"Cyclist at 12 o'clock!": a systematic review of in-vehicle advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) for preventing car-rider crashes.

Introduction: While Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) have become a prominent topic in road safety research, there has been relatively little discussion about their effectiveness in preventing car collisions involving specific vulnerable road users, such as cyclists. Therefore, the primary objective of this systematic literature review is to analyze the available evidence regarding the effectiveness of in-vehicle ADAS in preventing vehicle collisions with cyclists. Methods: To achieve this goal, this systematic review analyzed a selection of original research papers that examined the effectiveness of ADAS systems in preventing car-cyclist collisions. The review followed the PRISMA protocol, which led to the extraction of 21 eligible studies from an initial pool of 289 sources indexed in the primary scientific literature databases. Additionally, word community-based content analyses were used to examine the research topics and their links within the current scientific literature on the matter. Results: Although the current number of studies available is still scarce (most sources focus on car-motorcyclist or car-pedestrian crashes), the overall quality of the available studies has been reasonably good, as determined by the selected evaluation methods. In terms of studies' outcomes, the literature supports the value of in-vehicle ADAS for preventing car-cyclist crashes. However, threatful side effects such as unrealistic expectations of these systems and users' overconfidence or desensitization are also highlighted, as well as the need to increase driver training and road user awareness. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that Advanced Driver Assistance Systems have significant potential to contribute to the prevention of driving crashes involving cyclists. However, the literature emphasizes the importance of concurrently enhancing user-related skills in both ADAS use and road-user interaction through educational and training initiatives. Future research should also address emerging issues, such as ADAS-related behavioral ergonomics, and conduct long-term effectiveness assessments of ADAS in preventing car-cycling crashes and their subsequent injuries. Systematic review registration: PROSPERO, unique identifier CRD42024505492, https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=505492.

Could driving help us to "see better"? A comparative assessment of saccadic efficiency, visual speed, and attention.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed at comparing drivers' and non-drivers' results in the Adult Developmental Eye Movement with Distractors test (ADEMd) and the Useful Field of View test (UFOV). METHODS: One hundred and twenty Spaniards (mean age 50.90 ± 17.32 years) without eye disease voluntarily participated in this cross-sectional descriptive study. Participants in a single experimental session completed a questionnaire on sociodemographic, health, eyesight, and driving information. They also performed the ADEMd and UFOV tests randomly following standardized protocols. The ADEMd is a visual-verbal test that measures saccadic efficiency and visual attention. Brown-Forsythe (B-F) tests with Games-Howell post-hoc adjustments were conducted to assess differences between groups. Groups were formed according to sex, age (young adults, adults, and older adults), and driver/non-driver for further analysis. Additionally, associations between dependent variables were assessed through Spearman's correlations. RESULTS: Drivers obtained significantly better results in the ADEMd compared with non-drivers. Non-significant differences between drivers and non-drivers were encountered in the UFOV. Additionally, significant differences were observed between sexes and age groups. It is worth highlighting that non-driver's age significantly correlated with worse ADEMd performance (rho = .637 to .716). This correlation was non-significant in drivers. Similarly, reading hours significantly correlated with better ADEMd performance in non-drivers (rho = - .291 to - .363), but not in drivers. The only significant correlations between ADEMd and UFOV tests were found in drivers (rho = .307 to .410). CONCLUSION: Considering all the discussed results, it could be hypothesized that the driving task promotes abilities, such as oculomotor and cognitive function, which are relevant for the performance in the ADEMd. However, this hypothesis is based on correlational outcomes and further studies should causally assess this possible relation.

Invasion of privacy or structural violence? Harassment against women in public transport environments: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Despite being neglected for several decades, and in many countries, public transport environments have transformed into a reflection of social disparities and inequalities. Among these issues, harassment-a pervasive and worldwide gendered dynamic-has been demonstrated to negatively impact women's behavioral trends, daily opportunities, and health impacts, as well as safety and security outcomes. AIM: This systematic review aimed to examine a set of studies analyzing harassment against women in public transport environments, with a focus on key issues such as its prevalence, impact on transport dynamics, preventive strategies, and policing avenues documented in the scientific literature. METHOD: A total of 575 indexed articles were filtered using the PRISMA methodology, resulting in a final selection of 28 original articles directly addressing the issue up to December 2023. Search strategies were developed and implemented across WOS, Scopus, NCBI, Google Scholar, and APA databases. RESULTS: Besides high frequency, widespread underreporting, and adverse effects on women's safety, this review has identified correlations between harassment and travel behavioral adaptations. Furthermore, it reveals a noticeable disparity between the existing measures and those perceived as more effective by potential victims. These findings underscore the pressing need to listen to and promote the inclusion of women in decision-making regarding transport affairs. CONCLUSION: The findings of this systematic review suggest that, despite a slightly limited body of research, the impact of transport harassment on women's health and welfare is consistently supported in the literature. In addition to being largely explained by existing inequalities rooted in social determinants, transit harassment further exacerbates gender gaps, gaining prospective importance for transport settings.

