An observational study of driving distractions on urban roads in Spain.

The present research investigated the prevalence of driver engagement in secondary tasks and whether there were any differences by age and gender, as well as day of the week and time of the day. Two independent researchers observed 6578 drivers at nine randomly selected urban locations in Girona, Spain. Nearly 20% of the drivers observed were engaged in some type of secondary task, with the most common being: conversing with a passenger (11.1%), smoking (3.7%) and talking on a handheld mobile phone (1.3%). Surprisingly there were no differences by gender, but there were age-related differences with younger drivers being more frequently observed engaged in a number of different types of secondary tasks while driving (i.e. drinking, talking on a handheld mobile phone, and texting or keying numbers). Logistic regression showed that younger drivers, and to a lesser extent middle-age drivers, were significantly more likely to be observed engaged in a technological distraction than older drivers. Conversely, non-technological distractions were significantly predicted by day of the week, time of the day and location. A substantial number of the drivers observed in this study were putting themselves at an increased risk of becoming involved in a crash by engaging in non-driving related tasks at the same time as driving. Furthermore, the higher crash rate among young drivers may be partially accounted for by their more frequent engagement in some types of secondary tasks while driving.

Burnout and quality of life among Spanish healthcare personnel.

The purpose of this study was to analyse the relationship between perceived quality of life and levels of burnout among healthcare personnel. A sample of 1095 participants (nurses, physicians, nursing assistants and orderlies) from five hospitals in the province of Girona (Spain) were studied (78% women, mean age=36.6 years, SD=8.8) using the 36-item short-form health questionnaire (SF-36) and the Maslach Burnout Inventory. The results showed that health-related quality of life reported by this sample of healthcare personnel was lower than the reference population values, especially in those SF-36 dimensions that comprise the mental component. In comparing the dimensions of the SF-36 by profession, we found that physicians had better perceived health in the dimensions of the physical component than nurses and other professionals (P< 0.01). No statistical differences were observed between profession and the dimensions of the mental component (P>0.05). Moreover, perceived health was worse among those that reported a high level on any of the components of burnout. These results should be taken account when designing a burnout prevention programme in the workplace.

Stages of change and decisional balance for condom use with a romantic partner.

This article examines the relationship between decisional balance and stages of change for consistent condom use with a current romantic heterosexual partner. The sample consisted of 619 undergraduate students (35.1% males; mean of age = 20.31). The results show that the pros and cons of using condoms were significantly related to the stages of change for condom use, but that the pros were more strongly related. Therefore, campaigns for preventing the transmission of the HIV virus and other sexually transmitted diseases should attempt to maximize the perceived advantages of condom use, rather than refuting the cons.

The pedestrian behaviour of Spanish adolescents.

Adolescent pedestrians are a particularly vulnerable group of road users. This research tested the applicability of the recently developed Adolescent Road user Behaviour Questionnaire (ARBQ) amongst a sample of 2006 Spanish adolescents. Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the full scale found that the original three factors did not adequately fit the data, but an acceptable fit was obtained for the shortened 21-item version of the scale. In line with research from the UK, the present study found that males reported more unsafe road crossing behaviour and playing on the roads, but there was no gender difference for engaging in planned protective behaviour. This research also confirmed that unsafe road crossing behaviour increased with age, while dangerous playing on the road and planned protective behaviours both decreased with age. The present study also confirmed that the ARBQ is a useful tool for investigating the safety-related behaviour of adolescents on the road.

Percepción del riesgo de transmisión sexual del VIH en estudiantes de bachillerato / Risk perception of HIV sexual transmission in high school students

En una muestra de 108 estudiantes de segundo curso de bachillerato se han evaluado la intención de conducta frente a una situación de riesgo simulada de transmisión sexual del virus del sida y los conocimientos y creencias respecto a los métodos preventivos más eficaces para evitar la infección con el VIH. Aunque la mayoría de los jóvenes informan sobre su intención de llevar a cabo conductas preventivas con una pareja ala que acaban de conocer, el 11 % de ellos pondría en claro riesgo su salud. Más de las dos quintas partes dela muestra comunican que no pensaron en el sida en el momento de decidir su respuesta: casi todos ellos, tanto chicos como chicas, se preocuparon por los embarazos. La práctica totalidad de los estudiantes consideran que el preservativo es el método más eficaz para la prevención de la transmisión sexual del virus del sida y piensan que su eficacia es elevada. En ninguna de las variables examinadas se han encontrado diferencias significativas en función del sexo. El análisis de los datos cualitativos permite detectar la existencia de creencias erróneas en algunos estudiantes que convendría tener en cuenta en los programas preventivos futuros y que sugieren la conveniencia de insistir con claridad en los aspectos biológicos de la transmisión, en lugar de emplear expresiones culturalmente sesgadas. También se debería aprovechar la preocupación que causan en un gran número de jóvenes los embarazos no deseados para promocionar el preservativo como anticonceptivo. De esta forma disfrutarían de una triple protección: frente al embarazo, el sida y otras enfermedades de transmisión sexual

This research assessed behavioral intentions in a situation designed to simulate the risk of HIV sexual transmission. Participants were 108 high school students. The students were also asked about their knowledge and beliefs about the most effective methods to avoid HIV infection. Although the majority of participants reported the intention to engage in preventative sexual behavior with an unknown couple, 11% of them would expose themselves to risk. More than four from each ten adolescents didn’t think about AIDS when they answered, but almost all of them worried about an unwanted pregnancy. The vast majority of the students reported that condom use was the best method for avoiding the sexual transmission of HIV, and they believed that it was highly effective. There were no differences between males and females in the assessed variables. A number of students have incorrect beliefs about HIV sexual transmission. These beliefs should be taken into account when planning future preventive programs. It is very important to clarify the biological side of transmission instead of using culturally biased expressions. Also it would appear sensible to make use of the degree of concern about unwanted pregnancy to promote condom use as an effective contraceptive method. This will provide them with protection against: pregnancy, AIDS and other sexual transmitted diseases

An investigation of factors reducing seat belt use amongst Spanish drivers and passengers on urban roads.

Seat belt use on Spain's highways is more than 80%, while on the urban roads this figure is around 50%. As there was little information available to explain the difference in seat belt use rates, the main aim of this study was to investigate why there is a lower rate of seat belt use on urban roads. A number of perceptions, beliefs and expectancies about seat belt use were examined to identify variables that discriminated between seat belt users and non-users on urban roads. The subjects were 398 undergraduate students (aged 17-47) studying at the University of Girona, Spain. On the urban roads reported discomfort from using the seat belt was higher, while perceptions of risk (for non-users), safety perceptions (for those using a seat belt), beliefs about the seriousness of a crash or the effectiveness of the seat belt were all lower than on the highway. Perceptions of safety, discomfort, and social influence predicted seat belt use on urban roads. Concern about being fined for not using a seat belt did not predict seat belt use. The results of this research suggest that in order to increase seat belt use on urban roads, the issue of discomfort must be addressed. In addition, prevention campaigns should include information about the effectiveness of the seat belt in preventing/reducing injuries or deaths on urban roads. The results also highlight the importance of social influence for determining seat belt use/non-use and the potential role social influence could play in increasing seat belt usage.