driving experiences and ages, young drivers were more influenced by their own behaviours and driving conditions. Young drivers of 16–17 years with learner and provisional licenses tended to have increased risk of crash injury due to special road features. Night-time driving seemed to be a problem for older and more experienced drivers only. Fully licensed drivers of 18–19 and 20–24 years were more susceptible to the influence of alcohol. Risk-taking, speeding, fatigue, and carrying many passengers increased the risk of crash injury to car occupants for nearly all young drivers disregarding their ages and driving experiences. The results obtained provided indicative information on areas where the graduated licensing systems in NSW might be effective, and on other areas that might be lacking. A population-based case-control study was proposed to overcome the limitations of this study.     

Intentions and willingness to drive while drowsy among university students: An application of an extended theory of planned behavior model

A web-based questionnaire was used to assess the utility of constructs from the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and the Prototype Willingness Model (PWM) to predict intentions and willingness to engage in drowsy driving in a sample of 450 university students. Those students who reported more favorable attitudes and subjective norm and greater perceived control and willingness in relation to drowsy driving behavior were more likely to report stronger intentions to engage in drowsy driving behavior. Augmenting the TPB constructs with the PWM construct of willingness significantly explained up to an additional 8 percent of the variance in drowsy driving intention. Perceived behavioral control and willingness were consistently the strongest predictors of drowsy driving intention in the augmented model, which together with the control (personal) variables explained up to 70 percent of the variance in intention. Thus, the Theory of Planned Behavior and the Prototype Willingness Model may be useful for understanding motivational influences on drowsy driving behavior in young people and present promising theoretical frameworks for designing more effective interventions against drowsy driving in this population.     

The evaluation of university departments and their scientists: Some general considerations with reference to exemplary bibliometric publication and citation analyses for a Department of psychology

In reference to an exemplary bibliometric publication and citation analysis for a University Department of Psychology, some general conceptual and methodological considerations on the evaluation of university departments and their scientists are presented. Data refer to publication and citation-by-others analyses (PsycINFO, PSYNDEX, SSCI, and SCI) for 36 professorial and non-professorial scientists from the tenure staff of the department under study, as well as confidential interviews on self-and colleagues-perceptions with seven of the sample under study. The results point at (1) skewed (Pareto-) distributions of all bibliometric variables demanding nonparametrical statistical analyses, (2) three personally identical outliers which must be excluded from some statistical analyses, (3) rather low rank-order correlations of publication and citation frequencies having approximately 15% common variance, (4) only weak interdependences of bibliometric variables with age, occupational experience, gender, academic status, and engagement in basic versus applied research, (5) the empirical appropriateness and utility of a normative typological model for the evaluation of scientists’ research productivity and impact, which is based on cross-classifications with reference to the number of publications and the frequency of citations by other authors, and (6) low interrater reliabilities and validity of ad hoc evaluations within the departments’ staff. Conclusions refer to the utility of bibliometric data for external peer reviewing and for feedback within scientific departments, in order to make colleague-perceptions more reliable and valid.     

Factors associated with rear seating of children in motor vehicles: a study in two low-income, predominantly Hispanic communities

This study examined child seating patterns in two predominantly low-income, Hispanic communities in Massachusetts. The purpose was to determine the factors associated with child rear seating in the community as a whole and for a subset of Hispanic motorists. Five hundred and five vehicles carrying child passengers and no adult other than the driver were observed in parking lots of fast food restaurants and grocery stores. Four hundred and thirty-two vehicle drivers agreed to be interviewed. A child was defined as a passenger younger than age 12 as determined by appearance and height (head below the vehicle headrest when seated). Variables under study included driver gender, age, ethnicity, and educational attainment; driver shoulder belt use; driver perception of passenger-side airbag presence; and the number and ages of children in the car. Overall, 51% of vehicles were observed with all children seated in the rear. In a bivariate analysis, child rear seating was strongly associated with female drivers ( P = 0.01), younger drivers ( P = 0.02) driver shoulder belt use ( P < 0.00), perceived presence of a passenger-side airbag ( P < 0.00), all children in the vehicle 相似文献   

Critical Factors in Opening Pharmaceutical Packages: a Usability Study among Healthcare Workers,Women with Rheumatoid Arthritis and Elderly Women