"It's okay because I'm just driving": an exploration of self-reported mobile phone use among Mexican drivers.

Introduction: Technological advancements have the potential to enhance people's quality of life, but their misuse can have a detrimental impact on safety. A notable example is the escalating issue of distracted driving resulting from the use of mobile phones behind the wheel, leading to severe crashes and injuries. Despite these concerns, both drivers' usage patterns and their risk-related associations remain scarcely documented in Mexico. Therefore, this descriptive study aimed to examine the mobile phone usage of Mexican drivers, its relationships to risk awareness and near-miss/crash involvement, and the self-reported underlying reasons for this behavior. Methods: This cross-sectional study utilized a sample of 1,353 licensed Mexican drivers who took part in a nationwide series of interviews regarding their onboard phone use settings. Results: A significant percentage of drivers (96.8%) recognize using a mobile phone while driving as high-risk behavior. However, only 7.4% reported completely avoiding its use while driving, with 22.4% identified as high-frequency users. Frequency was also found positively associated with the self-reported rate of near-misses and crashes. Furthermore, qualitative data analysis highlights the emergence of a 'sense of urgency' to attend to phone-related tasks in response to daily demands and life dynamics, offering a potential explanation for this behavior. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest common patterns of onboard mobile use among Mexican drivers concerning driving situations and associated risks. This underscores the need for increased efforts to discourage onboard phone use in the country.

Gender differences in teenager bullying dynamics and predictors of peer-to-peer intimidation.

Thanks to several previous efforts, school peer-to-peer bullying is nowadays considered a major issue for educational dynamics, research, and policy. Specifically in the field of research, bullying assessment tools have been gaining ground in recent years. Among them, the School Bullying Questionnaire (CIE-A) stands out. This is a teenager-targeted scale assessing bullying dynamics from a three-factor approach (i.e., victimization, symptomatology, and intimidation). However, to date, no previous study using similar tools has followed a gender perspective, and this shortcoming may hinder the effectiveness of policies and actions to face school bullying. The core aim of this study was to examine the effect of gender on teenagers' bullying-related factors and intimidation outcomes. This cross-sectional study analyzed the data provided by a gender-weighted sample of 770 Spanish teenagers with a mean age of M = 14.25 (SD = 1.53) years. They responded to a questionnaire that included the CIE-A together with other variables theoretically related to bullying dynamics, such as risk perception, sensation seeking, life satisfaction, and family conflict. Apart from typical inter-group comparisons, data were analyzed through a multi-group structural equation modeling (MGSEM) approach. Regarding bullying experiences, male teenagers have shown greater involvement in both victimization (passive bullying) and intimidation (active harassment) behaviors. On the other hand, females self-reported greater symptomatology in passive bullying scenarios, despite being less frequently involved in them. Further, the MGSEM showed good fit values (RMSEA <.08; all incremental coefficients >0.90) and theoretical plausibility, also depicting a set of structural mechanisms differentially explaining active peer-to-peer intimidation behaviors across genders. For instance, while risk perception is a significant predictor of intimidation only among females, sensation seeking plays a predictive role among male teenagers, but not for their female counterparts. The results of this study suggest that teenagers' engagement in active bullying may be substantially different when approached from a gender perspective, finding key divergences in the variables that predict bullying-related behavioral outcomes. The outcomes of this research highlight the need to take into account gender differences, as well as extracurricular issues that influence intimidation dynamics, in potential bullying-related interventions.

Different ways same message? Road safety-targeted communication strategies in Spain over 62 years (1960-2021).

