Judging Pharmaceutical Environmental Risk by its Cover? The Effects of Prescription Medication and Disease Severity on Environmental Risk Perception.

Recent wastewater analyses performed in care homes for the elderly showed high levels of water pollution resulting from pharmaceutical waste. The way people perceive the environmental risk of pharmaceuticals can contribute to reversing this problem, but the factors that influence risk perception remain relatively unknown. The aims of the study are two-fold. We first focused on exploring the levels of knowledge regarding environment/water pollution due to pharmaceutical residues from the groups responsible for prescribing (health professionals), handling (staff), and consuming pharmaceuticals (residents) in care homes for the elderly. Second, we assessed the environmental risk perception of pharmaceuticals based on two main factors: prescription medication (nonprescribed versus prescribed) and disease severity (milder versus severe disease), accounting for their level of knowledge (deficit versus sufficiency of knowledge). The study was designed based on correlational research. Data were collected in homes for the elderly located in three Southwestern European countries (N = 300), using self-report surveys. Current knowledge was perceived to be low and the need to know more was perceived to be high, across all groups. As hypothesized, results indicated that to assess the environmental risk, participants made use of information that was unrelated to pharmaceutical persistence, bioaccumulation, and toxicity (PBT). Prescribed pharmaceuticals and/or medication used to treat severe diseases were perceived as being more hazardous for the environment. Simple main effects analysis comparing between knowledge levels confirmed that this effect occurred mostly when participants had knowledge deficit for disease severity but not for prescription medication. These misconceptions might discourage taking an active role in reducing the impact of pharmaceutical residues in the environment.

Connectedness and well-being in simulated nature.

People relate to nature physically, cognitively and emotionally, and this relationship fosters their well-being. There are several types of environments that vary according to their degree of naturalness, raising the question of whether they each exert different effects on people, connectedness and well-being. In order to study the extent to which environmental connectedness and well-being are a function of viewing different types of nature, we conducted a study with 454 participants from five different countries, who viewed images on a computer screen of one of three types of environment (totally natural, quasi-natural or non-natural) and responded to a series of associated items. The results of a mediation analysis showed an indirect effect of type of environment on well-being through positive and negative affect and connectedness to nature. The corresponding ANOVAs revealed differences in the connectedness and well-being elicited by different types of environment, and in preference: totally natural and quasi-natural environments (with no differences between them) showed differences with non-natural environments. Therefore, our study results suggest the usefulness of images of natural environments in fostering people's well-being and connectedness to nature.

Contacto con la Naturaleza: Favoreciendo la Conectividad con la Naturaleza y el Bienestar / Contact with Nature: Favoring Connectedness to Nature and Well-being

Resumen Las personas interactúan con la Naturaleza tanto a nivel físico como cognitivo y emocional, y la investigación científica ha puesto de manifiesto la capacidad de la Naturaleza de procurar el bienestar de las personas. Con el objetivo de conocer si el contacto con la Naturaleza se relaciona con mayores niveles de conectividad con la Naturaleza como de bienestar, se realizaron dos estudios. El primero se llevó a cabo con dos muestras diferentes: una de adolescentes (n = 283) y otra de adultos (n = 447), quienes respondieron un cuestionario mediante el que se evaluó la conectividad con la Naturaleza y el bienestar. A partir de los resultados de una prueba t de Student se observó mayor conectividad con la Naturaleza y bienestar en personas con un contacto frecuente con la Naturaleza, en ambas muestras. En el segundo estudio (n = 63), se investigó dicha relación en personas tras realizar un recorrido por un entorno natural artificial. Los resultados del análisis de varianza muestran que las personas que realizaron el recorrido obtuvieron mayores niveles de conectividad y afecto positivo, respecto a la línea base, que quienes no vivieron esta experiencia. Este trabajo evidencia las ventajas de la intervención psicológica mediante el contacto con la Naturaleza.

Abstract Humans relate to nature at a physical, cognitive, and emotional level, and scientific research has shown how this relation impacts on people's well-being. Two studies were carried out to determine whether contact with nature is related to higher levels of connectedness and well-being; one consisted of adolescents (n = 283) and the other of adults (n = 447), who responded to a questionnaire aimed at assessing connectivity with Nature and well-being. A greater connectedness and well-being were observed in people with frequent contact with nature. In the second study (n = 63), this relationship was studied in people after taking a tour through an artificial natural environment. The results show that the people who took the tour had higher levels of connectedness and positive affect, with levels increasing with respect to the baseline. In this study, the advantages of psychological intervention through contact with nature are evident.

