Sarah Abdulkareem Salih

Design and use of wearable technology have grown exponentially, particularly in consumer products and service sectors, e.g., healthcare. However, there is a lack of a comprehensive understanding of wearable technology in consumer acceptance. This systematic review utilized a PRISMA on peer-reviewed articles published between 2014 and 2024 and collected on WoS, Scopus, and ScienceDirect. A total of 38 full-text articles were systematically reviewed and analyzed using bibliometric, thematic, and descriptive analysis to understand the technical functions of digital wearable products (DWPs) in consumer acceptance. The findings revealed four key functions: (i) wearable technology, (ii) appearance and design, (iii) biomimetic innovation, and (iv) security and privacy, found in eight types of DWPs, among them smartwatches, medical robotics, fitness devices, and wearable fashions, significantly predicted the customers’ acceptance moderated by the behavioral factors. The review also identified five key outcomes: health and fitness, enjoyment, social value, biomimicry, and market growth. The review proposed a comprehensive acceptance model that combines biomimetic principles and AI-driven features into the technical functions of the technical function model (TAM) while addressing security and privacy concerns. This approach contributes to the extended definition of TAM in wearable technology, offering new pathways for biomimetic research in smart devices and robotics.

With the aging global population, understanding the role of blue space (BS) in supporting older adults’ mental health is increasingly important. This systematic review synthesizes quantitative and qualitative evidence to examine how BS influences mental health and well-being in this population. Following PRISMA guidelines, we searched Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, and PsycINFO for studies published between 2004 and 2024. This review protocol was preregistered on PROSPERO (registration number CRD420250651254). Studies examining BS exposure characteristics and mental health outcomes among adults aged 50 and older were included. A total of twenty-three studies (seventeen quantitative, six qualitative) were reviewed. Quantitative findings indicated generally positive associations between BS proximity, quantity, and improved mental health outcomes, while qualitative findings highlighted the therapeutic benefits of natural features, social interactions, and sensory experiences, along with barriers such as accessibility and safety concerns. BS holds significant potential for promoting older adults’ well-being. These findings highlight the potential of BS as a sustainable urban health resource, offering evidence to support integrated planning strategies that promote environmental, public health, and broader sustainability goals. Future research should investigate specific BS characteristics using longitudinal and experimental designs to enhance causal understanding and inform urban planning and public health strategies.

Purpose: This study explores the role of digital visualization technology, specifically virtual reality (VR), in assessing daylight visual comfort, a critical aspect of indoor environmental quality (IEQ) in built environment.Design/methodology/approach: A systematic literature review was conducted following PRISMA guidelines on articles published between 2019 and 2023, sourced from Scopus, ScienceDirect, Emerald Insight and Sage. A total of 17 articles were selected for final analysis. The study classifies factors affecting users’ emotions and behavioral responses in immersive virtual environments using the stimulus-organism-response (S-O-R) framework from environmental psychology.Findings: The review reveals that most VR studies on visual comfort and lighting focus predominantly on office environments, highlighting a significant research gap in residential contexts where daylighting strategies differ considerably. The analysis identifies four major clusters of factors—window properties, light properties, natural properties and spatial properties—that influence emotional, physiological, cognitive and perceptual responses, leading to behavioral outcomes such as energy consumption, productivity and lighting preferences.Practical implications: The experimental designs, protocols and measurement tools from the selected studies are analyzed to recommend best practices for future research. This research offers strategic insights for conducting empirical studies using VR to assess daylight visual comfort in buildings.Originality/value: This study extends the S-O-R framework by proposing a conceptual model linking key elements of visual comfort in residential settings to users’ emotions and behavioral responses. This model serves as a foundation for future VR-based experiments on indoor daylight visual comfort evaluation.

The definition of sustainable characteristics of traditional villages can assist in determining the direction of development and evaluating the development results. Nevertheless, a clearly defined concept of the sustainable performance of traditional villages is required. (1) This paper addresses the phenomenon of traditional villages and their decline due to urbanization, industrialization, and the movement of people from rural settlements. The development of traditional villages causes several concerns. This study aims to present a more precise definition of the sustainability of traditional villages. (2) the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Evaluation and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines conducted a systematic literature review. The data were searched using the Web of Science database, with consideration given to the values of relevance, authority, and impact. (3) The sustainability of traditional villages is explained based on the four-pillar theory of sustainable development, focusing on the economic, environmental, social, and cultural dimensions. (4) The findings provide a scientific framework for understanding the sustainability of traditional villages. These results will provide insights to the future preservation and development of traditional villages.

In the face of growing urbanization, conflicts between human activities and the natural environment have resulted in increasingly evident problems, such as ecological degradation, excessive resource depletion, loss of biodiversity, and pollution. These issues pose a growing threat to the achievement of global sustainable development goals. This study is part of a larger study to create a liveable and sustainable urban environment. It aims to develop an urban ecosystem model for promoting harmony with nature by analyzing the latest literature research from 2019 to 2023 using the Systematic Literature Review method. This paper elucidates the newest research developments in urban design, urban ecosystems, and the pursuit of enhanced synergy harmonious humans with nature. Subsequently, from the cross-analysis method it presents a synthesized model proposing a harmonious human-nature ecosystem for urban design. This model advocates the cultivation of human natural identity, providing a framework to adapt, modify, and preserve the urban environment in harmony with nature. Such an approach is expected to enhance urban vitality, which is harmonious between humans and nature while maintaining ecological functions and biodiversity and ensuring efficiency, equity, socio-cultural, and aesthetic values. This study contributes to identifying, understanding, and resolving ecological imbalances arising from urbanization. The results are expected to benefit authorities in maintaining a healthy standard of living in rapidly urbanizing areas. Future research will combine methods such as field investigations and design practices to further refine this urban design proposal, providing support and guidance for a more comprehensive sustainable urban environmental development.