This cross‐sectional study compared the usability of pharmaceutical packages to determine the critical factors involved in packages with different opening mechanisms. Four packaging types (a bottle with a screw cap, a box with a pill plate, disposable plastic droppers with a container and a jar with a hinge cap) were evaluated by 45 women (nurses, older women and women with rheumatoid arthritis). Usability was evaluated for subjective measures related to the ease of opening and for objective measures related to the time needed to open the packaging, electrical muscular activity (electromyography, EMG) and ranges of motion of the upper extremities. Of the arthritic women, 13% were unable to open the screw‐cap bottle, and 20% did not succeed in opening the plastic dropper packaging. Everyone else, except one older woman handling the plastic dropper packaging, managed to open all the packages. Regarding the ease of opening, the participants gave the plastic dropper packaging the lowest rating (p < 0.001). The arthritic women used greater relative biomechanical strain while opening the screw cap bottle and the box with pill plate compared with the other participants (p < 0.05), with the relative muscular strain in the forearm varying by 29–40% for the maximal EMG activity and the relative range of motion in the wrist being 70–90% of the maximal range of motion. These findings revealed both subjectively and objectively measured features on the usability of pharmaceutical packages. The comprehensibility of the opening mechanism and the ease of handling the package should be considered when user‐friendly products are being created. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The Zoological Museum of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences, 1860s–1910: From an academic institute to a public museum

This article examines the change in public access of the Zoological Museum of the Imperial St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences from the second half of the 19th to the early 20th century. During this period, the Zoological Museum was transformed from an institution devoted to research to a large scientific and popular educational center. Discussions about expanding public access to the Zoological Museum began in the 1860s as part of the implementation of liberal‐democratic reforms in Russia. The Museum did not immediately respond to the new social setting because its managers considered scientific research the priority. Nevertheless, they did take some steps towards meeting the needs of the public in the 1860s and still more effective changes in the Museum's activities in the early 1890s. The rise in public interest in the natural sciences and the creation of large museums of natural history in Europe stimulated the government and the management of the Academy of Sciences to create a public zoological museum in St. Petersburg. The Zoological Museum was given a new building, significant additional funding, and new regulations, which defined its scientific and popular educational functions as equally important. Because of these measures, the Zoological Museum could function not only as a research institute, but also as a public museum by the early 20th century.     

Factors associated with the all-terrain vehicle mortality rate in the United States: an analysis of state-level data

The purpose of this article is to determine and quantify the factors associated with the all-terrain vehicle (ATV) mortality rate in the United States, based on an analysis of state-level data. From 1990 through 1999, there were about 2400 reported deaths in the U.S. involving ATVs. The population-based mortality rate during this time period amounted to about 0.84 deaths per million persons per year, but varied considerably among the 50 states-ranging from a low of 0.09 deaths per million person-years in Rhode Island to a high of 6.33 deaths per million person-years in West Virginia. This variation provides an opportunity for quantifying some of the key factors associated with the ATV mortality risk. The analysis was conducted in a two-stage regression process, with the state mortality rates estimated in the second stage with a negative binomial regression model. The results indicate that the ATV mortality rate was systematically related to ATV usage rates (a measure of risk exposure) and a number of the characteristics of the potential rider pool. These included: the proportion of the state populations that was male, young, lived in rural areas, was college educated, and non-Hispanic white.     

Detection of mortality clusters associated with highly pathogenic avian influenza in poultry: a theoretical analysis

Rapid detection of infectious disease outbreaks is often crucial for their effective control. One example is highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) such as H5N1 in commercial poultry flocks. There are no quantitative data, however, on how quickly the effects of HPAI infection in poultry flocks can be detected. Here, we study, using an individual-based mathematical model, time to detection in chicken flocks. Detection is triggered when mortality, food or water intake or egg production in layers pass recommended thresholds suggested from the experience of past HPAI outbreaks. We suggest a new threshold for caged flocks—the cage mortality detection threshold—as a more sensitive threshold than current ones. Time to detection is shown to depend nonlinearly on R₀ and is particularly sensitive for R₀<10. It also depends logarithmically on flock size and number of birds per cage. We also examine how many false alarms occur in uninfected flocks when we vary detection thresholds owing to background mortality. The false alarm rate is shown to be sensitive to detection thresholds, dependent on flock size and background mortality and independent of the length of the production cycle. We suggest that current detection thresholds appear sufficient to rapidly detect the effects of a high R₀ HPAI strain such as H7N7 over a wide range of flock sizes. Time to detection of the effects of a low R₀ HPAI strain such as H5N1 can be significantly improved, particularly for large flocks, by lowering detection thresholds, and this can be accomplished without causing excessive false alarms in uninfected flocks. The results are discussed in terms of optimizing the design of disease surveillance programmes in general.     