Psychometric Properties of the Measure of Love for Nature.

Several instruments have been developed to measure the human beings-nature relationship, one of which is the Love and Care for Nature Scale. Three studies were conducted with the aim of analyzing to what extent the construct of love and care for nature, responds to two empirically different dimensions, as well as conducting a psychometric study of the scale. The analysis of construct components showed a large cluster formed by two others (connectedness and well-being), considered "love for nature", and one two-items cluster referring to "care" (Study 1, n = 51). Considering the "love" items, it was found that ten of the items present adequate psychometric properties (Study 2, n = 1071), and adequate levels of reliability and validity (Study 3, n = 151). Consequently, an appropriate measure of love of nature is established, while an interesting future research line would be to separately study the scale's two components.

Lay people and experts' risk perception of pharmaceuticals in the environment in Southwestern Europe.

This study aims to contribute to the risk management of pharmaceuticals in the environment, illustrating risk perceptions of lay people and experts from Southwestern Europe (Portugal, Spain, and France). The psychometric paradigm was applied to assess risk regarding four hazards: pharmaceuticals in the environment (i.e., broadly framed), pharmaceuticals in treated wastewater, pharmaceuticals in drinking water, and pharmaceuticals in crops. Two factors explained most of the variance of risk assessments: dread and unknown. The dread factor combined immediacy and severity of effects, and the old nature of hazards. Pharmaceuticals in crops and drinking water scored higher in this factor, as did experts and French respondents. The unknown factor differentiated between the assessments of lay people and experts. Lay people assessed the hazards as being more known by those who were exposed but less known by science; and exposure was perceived as more voluntary and the risk as more controllable. Even though pharmaceutical residues are present in much higher concentrations in treated wastewater, risk assessments were overall higher for drinking water and crops. Moreover, data also revealed risk management preferences: whereas lay people preferred technological and awareness-type measures, experts preferred measures to improve the disposal of pharmaceutical waste and health-type measures.

The importance of household pharmaceutical products disposal and its risk management: Example from Southwestern Europe.

The presence of pharmaceuticals in the environment is an emergent unknown environmental problem, linked to increased production and consumption of pharmaceuticals and, as such, understanding risk perception is fundamental. This study focuses on exploring causes (trust and knowledge) and effects (intention and proper individual disposal of pharmaceutical leftovers) of environmental and health risk perception. Survey data was collected in Portugal, Spain, and France (sample of 509 individuals). Data illustrated that in France, where the quantity of recycled pharmaceuticals is much higher, respondents reported a higher need for knowledge, but not a higher risk perception nor self-reported behaviour. Although previous research illustrates that higher trust correlates with lower risk perception, we found a positive correlation, which highlights the need to comprehend these variables in emergent risks. Results further confirmed a hypothesized moderated mediation model to explain proper disposal behaviour. We found an indirect effect of risk perception on behaviour through intention, which was stronger for participants with higher environmental identity. Understanding the causes and effects of risk perception of pharmaceuticals in the environment thereby contributes to improve pharmaceutical waste management processes and to promote the proper disposal of pharmaceuticals.

Psychometric properties of the measure of love for nature

Several instruments have been developed to measure the human beings-nature relationship, one of which is the Love and Care for Nature Scale. Three studies were conducted with the aim of analyzing to what extent the construct of love and care for nature, responds to two empirically different dimensions, as well as conducting a psychometric study of the scale. The analysis of construct components showed a large cluster formed by two others (connectedness and well-being), considered "love for nature", and one two-items cluster referring to "care" (Study 1, n = 51). Considering the "love" items, it was found that ten of the items present adequate psychometric properties (Study 2, n = 1071), and adequate levels of reliability and validity (Study 3, n = 151). Consequently, an appropriate measure of love of nature is established, while an interesting future research line would be to separately study the scale's two components

No disponible

Psicología y medioambiente: un reto ineludible / Psychology and the environment: an unavoidable challenge

No disponible

The equivalence of measures on the Connectedness to Nature Scale: A comparison between ordinal methods of DIF detection.