Among the most generalised preventive measures against traffic crashes, advertisements and broadcast campaigns in the media have stood out over the last six decades. The core aim of this paper is to describe the evolution of the subject matter and typology of road safety-related advertisements used in Spain during 62 years (1960-2021). Thus, this paper assesses their role in reducing road fatalities, while keeping in mind the potential effect of the many other road safety-related preventive measures carried out in the country during this period. The results of this study allow us to target five key time periods, all of them with clear particular communication strategies to be differentiated, using specific types of advertisements and informative, persuasive, emotional, and humorous techniques (among others) to reach the audience. Additionally, some key practical implications and guidelines are provided.

Far from reality, or somehow accurate? Social beliefs and perceptions about traffic crashes in the Dominican Republic.

BACKGROUND: Despite the considerable effort made during the last decades, emerging countries are still among the highest road safety concerns because they still account for most of the deaths caused by traffic crashes. Various studies suggest that one of the factors involved in this negative outcome could be road safety. However, this issue remains pending to be addressed in most emerging countries, including the Dominican Republic. AIM: This study aimed to assess the beliefs and perceptions of Dominicans regarding some key road risky-related issues and to discuss them in the light of objective data. METHODS: For this cross-sectional study, the responses by a full sample of 1,260 Dominicans (50.1% men, 49.9% women) with a mean age of 39.4 years participating in a set of surveys conducted across the country, were used. RESULTS: Although Dominicans (especially women) seem to attribute high importance to road crashes, there is a low perceived likelihood of getting involved in a traffic crash. As for subjective versus objective data comparisons, perceived crash features and objective crash report data considerably match. However, the numbers largely differ in terms of crash frequency and importance and relevance given to road crashes, and their consequences. Further, perceptions of traffic violations and lack of law enforcement were pertinent predictors of the degree of relevance attributed to traffic crashes. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, the results of this study suggest that, despite a relative awareness of their actual traffic crash features, Dominicans systematically underestimate the causes, frequency, and consequences of these crashes, including yearly fatality rates. These outcomes suggest the need to strengthen road safety awareness and beliefs in further road safety actions and policymaking in the region.

Are social networks effective in promoting healthy behaviors? A systematic review of evaluations of public health campaigns broadcast on Twitter.

Introduction: While public health campaigns disseminated through Twitter have multiple theoretical advantages over other strategies (e.g., a high potential reach and low economic cost), the effectiveness of social networks as facilitators of attitudinal and behavioral changes in the population seems to remain weakly supported. Therefore, this systematic review was aimed to analyze the degree of impact of healthy behavior-related campaigns as documented in scientific literature. Methods: Strictly following the PRISMA methodology, a total of 109 indexed articles were obtained, of which only 18 articles met the inclusion criteria. In addition to accessing the literature available on WOS, Scopus, BVS, Medline, Cochrane Library and PubMed, the quality of the existing studies was assessed through the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) protocol. Results: The results of this systematic review revealed a small number of evaluations of the effectiveness of social campaigns disseminated on Twitter, although the quality of these studies was considerably good. Most of the research used statistics and metrics for evaluation, with residual use of other measurement methodologies. However, their effectiveness and impact on public health-related behaviors remain arguable, in view of the existence of marked tendencies to: (i) not evaluate these campaigns; (ii) evaluate them through excessively brief, ambiguous, or potentially biased indicators; and (iii) not carry out systematic follow-ups over time. Discussion: Although there is no strong evidence of the suitability of Twitter as a suitable medium for raising public health awareness on behavioral health affairs, the actual limitations identified in this review would help to optimize this paradigm and enhance the quality, reach, and effectiveness of such communication strategies.

Is safety in the eye of the beholder? Discrepancies between self-reported and proxied data on road safety behaviors-A systematic review.

Recent studies have problematized on the lack of agreement between self-reported and proxied data in the field of road safety-related behaviors. Overall, and although these studies are still scarce, most of them suggest that the way we perceive our own road behavior is systematically different from the perspective from which we perceive others' behavior, and vice versa. The aim of this review paper was to target the number and type of studies that have researched the behavioral perceptions of different groups of road users, contrasting self-reported behavioral data with those reported by other users (proxied), and their outcomes. This systematic review followed the PRISMA methodology, which allows for the identification of relevant articles based on the research term. A total number of 222 indexed articles were filtered, and a final selection of 19 articles directly addressing the issue was obtained. Search strategies were developed and conducted in MEDLINE, WOS, Scopus and APA databases. It is remarkable how road users perceive themselves as behaviorally "safer" than the rest of road users in what concerns the knowledge of traffic norms and their on-road performance. In addition, and regardless of the type of user used as a source, self-reported data suggest their perceived likelihood to suffer a traffic crash is lesser if compared to any other user. On the other hand, proxied reports tend to undervalue third users' performance, and to perceive riskier behaviors and crash-related risks among them. The outputs of this systematic review support the idea that the perception of road users' behavior and its related risks substantially differ according to the source. It is also necessary to increase the number, coverage and rigor of studies on this matter, perhaps through complementary and mixed measures, in order to properly understand and face the bias on road users' risk-related behaviors.

