Smog and air pollution have fast become significant environmental problems and are attributed to rapid global industrialization and urbanization. Emissions of fine particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of ≤2.5 μm (PM2.5) increase smog and air pollution, with strong impacts on human health. Children are particularly vulnerable. While increasing studies are being conducted on the behaviors leading to PM2.5 toxicity from the perspective of environmental toxicants, there is a lack of research on factors influencing anti-PM2.5 behavioral intentions. Thus, this study aims to narrow this gap by adapting the theory of planned behavior framework to investigate the effects of attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control on protective behavioral intentions against PM2.5. In total, 1277 online questionnaires were collected from parents of young children living in urban and rural areas of Beijing, and the data was analyzed using correlation, regression, and path analyses. Results revealed that there were significant differences between parents from urban and rural areas in terms of attitude (t = 4.727 > 1.96, p < 0.001), subjective norms (t = 5.529 > 1.96, p < 0.001), perceived behavioral control (t = 6.155 > 1.96, p < 0.001), and anti-PM2.5 behavioral intentions (t = 6.838 > 1.96, p < 0.001). Path analysis revealed that parents from urban and rural areas had different behavioral intention paths. For urban parents, the findings indicated that subjective norms (β = 0.73, t = 21.84 > 3.29) and perceived behavioral control (γ = 0.22, t = 6.12 > 3.29) had direct impacts on anti-PM2.5 behavioral intentions. In contrast, the attitudes (γ = 0.39, t = 3.74 > 3.29) and subjective norms (β = 0.60, t = 8.55 > 3.29) of rural parents were found to directly influence anti-PM2.5 behavioral intentions.

In this study, we examined excessive online gaming by adolescents and the resultant effects of their exposure to the online marketing of energy drinks and alcohol, and whether marketing literacy could serve as a mitigating factor. This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2020. Data were obtained from a sample of 2613 seventh-grade students from 30 middle schools in Taiwan. A self-administered questionnaire was conducted. The results showed that nearly 18% of the adolescent respondents had used energy drinks, while 75% reported seeing energy-drink advertisements on the internet in the past year. Multiple regression results indicated that factors such as being male, reporting excessive gaming, being exposed to higher levels of online energy-drink marketing, and reporting alcohol use were positively associated with energy-drink consumption. A higher level of online energy-drink marketing-affective literacy, however, was negatively associated with energy-drink consumption. In conclusion, factors that predicted energy-drink consumption among adolescents included excessive gaming and exposure to online energy-drink marketing, but marketing-affective literacy tended to lessen the impact of such advertising.

The literature on organ donation in Taiwan lacks a discussion of the roles of medical staff, organ donors, and transplant coordinators in organ donation. The biggest plight of organ donation is lack of the organ donations. When we probed the possibilities of not finish the organ donation procedure, such as religions, traditions and cultural belief, disease cognitions, and the failure of persuasion or the loss of organ donors. There are lots of research literature shown that the attitude of medical personnel would influence the willingness of organ donation or persuasion. This study considered such personnel and their participation in organ donation, specifically analyzing factors influencing their effectiveness. Snowball sampling was adopted to recruit medical staff, organ donors, and transplant coordinators for an online survey. The results revealed that some participants were unclear as to how to initiate the organ donation process and what practical operations are involved. Even with the necessary qualifications, some participants remained passive when soliciting organ donations in clinical practice. Organ donation coordinators with experience in caring for organ donors who attended organ donation courses performed well in soliciting organ donations. The researchers recommend that training courses on clinical planning and organ donation are incorporated into intensive care training and that they serve as the basis for counsellors soliciting organ donations to increase nurses’ willingness to solicit organ donations.

Population aging and air pollution are global concerns. The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship among particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 μm or less (PM_2.5) knowledge, PM_2.5 preventive attitude, and PM_2.5 preventive behavioral intention in the elderly. A cross-sectional survey design was applied in this study, including usage intention and snowball sampling. A total of 617 elderly people aged over 65 participated, and the collected data were quantitatively analyzed. The results showed that the mean score of PM_2.5 knowledge of the elderly was 10.34 (79.53%) with the standard deviation (SD) of 3.42, the mean score of PM_2.5 preventive attitude was 4.58 (91.60%) with SD of 0.49, and the mean score of PM_2.5 preventive behavioral intention was 4.72 (94.40%) with SD of 0.40. Elderly people's characteristics regarding PM_2.5 knowledge and PM_2.5 preventive attitude explained 22% (adjusted R ² = 0.22, F = 30.44, P < .001) of the variance in PM_2.5 preventive behavioral intention. It is concluded that we found no difference in PM_2.5 knowledge, PM_2.5 preventive attitude, or PM_2.5 preventive behavioral intention among the elderly with or without chronic diseases. In our opinion, health education regarding the threat of PM_2.5 to the health of the elderly should be strengthened, to enhance their knowledge, preventive attitude, and preventive behavioral intention of PM_2.5.

Air pollution, particularly fine particulate matter (PM2.5), has been associated with various health issues, but its effects on skin health, specifically skin redness, remain underexplored. This study aims to examine the relationship between PM2.5 exposure and skin redness, with a focus on the role of sebum production in different age groups. A total of 472 participants from two communities in Taiwan in two age groups (20–59 years, n=240; over 60 years, n=232) were included in the study. PM2.5 exposure levels were estimated using land use regression models based on participants’ residential addresses. Skin redness area was assessed using the VISIA Imaging System. Linear regression analyses were conducted to examine the association between PM2.5 and redness area, adjusting for demographic, lifestyle, and ultraviolet exposure. Results showed a significant positive association between PM2.5 levels and redness area in both age groups. In the 20-59 age group, each unit increase in PM2.5 corresponded to a 1.70-unit increase in redness area (95% CI: 0.32 – 3.07, p < 0.01), while in the over-60 group, the increase was 2.63 units (95% CI: 1.19 – 4.08, p < 0.001). Additionally, porphyrins showed a positive association with redness area among the 20-59 age group (p < 0.05), while no significant association was found in the over-60 group. This study suggests a linkage between PM2.5 exposure and skin redness area, indicating that air pollution may be a contributing factor to skin health issues. The findings suggest that the interaction between lipophilic and carcinogenic substances in PM2.5 and porphyrins could elevate redness area levels and potentially increase the risk of chronic skin conditions and skin cancer.