The spatial distribution of Leisure Urban Spaces (LUSs) is closely linked to urban sustainability and residents’ quality of life. This study uses the Central Urban Area of Nanjing as the study area. Using POI and AOI data, the locations of LUS were precisely identified and categorized, including parks, squares, waterfront spaces, and leisure blocks. GIS spatial analysis methods, the nearest neighbor index, standard deviation ellipse, and kernel density estimation were used to analyze these spaces’ form, directivity, and density. Population activity intensity (PAI) data at various time points, collected by Baidu heat map, are correlated with LUS distribution through multiple linear regression analysis. (1) Parks and squares exhibit significant clustering tendencies, whereas waterfront spaces show weaker clustering, and leisure blocks are randomly distributed; (2) The central points of all types of LUS are located in the city center, extending from southeast to northwest, with parks and squares offering a broader range of services; (3) The overall LUS layout shows a ‘core and multiple points’ structure, with varying density patterns across different spaces, indicating concentrated and dispersed leisure areas; (4) The correlation between LUS distribution and PAI strengthens throughout the day and is greater on weekends than weekdays. Leisure blocks significantly enhance activity intensity, while parks have a limited effect, and waterfront spaces often show a negative correlation due to their remote locations. These results provide insights for future urban planning in Nanjing and underscore patterns in residents’ leisure activities.

Informal learning spaces (ILS) offer unique opportunities for students to interact and develop skills in a more social, resilient, and sustainable environment. However, there is a lack of a definitive typology for ILS and related design factors and outcomes. Therefore, this study aimed to identify the typology of ILS in academic education, including relevant design factors and positive outcomes from architectural and urban planning perspectives. A systematic literature review was conducted on articles published between 2004 and 2024 from four databases: Scopus, ScienceDirect, Emerald Insights, and IEEE Xplore. The included articles are in English and based on empirical data published in peer-reviewed journals, focusing on informal learning and its settings. A total of 37 full-text articles were included in the descriptive review, from which two categories and six types were identified: private indoor quiet space, semi-private/semi-public indoor space, public indoor space, public sustainable space, public outdoor space, and comprehensive space. The results also revealed seven categories of factors affecting these types of ILS: personal aspects, spatial design, physical settings, resources, social aspects, natural environment, and perceived environment. Furthermore, these ILS significantly contributed to five categories of positive outcomes: learning efficacy, socialisation, refreshment and relaxation, health outcomes, and sustainable development. Therefore, this SLR significantly contributed to the definition and typology of ILS in sustainable higher education.

The trends for sustainable lifestyle and marketing motivated natural product consumption, such as natural skin care products (NSCPs). Different personal, environmental, and sociocultural factors influence purchase intention (PI) for NSCPs. However, there is a lack of evidence on the role of consumers’ ethnicity in the PI model. The present study investigated the moderated mediation role of ethnicity in the relationship between related factors, including environmental concern, subjective norms, health factor, Halal certificate, packaging design, past experience factor, price factor, and PI mediated by personal attitude. A web-based survey was utilized to capture quantitative data from a random sample of 330 multicultural consumer group participants. The results of the study indicated that consumers’ ethnicity substantially moderated the mediation effect of personal attitude in the relationships between subjective norms, health factor, Halal certificate, packaging design, past experience factor, price factor, and PI in the model. The findings contributed to understanding of the factors that influenced the PI of consumers from diverse sociocultural contexts in the market for natural products. It contributed directly to natural product marketing and industry.

Background: Frailty is a significant healthcare challenge worldwide, increasing interest in developing more assessment tools covering for frailty. Recently, there has been a growing awareness of a correlation between social variables and frailty in older people. However, there is a lack of understanding of the social domains of frailty and the related adverse outcomes, particularly in the Asia-Pacific settings. This study aimed to characterize the social frailty domains and their health outcomes by overviewing the frailty screening tools in older people living in the Asia-Pacific region. Methodology: A systematic review, using the PRISMA guideline, was conducted on articles published between 2002 and 2023 from three electronic databases: PubMed, Scopus, and ScienceDirect. A manual search was conducted for the references of the included articles using Google Scholar. Included articles must be in English and were based on empirical evidence published in peer-reviewed journals and focus on the assessment of domains of social frailty in older people aged 60 or over in the Asia-Pacific (East Asia, Southeast Asia, and Oceania). Result: A total of 31 studies were included in the thematic analysis, from which 16 screening tools measuring six social domains were reviewed. The six domains were: social networks, followed by social activities, social support, financial difficulties, social roles, and socioeconomic, arranged in four categories: social resources, social needs, social behaviors (or social activities), and general resources. The six social domains predicted mortality, physical difficulties, and disability incidence. Other adverse health outcomes were also associated with these social domains, including cognitive disorders, mental illness, and nutritional disorders (n = 5 domains each), dementia (n = 4 domains), and oral frailty, hearing loss, obesity, and chronic pain (n = 3 domains each). Conclusion: Overall, social frailty is a complex construct with multiple dimensions, including the frailty of social and general resources, social behaviors, and social needs, leading to several health disorders. The findings contribute to understanding the conceptual framework of social frailty in older people and its related health outcomes. Therefore, it could facilitate professionals and researchers to monitor and reduce the risks of adverse health outcomes related to each domain of social frailty, contributing to a better aging process.