Previous studies support the direct relationship between outdoor physical activity and natural spaces in cities. The Active City and Nature concept explores the relationship between urban, green and active environments; it aims to demonstrate the scientific evidence for the need for action to be taken to increase participation in active living and sport, leading to healthier cities and communities. Our research seeks to analyse the city’s natural spaces as scenarios to encourage physical activity and sport, through a combined study of qualitative research techniques: the use of a digital webGIS platform, collaborative maps made by citizens, and surveys conducted with citizens and the local government. This methodology has been tested in the city of Malaga, the European City of Sport 2020. The study of the city’s main sport areas, the waterfront and natural green spaces provided data on the types of physical activity taking place in each of these areas and the physical activity needs of citizens. This research argues that it is important to know the criteria of local communities for physical activity and/or sport in natural environments, as well as the main demands expressed. This will provide valuable information to design and manage natural public spaces as a means of promoting physical activity and healthy habits.
This study examines factors associated with an increasingly poor perception of the novel coronavirus in Africa using a designed electronic questionnaire to collect perception-based information from participants across Africa from twenty-one African countries (and from all five regions of Africa) between 1 and 25 February 2022. The study received 66.7% of responses from West Africa, 12.7% from Central Africa, 4.6% from Southern Africa, 15% from East Africa, and 1% from North Africa. The majority of the participants are Nigerians (56%), 14.1% are Cameroonians, 8.7% are Ghanaians, 9.3% are Kenyans, 2% are South Africans, 2.1% are DR-Congolese, 1.6% are Tanzanians, 1.2% are Rwandans, 0.4% are Burundians, and others are Botswana’s, Chadians, Comoros, Congolese, Gambians, Malawians, South Sudanese, Sierra Leoneans, Ugandans, Zambians, and Zimbabweans. All responses were coded on a five-point Likert scale. The study adopts descriptive statistics, principal component analysis, and binary logistic regression analysis for the data analysis. The descriptive analysis of the study shows that the level of ignorance or poor “perception” of COVID-19 in Africa is very high (87% of individuals sampled). It leads to skepticism towards complying with preventive measures as advised by the WHO and directed by the national government across Africa. We adopted logistic regression analysis to identify the factors associated with a poor perception of the virus in Africa. The study finds that religion (belief or faith) and media misinformation are the two leading significant causes of ignorance or poor “perception” of COVID-19 in Africa, with log odd of 0.4775 (resulting in 1.6120 odd ratios) and 1.3155 (resulting in 3.7265 odd ratios), respectively. The study concludes that if the poor attitude or perception towards complying with the preventive measures continues, COVID-19 cases in Africa may increase beyond the current spread.
In this paper, a study developed at the University of Seniors in Aragón is presented. The Sono-libro, used as an innovative resource, is assessed in the proposal with an educational and pedagogical purpose. The aim is to understand the motivational and learning perception variation after the incorporation of the Sono-libro in the sample. In this quantitative longitudinal design study, the listening habits of the participants are comparatively analyzed at two moments: The first data collection took place before the implementation of the proposal, and the second collection occurred after the proposal. The sample consists of 116 subjects, with 64.16% being women and an average age of 66 years of age. Data was obtained through a validated ad hoc questionnaire judged by experts. The results of the data collections showed an increase in both motivation and perception of the learning obtained, indicating the benefits of incorporating digital resources into contexts of adult students.
The influence of mining activity on the environment on the environment belongs to the most negative industrial influences. Mine subsidence on the surface can be a result of many deep underground mining activities. The present study offers the theory to the specific case of the deformation vectors solution in a case of disruption of the data homogeneity of the geodetic network structure in the monitoring station during periodical measurements in mine subsidence. The theory was developed for the mine subsidence at the abandoned magnesite mine of Košice-Bankov near the city of Košice in East Slovakia. The outputs from the deformation survey were implemented into geographical information system (GIS) applications to a process of gradual reclamation of whole mining landscape in the magnesite mine vicinity. After completion of the mining operations and liquidation of the mine company, it was necessary to determine the exact edges of the mine subsidence of Košice-Bankov with the zones of residual ground motion in order to implement a comprehensive reclamation of the devastated mining landscape. Requirement of knowledge about stability of the former mine subsidence was necessary for starting the reclamation work. Outputs from the present specific solutions of the deformation vectors confirmed the multi-year stability of the mine subsidence in the area of interest. Some numerical and graphical results from the deformation vectors survey in the abandoned magnesite mine of Košice-Bankov are presented. The obtained results were transformed into GIS for the needs of the municipality of Košice City to the implementation of the reclamation activities in the mining territory of Košice-Bankov.
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