The Connectedness to Nature Scale has been used in many different countries and settings. However, no one has yet tested the equivalence of these measures. Equivalence of measures has been the subject of much research in recent years, due to the importance of measuring in the same way when comparing between different groups. The present work studied the differential item functioning (DIF) of the CNS in a Spanish group and a North American group of respondents, using two different methods of detecting DIF. It also evaluated the overall equivalence of the scale. The results reveal differential functioning in most items, and only configural invariance is given. Thus, we suggest a reappraisal of the scale when comparing results from different countries since otherwise the conclusions drawn might be incorrect.

Pharmaceuticals released from senior residences: occurrence and risk evaluation.

One of the main pursuits, yet most difficult, in monitoring studies is to identify the sources of environmental pollution. In this study, we have identified health-care facilities from south European countries as an important source of pharmaceuticals in the environment. We have estimated that compounds consumed in by the elderly and released from effluents of senior residences can reach river waters at a concentration higher than 0.01 µg/L, which is the European Medicines Agency (EMA) threshold for risk evaluation of pharmaceuticals in surface waters. This study has been based on five health institutions in Portugal, Spain, and France, with 52 to 130 beds. We have compiled the pharmaceuticals dispensed on a daily base and calculated the consumption rates. From 54.9 to 1801 g of pharmaceuticals are consumed daily, with laxatives, analgesics, antiepileptics, antibiotics, and antidiabetic agents being the main drug families administered. According to excretion rates, dilution in the sewerage system, and elimination in wastewater treatment plants, macrogol, metformin, paracetamol, acetylcysteine, amoxicillin, and gabapentin, among others, are expected to reach river waters. Finally, we discuss the risk management actions related to the discharge of pharmaceuticals from senior residences to surface waters.

Affective assessment of high and low-density residential and functional environments / Valoración afectiva de ambientes residenciales y funcionales de alta y baja densidad

This paper contrasts high and low-density residential and functional environments through an assessment of the pleasure and arousal said environments elicit. The relationships between these affective dimensions and a measure of emotional well-being and personality traits are also explored. Two hundred thirty-eight university students assessed the degree of pleasure and arousal elicited by a series of images depicting high and lowdensity residential and functional environments. The findings clearly reveal that residential environments produce more pleasurable feelings than functional spaces, regardless of their density. However, as regards arousal, the feelings produced by residential and functional environments vary on depending on their density. It concludes that residential environments are more adaptable environments in terms of emotional well-being

El presente trabajo contrasta ambientes residenciales versus funcionales de alta y baja densidad a través de la valoración del agrado y la activación que dichos ambientes elicitan. Así mismo se exploran las relaciones entre estas dimensiones afectivas y una medida de bienestar emocional y rasgos de personalidad. 238 estudiantes universitarios valoraron el nivel de agrado y activación elicitado por una serie de imágenes que representaban ambientes residenciales y funcionales de alta y baja densidad. Los resultados ponen de manifiesto que, independientemente de la densidad, los ambientes residenciales generan sentimientos más agradables que los espacios funcionales; no obstante, y en relación con la activación, los sentimientos generados por ambientes residenciales y funcionales, varían en función de la densidad. Se concluye que los ambientes residenciales se constituyen en entornos más adaptativos en términos de bienestar emocional

Educación ambiental: itinerario en la naturaleza y su relación con conectividad, preocupaciones ambientales y conducta / Environmental education: itineraries in nature and their relationship with connectedness, environmental concerns and behavior

Resumen Las excursiones e itinerarios a través de entornos naturales son frecuentes en la educación ambiental, pero existe poca evidencia empírica de investigaciones que aporten resultados que permitan comprender mejor los efectos de las experiencias de contacto directo con ambientes naturales, y menos aún acerca de su relación con la conectividad con la naturaleza, las preocupaciones ambientales y el comportamiento proambiental. Se llevan a cabo dos estudios, en el primero participan 286 estudiantes de psicología, quienes completan un cuestionario que mide conectividad, preocupación ambiental, conducta y variables sociodemográficas y socioculturales. En el segundo estudio, 40 alumnos participan en una excursión por un ambiente natural, completando medidas pre y post de conectividad. Los resultados indican que la preocupación ambiental está relacionada con variables sociodemográficas y socioculturales como el género, la ideología política y la religiosidad; no así la conectividad con la naturaleza, que solo aumenta tras el contacto con un ambiente natural. Se discuten los alcances de los resultados del estudio para la educación ambiental.