Self-Care and Sense of Coherence: A Salutogenic Model for Health and Care in Nursing Education.

BACKGROUND: Effective advocacy on self-care and the enhancement of a sense of coherence among nurses don't only benefit control over one's health and personal performance, but it may have a direct impact on clinical care and on the entire healing system. In this regard, nursing curricula grounded on a salutogenic model of health (SMH) operate with strategies to engage students in self-care and contribute to improving their mental health and wellbeing. The aim of this study was to explore the relationships between self-care agency and a sense of coherence as dependent variables and the age and self-reported academic performance as independent variables in nursing assistant students. METHODS: For this cross-sectional study, data were collected from a full sample of 921 Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) Spanish students. A self-administered questionnaire, including sociodemographic variables, the 'appraisal of self-care agency' (ASA), and the 'sense of coherence' (SOC) constructs, was administered. RESULTS: Older participants presented significantly stronger values of both constructs. Apart from a significant and positive correlation between ASAS and SOC, ANOVA analyses indicate significant differences in terms of academic performance according to different ASAS and SOC degrees. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study endorse the assumption that there is a consistent relationship between ASA and SOC constructs that might, indeed, have a potential effect on students' academic performance. In practical terms, it seems relevant to try to recognise the students' self-care agency and the sense of coherence as forceful predictive variables of mental health and wellbeing, in addition to academic success as a strength implied in the future career achievement.

The guilty, the unlucky, or the unaware? Assessing self-reported behavioral contributors and attributions on pedestrian crashes through structural equation modeling and mixed methods.

INTRODUCTION: Recent literature suggests that the causation of pedestrians' crashes and the contribution of safety-related behaviors within them may substantially differ compared to other road users. This study aimed to test the effect of individual factors and safety-related road behaviors on the self-reported walking crashes suffered by pedestrians and, complementarily, to analyze the causes that pedestrians attributed to the crashes they suffered as pedestrians during the previous five years. METHOD: For this cross-sectional research performed in Spain, data from a nationwide sample of 2,499 pedestrians from the 17 regions of the country were collected. Participants had a mean age of 31 years. They responded to a questionnaire on demographics, safety-related walking behaviors, and self-reported pedestrian crashes and the causes attributed to them. RESULTS: Utilizing Structural Equation Models (SEM), it was found that self-reported walking crashes can be predicted through unintentional risky behaviors (errors). However, violations and positive behaviors remain non-significant predictors, allowing to hypothesize that they might, rather, play a key role in the pedestrian's involvement in pre-crash scenarios (critical situations preceding crashes). Also, categorical analyses allowed to determine that the causes that pedestrians attributed to the walking crashes they had suffered were principally their own errors (44.6%), rather than their own traffic violations (8.5%). Nevertheless, this trend is inverse when they believe the responsibility of the crash weighs on the driver. That is to say, they usually attribute the crash to their traffic violations rather than errors. However, many biases could help explain these attributional findings. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: The results of this study highlight key differences in behavioral features and crash predictors among pedestrians, with potentially relevant applications in the study and improvement of walking safety from behavioral-based approaches.

Environmentally friendly, but behaviorally complex? A systematic review of e-scooter riders' psychosocial risk features.

