Showing papers by "Trond Nordfjærn published in 2020"

Active travel as a pro-environmental behaviour: An integrated framework

Abstract: A travel mode may be chosen due to its emotional appeal (affective motive) or to express social status (symbolic motive). Previous studies have overlooked the role of such motives in active mode use as pro-environmental behaviour. This study aims to examine the role of symbolic and affective motives, together with other significant theoretical perspectives, to explain the share of active modes of transport in trips to the university. It adds to the previous literature by considering the share of active modes of transport in different seasons. We collected a total of 316 completely filled questionnaires (response rate = 75.4 percent) from a cross-sectional self-administered survey in February 2019 in Trondheim, Norway. Among the psychological variables related to active mode use, only affective motives were found significant in both summer and winter. Environmental self-identity predicted both types of motives. No evidence suggested that personal environmental norms and attitudes towards transportation significantly explained active mode share, although car-related subjective norms reached significance. Furthermore, there was no evidence that environmental attitudes towards transportation had a mediating effect between motives and active mode use. Cycling journey time between place of residence and campus was found significant in the share of active modes of transport in both seasons. The results have important ramifications for the provision of relevant regulations and raising positive support from society to enhance the share of active modes of travel to the university.

Substance use disorder patients’ expectations on transition from treatment to post-discharge period:

Abstract: Aim:There is limited knowledge about how inpatients anticipate factors that facilitate the transition between specialised inpatient treatment for substance use disorder (SUD) and the post-discharge...

Barriers to children's walking to school in Iranian and Chinese samples

Abstract: Factors that contribute to children’s walking to school have been investigated in previous research, which primarily focussed on socio-economic variables in high income countries. There is a general lack of studies which have examined mode choice differences on school trips in low and middle income countries. Focusing on parental social cognitive variables in addition to household socio-economic characteristics, the present study is among the first to compare barriers to children’s walking in daily commuting to schools across samples from two middle income countries: Iran and China. A self-administered questionnaire was devised and distributed among primary school pupils (7–9 years old) in Mashhad, Iran and Nanjing, China. The children were asked to take the questionnaires to their parents to complete and return the filled forms. A total of 671 (response rate of 90 percent) and 224 (response rate of 82 percent) completely filled questionnaires were returned in Mashhad and Nanjing, respectively. Multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) showed that parents in Mashhad perceived higher risk and reported more worry of children being involved in road crashes when walking to school. Analyses revealed more safety favourable parental attitudes in the Chinese sample, compared to the Iranian sample. Parental attitudes towards transport safety were safer in the sample from Nanjing as compared to Mashhad. Hierarchical binary logistic regression showed that walking time from home to school and parental worry about road crashes were negatively associated with children’s walking to school in both samples. In the Iranian sample, results suggested that while household car ownership and higher family income were associated with a decreased probability that a child walk to school, the total number of children in the household increased the probability of walking to school.

The association between lifestyle and aberrant driving behavior among Iranian car drivers

Abstract: Aberrant driving is one of the most important contributors to traffic crashes, and drivers' lifestyle attributes might affect aberrant driving behavior. However, people in developing countries, especially in the Middle East, usually reflect crucial differences in lifestyle compared to people in Europe and the United States. Iran may be perceived as a society with multiple cultural and lifestyle facets, and people reflect a mixed Islamic and Western lifestyle. The present study aimed to investigate the associations between lifestyle dimensions and aberrant driving behavior among Iranian drivers. For this purpose, 1260 drivers with driving license responded to a questionnaire including items about socio-demographic characteristics, lifestyle dimensions, and the Driver Behavior Questionnaire (DBQ). Structural equation modeling (SEM) showed that most of the lifestyle dimensions (Car hobby, Religion, Morality, and Culture) had significant associations with driving behavior. Car hobby (driving for recreational purposes) positively predicted driving errors, lapses, ordinary violations, and aggressive violations. Religion and Morality (a focus on ethical aspects in life) were negative predictors of all the aberrant driving behavior factors. Ordinary violations and aggressive violations were further negatively predicted by culture, operationalized as participation in cultural activities (e.g. reading books). Policies aimed at reducing drivers' car hobby can be focused on the process of education for obtaining and extending the driver's license. The syllabus can be updated to shed light on disadvantages of driving for pleasure/fun. Promotion of cultural activities through the mass media and educational institutions such as schools, libraries, and universities may also increase awareness and calm people, which in turn may be associated with a reduction in aberrant driving behavior.