"Stay at Home": The Effects of the COVID-19 Lockdown on Household Food Waste in Colombia.

Household food waste represents one of the main challenges for sustainable development as this directly affects the economy of food consumers, the loss of natural resources and generates additional greenhouse gas emissions. The COVID-19 pandemic and its mitigation strategies caused one of the most serious economic crises in recent decades and could become the worst economic crisis that Latin America has had in its history. The objective of this study is to analyze changes in food waste behavior during the COVID-19 lockdown in Colombia in 2020, applying the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). For this purpose, we conducted a survey with 581 Colombian food consumers, which examined the influence of intentions to not waste food, subjective norms, some situational predictors, questions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the control of perceived behavior on food waste. The results suggest that the TPB can predict the intention to not waste food and, through it, the actual household food waste behavior, considering the lockdown in Colombia as an external shock. We observe that regarding the intention to not waste food, the most relevant variables are attitudes, subjective norms, control of the perceived behavior, and concerns regarding the Covid-19 pandemic. These variables increase the probability on average by a 0.8 Odds Ratio that the intention not to waste food increases, too. Regarding food waste behavior, whether it is considered ordinal or nominal, we see that the most relevant variables are intention, financial attitudes, and control of perceived behavior, doubling the probability that food waste behavior will improve. Based on the results, we provide recommendations for interested stakeholders that can help in the design of instruments for household food waste reduction.

Psychological Factors Influencing Pro-environmental Behavior in Developing Countries: Evidence From Colombian and Nicaraguan Students.

Identifying the determinants of human behavior is useful to adjust interventions and lead the civil society toward a stronger commitment to climate change (CC) mitigation and adaptation objectives, achieving greater support for successfully implementing environmental policies. Existing research has largely focused on case studies of pro-environmental behaviors (PEBs) in developed economies but there is very little evidence for developing countries. This study provides estimations of the effect of internal factors, such as sociodemographic variables, and four psychological dimensions (CC knowledge, environmental attitudes, self-efficacy, and trust in sources of environmental information) on PEBs. Data were obtained through a survey applied with future decision makers - university students - from Colombia (n = 4,769) and Nicaragua (n = 2,354). Indices were generated for PEBs and the psychological dimensions using z-scores and Principal Component Analysis (PCA). Partial correlations were evaluated through the Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) method. Our results suggest that, in order to reach the planned emission reduction targets, policy approaches should more strongly focus on educating and motivating citizens and prepare them for contributing to the environmental cause, as well as provide individual solutions to combat CC, rather than providing only information on its causes and consequences.

Encuesta de actitudes sobre vigilancia de la temperatura y protección térmica perioperatoria en Colombia / Survey about attitudes on perioperative temperature monitoring and thermal protection in Colombia

Introduction: Perioperative hypothermia is a common condition associated with serious complications and perioperative mortality. The incidence of perioperative hypothermia is between 30 and 70%. Objective: To determine the status of perioperative monitoring and thermal protection in clinics and hospitals of high complexity in Colombia and the establishment of minimum safety standards of the Colombian Society of Anesthesiology to this respect. Methods: A survey with voluntary answers was administered to leaders of anesthesiology departments and surgical services of high complexity institutions in Colombia. The questionnaire had 20 items with an adaptive structure and was sent by email to a randomized list. Only fully completed questionnaires were analyzed. Results: 135 surveys were analyzed. Measurement of temperature is reported always or almost always in 27% of cases, while 45% have at least one method of intraoperative thermal protection. Barriers for monitoring temperature and for thermal protection were explored. Conclusions: Temperature monitoring and perioperative thermal protection is insufficient in the sample studied. The reasons are: limited availability of devices for monitoring and protection and lack of interest toward the subject. There is no acceptance of minimum safety standards of the Colombian Society of Anesthesiology (S.C.A.R.E.) because of the limited availability of thermometers, poor monitoring of intraoperative temperature and misuse of heating strategies.

Introducción: La hipotermia perioperatoria es una condición frecuente que se asocia a complicaciones serias que en algunos casos pueden ser potencialmente letales. La incidencia de hipotermia perioperatoria oscila entre 30 y 70%. Objetivo: Determinar la situación de la monitorización y protección térmica perioperatoria en instituciones prestadoras de servicios de salud de alta complejidad en Colombia y la apropiación de las normas mínimas de seguridad de la Sociedad Colombiana de Anestesiología y Reanimación (S.C.A.R.E.) sobre este aspecto. Métodos: Se realizó una encuesta cerrada por internet de diligenciamiento voluntario. El cuestionario de 20 ítems tenia una estructura adaptativa, fue administrado por correo electrónico, y se dirigió a líderes de departamentos de anestesiología y servicios quirúrgicos de alta complejidad en Colombia. Solo se analizaron cuestionarios completamente respondidos. Resultados: Se analizaron 135 encuestas. Los encuestados refirieron realizar la medición de la temperatura siempre o casi siempre en 27% de los casos, mientras que 45% disponen de al menos un método de protección térmica intraoperatoria. Se exploraron las barreras para la monitorización y la protección térmica perioperatoria. Conclusiones: La monitorización de la temperatura y la protección térmica perioperatoria es insuficiente en la muestra estudiada. Esto como consecuencia de poca disponibilidad de dispositivos para monitorización y protección y por falta de interés frente al tema. No hay apropiación de las normas mínimas de seguridad de la S.C.A.R.E., dada la poca disponibilidad de termómetros, la escasa monitorización de la temperatura intraoperatoria y el uso inadecuado de las estrategias de calentamiento.