Abstract Albeit there is research about basic concepts involved in environmental education, enough evidence is lacking about the experiences of contact with natural environments, so common in this field, and even less about his relationship with Connectedness with Nature, Environmental Concerns and Pro-environmental Behavior. We report results of two studies; the first involving 286 psychology students who completed a questionnaire measuring Connectedness, Concerns, Behavior and Socio-demographic and Sociocultural variables. In the second study, 40 students participated in an excursion across a natural environment, completing pre and post measures of Connectedness. The main results show that the concerns are related to demographic and socio-cultural variables such as gender, political ideology and religiosity, but not to Connectedness with Nature, which only increases after contact with a natural environment. We discuss the implications of the findings for environmental education.

Categorizing sources of risk and the estimated magnitude of risk.

The social perception of risk is considered a multidimensional task, yet little attention has been paid to the cognitive components that organize sources of risk, despite their having been discovered in various research studies. This study attempts to concretely analyze the cultural dimension involved in those processes. In the first phase, we tried to discover to what extent sources of risk are organized into the same categories by people from different countries. In order to do so, two groups of participants were formed: 60 Spanish psychology students and 60 Chilean psychology students classified 43 sources of risk into different groups according to the criteria they found appropriate. The two samples classified risk into identical groups: acts of violence, drugs, electricity and home appliances, household chemicals, chemicals in the environment, public construction projects, transportation, sports, and natural disasters. In a second study, 100 Spanish and 84 Chilean students were asked to evaluate the magnitude of the damage incurred by 17 sources of risk. In both groups, it was observed that the evaluation of damage resulting from each source of risk was affected by its category.

Categorizing Sources of Risk and the Estimated Magnitude of Risk

The social perception of risk is considered a multidimensional task, yet little attention has been paid to the cognitive components that organize sources of risk, despite their having been discovered in various research studies. This study attempts to concretely analyze the cultural dimension involved in those processes. In the first phase, we tried to discover to what extent sources of risk are organized into the same categories by people from different countries. In order to do so, two groups of participants were formed: 60 Spanish psychology students and 60 Chilean psychology students classified 43 sources of risk into different groups according to the criteria they found appropriate. The two samples classified risk into identical groups: acts of violence, drugs, electricity and home appliances, household chemicals, chemicals in the environment, public construction projects, transportation, sports, and natural disasters. In a second study, 100 Spanish and84 Chilean students were asked to evaluate the magnitude of the damage incurred by 17 sources of risk. In both groups, it was observed that the evaluation of damage resulting from each source of risk was affected by its category (AU)

La percepción social del riesgo se considera una tarea multidimensional, sin embargo se ha prestado poca atención a los componentes cognitivos que organizan las fuentes del riesgo, a pesar de que se han descubierto en varios estudios de investigación. Concretamente, este estudio intenta analizar la dimensión cultural implicada en esos procesos. En primer lugar, intentamos descubrir hasta qué punto personas de diferentes países organizan las fuentes de riesgo en las mismas categorías. Para ello, se formaron dos grupos de participantes: 60 estudiantes de psicología españoles y 60 estudiantes de psicología chilenos clasificaron 43 fuentes de riesgo en diferentes grupos según los criterios más apropiados para ellos. Las dos muestras clasificaron el riesgo en grupos idénticos: actos de violencia, drogas, electricidad y electrodomésticos, productos químicos domésticos, productos químicos en el medio ambiente, proyectos de construcción públicos, transporte, deportes y desastres naturales. En un segundo estudio, 100 estudiantes españoles y 84 chilenos evaluaron la magnitud del daño provocado por 17 fuentes de riesgo. En ambos grupos, se observó que la categoría afectaba la evaluación del daño resultante de cada fuente de riesgo (AU)

Underlying dimensions of ecocentric and anthropocentric environmental beliefs.

