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Given the negative consequences of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic on public health, his study aimed at investigating: (1) the differences between adults with and without chronic illness in buying behavior, vaccination intention, pandemic worry, and the health belief model (HBM) components; (2) the HBM components as mediators of the relationship between pandemic worry and vaccination intention. The sample consisted of 864 adults (66.6% females, Mage = 47.61, SD = 9.23), of which 20.5% reported having a chronic illness. Associations between pandemic worry, vaccination intention, and HBM were ascertained using correlation and mediation analyses. Individuals with chronic illness reported a higher level of pandemic worry, higher levels of perceived threat, greater benefits from vaccination, had lower self-efficacy and bought more medicine and sanitary/hygienic products. No significant differences were observed regarding vaccination intention, barriers against vaccination, and changes in food buying behavior. We found that the relationship between pandemic worry and vaccination intention was partially mediated by the perceived threat of disease and the benefits of vaccination. Pandemic worry predicted vaccination intention directly but also through the contribution of the perceived threat of disease and the benefits of vaccination. These findings suggest that presenting evidence of COVID-19 vaccine efficacy and the benefits of having the vaccine (especially for vulnerable groups, such as chronic illness patients) will encourage the population to follow vaccination recommendations.

Countries seek to implement sustainable policies for supporting professionals working with students with an autism spectrum disorder. These policies can advance more slowly in developing states like Romania and Greece. As such, this study aimed to investigate the reported knowledge and training needs of professionals working with ASD students to inform policymakers. Using a cross-sectional design, 475 Romanian and 211 Greek specialists completed an online questionnaire on the following dimensions: diagnosis and assessment of ASD, management of behavioural problems in ASD students, communication skills, technology, teaching, and e-learning platforms. The results showed that Greek professionals have higher levels of ASD knowledge compared to Romanian respondents (MGreece = 15.2, SDGreece = 4.22; MRomania = 13.7, SDRomania = 3.88; U = 39703, p < 0.001). There is also a significant need for training on all the investigated dimensions in both countries, with greater training needs in Romania than in Greece (MGreece = 26, SDGreece = 2.98; MRomania = 27.2, SDRomania = 1.84; U = 35556, p < 0.001). Both countries reported the lowest level of knowledge in innovative teaching technologies and high training needs using an e-learning platform. The results emphasise important gaps in the educational programmes for ASD professionals.

The present paper aimed to investigate the incremental validity of conscientiousness over the Health Belief Model (i.e., HBM) components in predicting students' eating habits. Using a non-experimental, longitudinal design, data from 200 Romanian students (181 females; Mage = 20.75, SDage = 3.89) were initially collected (T1). After one month (T2), the second wave of data was received from 150 students. Hierarchical regression results with eating habits from T2 as a criterion showed that self-efficacy for healthy eating was the only significant predictor for students' eating habits (β = .45, t(145) = 5.41, p < .01). Self-efficacy alone explained 27% of the variance in eating habits. Contrary to expectations, the perceived benefits of healthy eating did not correlate with the participants' eating habits. Conscientiousness did not bring additional predictive value, besides the HBM components (β = .03 , t(145) = .38, p = .70 ). These results reinforce the value of the HBM as a frame of reference for explaining eating habits in young people. From a practical standpoint, the findings suggest the need to strengthen self-efficacy in youth, which, in turn, can help them develop healthier eating habits. Limitations and other implications were further discussed.

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