INTRODUCTION: E-scooters have made a place for themselves on urban roads as an affordable, easy-to-use and environmentally friendly method of transportation. However, and partly because of their road behaviors and safety outcomes, e-scooter users have started to represent a focus of attention for transport planners and policymakers. AIM: The present systematic review aims to target and analyze the existing studies investigating the psychosocial characteristics of e-scooter riders, focusing on their behavioral and risk-related features. METHODS: For this systematic review, the PRISMA methodology was used, which allows for the selection of suitable papers based on the study topic, in accordance with a set of pre-defined criteria and a search algorithm. A total of 417 indexed articles were filtered, resulting in only 32 eligible original articles directly addressing the issue. WOS, Scopus, NCBI, Google Scholar, and APA databases were used to create and test search techniques. RESULTS: At the literature level, most of the existing studies are distributed in a few regions of the globe. At the user's level, results show how e-scooters are most commonly used by young, highly educated, urban-dwelling males, usually for short trips. In regard to road behavior, individuals with the lowest degrees of risk perception remain more prone to engaging in risky road behaviors likely to increase their crash involvement. This might be worsened by the lack of normative e-scooter regulations (and their enforcement) in many countries, plus the marked absence of road training processes. As common limitations, it can be mentioned that 87.5% of these studies used self-report methods, while 59.4% had local coverage. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this systematic review endorse the growing need to develop and enforce traffic laws and training processes for e-scooter users. In addition, road safety education and training programs are highlighted by existing studies as potentially pertinent alternatives to increase risk perception, and reduce risky behaviors, road conflicts and crash likelihood among e-scooter riders.

Essential but also vulnerable? Work intensification, effort/reward imbalance, fatigue and psychological health of Spanish cargo drivers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Objective: This study investigates the combined effect of the Effort/Reward Imbalance (ERI) model of stress and work intensification within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic on the psychological health (general and work-related fatigue, and psychological strain) of cargo drivers, one of the most demanded workforces during the first year of this pandemic. Methods: For this cross-sectional research, the data provided by n = 1,013 professional drivers from the different 17 autonomous communities (regions) of Spain were analyzed. Participants answered a questionnaire composed of the short version of the Effort Reward Imbalance (ERI) questionnaire, a Work Intensification Scale (WIS) designed for this study, the fatigue subscale of the Checklist Individual Strength (CIS), the Need for Recovery after Work Scale (NFR), and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ). Results: Hierarchical regression analyses show that both (ERI and work intensification) models significantly predict driver's fatigue and psychological strain. The effect of work intensification exists above and beyond the effect of effort/reward imbalance, which has been previously related to the safety performance of cargo drivers. Conclusions: These findings suggest that the ERI and work intensification models can be complementarily used, especially in scenarios introducing substantial changes in the work environment, such as the COVID-19 crisis. Also, the results of this study support the need to intervene in the working conditions of professional drivers in order to improve their psychological health and well-being during both pandemic and post-pandemic times, as crisis-related management interventions are necessary to promote health and safety in professional drivers in potentially similar contexts in the future.

To what extent do our walking and cycling behaviours relate to each other, and do we cycle as well as we think we do? Piloting the walking and cycling behaviour questionnaires in the UK.

Greater uptake of active transport has been argued as necessary for the transport system to achieve relevant sustainability and public health goals; however, the research tools used to investigate behaviour when using these modes are far less well-developed than those used to investigate driving behaviour. This study takes two self-report behavioural measures, the Walking Behaviour Questionnaire (WBQ) and the Cycling Behaviour Questionnaire (WBQ), and pilots them in the UK. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses with data from 428 respondents revealed factor structures different to those described in the limited number of previous studies that used the CBQ and WBQ. Across both questionnaires, scales measuring intentional behaviour differed from original descriptions to a greater extent than did the scale concerning unintentional attention or memory errors. In addition to a validation exercise, this research explored the relationships between variables, finding a correlation between the reported performance of unintentional errors when walking and cycling. Looking in more detail at cycling behaviours, we found that those who rated themselves as more proficient cyclists also reported performing fewer unintentional cycling errors. Results also showed self-reported helmet use to bear little to no relationship with other self-reported cycling behaviours or self-rated cycling proficiency. Finally, using structural equation modelling, we demonstrated that responses to the CBQ add very little (over and above age, gender, and exposure to the road environment) to the explanation of self-reported past collision involvement. In total, only 7% of the variation in past collision involvement was explained by the included variables. We urge caution when using self-report behavioural measures that have not been validated in the context of intended use, and the importance of using such measures in combination with other approaches rather than in isolation when trying to develop an understanding of overall system performance.

Comparing the cycling behaviours of Australian, Chinese and Colombian cyclists using a behavioural questionnaire paradigm.