This study focuses on the cognitive components of general environmental attitudes. Taking as a starting point the scale of Thompson and Barton (1994) to identify ecocentric and anthropocentric motives in environmental conservation, the beliefs that guide attitudes in the person-environment relationship are analyzed. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to contrast the tripartite structure of these beliefs--based on egoistic, socioaltruistic, and biospheric aspects-with a two-dimensional structure that confronts ecocentric and anthropocentric orientations. The results obtained from two samples, a student sample (n = 212) and a sample from the general population of Madrid (n = 205), indicate the existence of a three-dimensional structure of environmental beliefs: an anthropocentric dimension based on the instrumental value of the environment for human beings, a biospheric dimension that values the environment for its own sake, and, lastly, an egobiocentric dimension that values the human being within nature as a whole.

Underlying dimensions of ecocentric and anthropocentric environmental beliefs

This study focuses on the cognitive components of general environmental attitudes. Taking as a starting point the scale of Thompson and Barton (1994) to identify ecocentric and anthropocentric motives in environmental conservation, the beliefs that guide attitudes in the person-environment relationship are analyzed. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to contrast the tripartite structure of these beliefs -based on egoistic, socio altruistic, and biospheric aspects- with a two-dimensional structure that confronts ecocentric and anthropocentric orientations. The results obtained from two samples, a student sample (n = 212) and a sample from the general population of Madrid (n= 205), indicate the existence of a three-dimensional structure of environmental beliefs: an anthropocentric dimension based on the instrumental value of the environment for human beings, a biospheric dimension that values the environment for its own sake, and, lastly, an egobiocentric dimension that values the human being within nature as a whole (AU)

La presente investigación está centrada en los componentes cognitivos de las actitudes generales hacia el medio ambiente. Partiendo de la escala utilizada por Thompson y Barton (1994) para identificar motivos ecocéntricos y antropocéntricos en la conservación medioambiental, se analizan las creencias que orientan la relación individuo-medio ambiente. Mediante análisis factorial confirmatorio se contrasta una estructura tripartita de estas creencias basada en dimensiones egoístas, socioaltruistas y biosféricas con una estructura bidimensional en la que se enfrentan una orientación ecocéntrica y una orientación antropocéntrica. Los resultados obtenidos con dos muestras, una de estudiantes (n = 212) y otra extraída de la población general de la ciudad de Madrid (n = 205), apuntan hacia la existencia de una estructura de tres dimensiones de las creencias ambientales: una dimensión antropocéntrica vinculada al valor instrumental del medio ambiente para el ser humano; una dimensión biosférica que contempla el medio ambiente por el valor intrínseco de éste y, finalmente, una dimensión egobiocéntrica que valora al ser humano en la naturaleza (AU)

La estructura de las creencias sobre la problemática medioambiental / The structure of beliefs about environmental concern

La presente investigación analiza las creencias que orientan la relación individuo-medio ambiente, hipotetizando que éstas se organizan en una estructura tripartita, según que el énfasis se ponga en el propio sujeto (egoísmo), en los seres humanos (socioaltruismo) o en la biosfera (biosferismo). Esta estructura se contrasta con otros enfoques bidimensionales donde se enfrentan una orientación ecocéntrica y una antropocéntrica. Los resultados obtenidos con una muestra de estudiantes (N= 212) apuntan hacia la existencia de una estructura bidimensional de las creencias ambientales: una dimensión antropocéntrica vinculada a las consecuencias que el deterioro medioambiental tiene para uno mismo y para el ser humano en general y al valor instrumental del medio ambiente; y una dimensión ecocéntrica que valora las consecuencias del daño medioambiental para los elementos no humanos del planeta y que contempla el medio ambiente por su valor intrínseco

In this study beliefs about the relationship between the individual and his/her natural environment are analysed and it is hypothesised that these beliefs are organised in a three-dimensional structure, according to the emphasis placed within the relationship on: self (egoism), human beings in general (socioaltruism) and the Biosphere (biospherism). This structure is compared with other works that defend a bidimensional structure of anthropocentricity versus ecocentricity. Results based on a student sample (N= 212) indicate the existence of a bidimensional structure of environmental beliefs: an anthropocentric dimension, concerned with the effects of environmental deterioration on self and human beings in general and with the instrumental value of the environment; and an ecocentric dimension which assesses the consequences of environmental deterioration for non-human elements of the planet and which considers the natural environment for its own intrinsic value