The bold and the fearless among us: Elevated psychopathic traits and levels of anxiety and fear are associated with specific aberrant driving behaviors

In spite of the well-documented connection between personality traits like impulsivity, sensation seeking and fearlessness with aberrant driving behaviors, scarce research exists to examine the association between risky and aggressive driving and psychopathic characteristics, which encompass the above traits. The present investigation examines in two studies the association between specific sub-types of driving misconduct, i.e., unintentional mistakes and deliberate rule violations with psychopathic characteristics, with a focus on the role of levels of fear and anxiety in aberrant driving. Findings support the hypotheses that fearlessness, i.e., the bold, unemotional aspect of psychopathic traits, characterizes drivers who engage in frequent deliberate driving code violations, whereas the more impulsive/antisocial aspect of psychopathy, associated with higher levels of fear and anxiety, is more characteristic of drivers who engage in unintentional mistakes. Fearless features are also associated with higher self-reported driving misconduct and accidents. Study 2 conceptually replicated this finding by showing that mistakes are positively related to high sensitivity to punishment, while violations are negatively related to it. Findings are discussed in light of psychopathy theory and in relation to prevention and intervention.     

Identification of vehicle components associated with severe thoracic injury in motor vehicle crashes: a CIREN and NASS analysis

INTRODUCTION: Thoracic trauma secondary to motor vehicle crashes (MVC) continues to be a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Specific vehicle features may increase the risk of severe thoracic injury when striking the occupant. We sought to determine which vehicle contact points were associated with an increased risk of severe thoracic injury in MVC to focus subsequent design modifications necessary to reduce thoracic injury. METHODS: The National Automotive Sampling System (NASS) databases from 1993 to 2001 and the Crash Injury Research and Engineering Network (CIREN) databases from 1996 to 2004 were analyzed separately using univariate and multivariate logistic regression stratified by restraint use and crash direction. The risk of driver thoracic injury, defined as an abbreviated injury scale (AIS) of score > or =3, was determined as it related to specific points of contact between the vehicle and the driver. RESULTS: The incidence of severe chest injury in NASS and CIREN were 5.5% and 33%, respectively. The steering wheel, door panel, armrest, and seat were identified as contact points associated with an increased risk of severe chest injury. The door panel and arm rest were consistently a frequent cause of severe injury in both the NASS and CIREN data. CONCLUSIONS: Several vehicle contact points, including the steering wheel, door panel, armrest and seat are associated with an increased risk of severe thoracic injury when striking the occupant. These elements need to be further investigated to determine which characteristics need to be manipulated in order to reduce thoracic trauma during a crash.     

Measuring Energies at the Nanometer-Scale of Molecular Organic Materials with an Atomic Force Microscope: TTF-TCNQ as a Case Study

The elastic response of molecular organic materials to external mechanical nanoindentations in the nano- and low micronewton force range can be characterized using ultrasharp cantilever tips of an Atomic Force Microscope (AFM). Because clear distinction between elastic and plastic deformation is achieved, the maximal accumulated elastic energy can be directly determined from the force vs. penetration curves, giving an estimate of the characteristic energies of the materials.     

Case report of Capnocytophaga canimorsus septicemia with infective endocarditis in a hemodialysis patient: A not widely known dog pathogen

Keeping pets as a companion is a global phenomenon. This relationship, however, is not entirely free of risk as some diseases can be transmitted to human beings. It is important to emphasize safety among pet owners, particularly in people with chronic illness as they may have increased vulnerability to infection which could arise from an intimate relationship. We report an uncommon etiology of sepsis complicated with infective endocarditis in a 63-year old dog-owner who was on hemodialysis. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of Capnocytophaga canimorsus infective endocarditis (IE) ever reported in a patient undergoing hemodialysis.     

The impact of a home visitation programme on household hazards associated with unintentional childhood injuries: A randomised controlled trial

Background

The continued high mortality and morbidity rates for unintentional childhood injuries remain a public health concern. This article reports on the influence of a home visitation programme (HVP) on household hazards associated with unintentional childhood injuries in a South African low-income setting.

Methods

A randomised controlled trial (n = 211 households) was conducted in a South African informal settlement. Community members were recruited and trained as paraprofessional visitors. Four intervention visits were conducted over 3 months, focusing on child development, and the prevention of burn, poison, and fall injuries. The HVP, a multi-component intervention, included educational inputs, provision of safety devices, and an implicit enforcement strategy. The intervention effect (IE) was measured with a standardised risk assessment index that compared post-intervention scores for intervention and control households.

Results

A significant reduction was observed in the hazards associated with electrical and paraffin appliances, as well as in hazards related to poisoning. Non-significant changes were observed for burn safety household practices and fall injury hazards.

Conclusions

This study confirmed that a multi-component HVP effectively reduced household hazards associated with electrical and paraffin appliances and poisoning among children in a low-income South African setting.