Cyclists are vulnerable road users and face disproportionately high rates of road trauma, especially in low- and middle-income countries. Behaviour of road users is a system outcome, and thus studying cyclist behaviours can identify problems in the whole road transport system and assist in generating long-lasting, cost-effective solutions to promote cyclist safety. This study aims to investigate the similarities and disparities of cycling behaviour among countries with different income levels and cycling prevalence, and the relationships among cyclist demographic characteristics, behaviours and crash involvement. It applies the Cycling Behaviour Questionnaire (CBQ) to measure the behaviour of cyclists in three countries: Australia (high-income, emerging cycling country), China (mid-income, traditional cycling country) and Colombia (low-income, emerging cycling country). A total of 1094 cyclists (Australia 347, China 368, and Colombia 379) with a mean age of 31.8 years completed the online questionnaire. Confirmatory Factor Analysis was used to examine the factorial structure of the CBQ. The results showed that the three-factor CBQ (i.e., Traffic Violations, Errors and Positive Behaviours) had a stable and uniform factorial structure across all three countries. Cyclists reported more frequent positive behaviours than risky behaviours across all three countries. The Australian cyclists reported more positive behaviours and fewer violations than cyclists from the other countries, which is likely to reflect the road environment, policy and enforcement differences. Male cyclists tended to engage in more risky riding than females and reported more crash involvement. Older cyclists reported less risky riding and less involvement in crashes than younger cyclists. Cyclists who rode more often reported more frequent risky riding. The study helps understand the prevalence of risky/positive cyclist behaviours among countries and provides insights for developing systematic countermeasures to improve cycling environment and cyclist safety.

Multidimensional prediction of work traffic crashes among Spanish professional drivers in cargo and passenger transportation.

The aim of this study was to examine the effect of different environmental, mechanical and individual factors associated with fatalities and serious injuries caused by work traffic accidents among cargo and passenger transport drivers (CPTD) in Spain. For this cross-sectional study, national data on work traffic accidents collected in Spain during the last 3 years were analyzed through a regression modeling approach, in order to predict the severity of traffic crashes involving CPTD. Using binary logistic regression analyses, it was found that the type of road and accident, the meteorological, light and vehicle conditions, individual characteristics and risky driving behaviors significantly predict the risk of fatal work traffic accidents and serious injuries. These findings highlight the importance of combining organizational efforts with national road safety policies in order to generate a traffic safety culture among CPTD.

Development of a Hybrid Method to Generate Gravito-Inertial Cues for Motion Platforms in Highly Immersive Environments.

Motion platforms have been widely used in Virtual Reality (VR) systems for decades to simulate motion in virtual environments, and they have several applications in emerging fields such as driving assistance systems, vehicle automation and road risk management. Currently, the development of new VR immersive systems faces unique challenges to respond to the user's requirements, such as introducing high-resolution 360° panoramic images and videos. With this type of visual information, it is much more complicated to apply the traditional methods of generating motion cues, since it is generally not possible to calculate the necessary corresponding motion properties that are needed to feed the motion cueing algorithms. For this reason, this paper aims to present a new method for generating non-real-time gravito-inertial cues with motion platforms using a system fed both with computer-generated-simulation-based-images and video imagery. It is a hybrid method where part of the gravito-inertial cues-those with acceleration information-are generated using a classical approach through the application of physical modeling in a VR scene utilizing washout filters, and part of the gravito-inertial cues-the ones coming from recorded images and video, without acceleration information-were generated ad hoc in a semi-manual way. The resulting motion cues generated were further modified according to the contributions of different experts based on a successive approximation-Wideband Delphi-inspired-method. The subjective evaluation of the proposed method showed that the motion signals refined with this method were significantly better than the original non-refined ones in terms of user perception. The final system, developed as part of an international road safety education campaign, could be useful for developing further VR-based applications for key fields such as driving assistance, vehicle automation and road crash prevention.

Self-care appraisal in nursing assistant students: Adaptation, validation and psychometric properties of the Spanish ASAS.

The core implication of nursing professionals' labor is promoting self-care and foster well-being among healthcare service users. The beginning of the healing process starts with the provider, and self-care habits are needed to positively impact on patients' care outcomes at different spheres. Overall, current literature supports the idea that nurses' personal self-care should be a necessary skill to be expected in their professional role. In this regard, the Appraisal of Self-care Agency Scale (ASAS) is a worldwide known instrument aimed at assessing the ability to engage in self-care. However, it has never been tested in the Spanish context before, and much less in nursing practitioners or apprentices. The aim of this study was to translate, adapt and validate the ASAS for Spanish nursing apprentices, assessing its dimensionality, psychometric properties and convergent validity by means of the Sense of Coherence (SOC-13) questionnaire. METHODS: Data were collected from a random sample of 921 Certificated Nursing Assistant (CNA) Spanish students and was analyzed trough confirmatory factor analyses via structural equation models. The core ASAS construct and its subscales were correlated with the SOC-13 scores. RESULTS: Fair psychometric properties for the questionnaire were set. Also, SEM models endorse the validity and reliability of the four-factor dimensionality of the Spanish adaptation of the ASAS, whose associations to SOC scores were coherent and significant. CONCLUSION: This study allowed to establish that the Spanish version of the ASAS might be a useful tool for addressing self-care-related issues among nursing apprentices, a key population for promoting both their own and patients' health and welfare through healthy and care-related behaviors.

Psychometric properties, validity and insights of the School Bullying Questionnaire (CIE-A) in secondary schools of the Valencian Community (Spain).

Besides its several threats to health, welfare, social and academic development and performance of kids and teenagers, school bullying remains highlighted as one of the most relevant related challenges for educational, behavioral and legal sciences worldwide. Moreover, the lack of research on the field and the crucial but unattended need to count on psychometrically suitable and valid tools to detect school bullying make difficult understanding its contexts, dynamics and possible solutions. Objective The aim of this study was to thoroughly present in detail the psychometric properties and validity issues of the School Bullying Questionnaire (CIE-A) among secondary students. Methods A regionwide sample of 810 (47.2% girls) secondary students attending to 21 schools across the Valencian Community (Spain), aged M = 14.40 (SD = 1.61) years, responded to a paper-based questionnaire containing the 36-item version of the CIE-A and various scales related to psychosocial health and wellbeing, used as criterion variables. Results The outcomes of this study suggest that the CIE-A has a clear factor structure, an optimal set of item loadings and goodness-of-fit indexes. Further, that CIE-A has shown good internal consistency and reliability indexes, coherent associations with other mental health and academic performance variables, and the possibility to assess gender differences on bullying-related factors among secondary students. Conclusion The CIE-A may represent a suitable tool for assessing bullying in a three-factorial approach (i.e., victimization, symptomatology, and intimidation), offering optimal psychometric properties, validity and reliability insights, and the potentiality of being applied in the school environment. Actions aimed at improving the school coexistence and the well-being of secondary students, targeting potential bullied/bully profiles or seeking to assess demographic and psychosocial correlates of bullying among teenagers, might get benefited from this questionnaire.

Measuring job stress in transportation workers: psychometric properties, convergent validity and reliability of the ERI and JCQ among professional drivers.

BACKGROUND: The accumulated evidence has shown how professional drivers are, in psychosocial terms, among the most vulnerable workforces, and how their crashes (some of them preceded by stressful working conditions) constitute both an occupational and public health concern. However, there is a clear lack of validated tools for measuring stress and other key hazardous issues affecting transport workers, and most of the existing ones, frequently generic, do not fully consider the specific features that properly describe the work environment of professional driving. This study assessed the psychometric properties, convergent validity and consistency of two measures used for researching occupational stress among professional drivers: the Siegrist's ERI (Effort-Reward Imbalance Inventory) and Karasek's JCQ (Job Content Questionnaire). METHODS: We examined the data collected from 726 Spanish professional drivers. Analyses were performed using Structural Equation Models, thus obtaining basic psychometric properties of both measures and an optimized structure for the instruments, in addition to testing their convergent validity. RESULTS: The results suggest that the abbreviated versions of ERI (10 items) and JCQ (20 items) have clear dimensional structures, high factorial weights, internal consistency and an improved fit to the task's dynamics and hazards, commonly faced by of professional drivers; a short set of items with low psychometrical adjustment was excluded, and the root structure of the questionnaires was kept. CONCLUSIONS: This study supports the value and reliability of ERI-10 and JCQ-20 for measuring job stress among professional drivers. Also, there is a high consistency between both measures of stress, even though they belong to different theoretical conceptions of the phenomenon. In practical settings, these instruments can be useful for occupational researchers and practitioners studying stress-related issues from the perspective of human factors.