Reported research since 1975 on human behavior and energy consumption was reviewed to identify occupant predictors of household energy‐consumption behavior and energy‐consumption change. The results of this review were framed against a human ecosystem theory model. Occupant predictors of reduced energy‐consumption behavior and energy‐consumption change were classified as occupant characteristics, occupant attitudes, and occupant actions. Variables identified in studies that most frequently affected energy behavior and energy consumption were income, age, education, home ownership, desire for comfort, major weatherization, and incentives. These findings support the underlying premise of the human ecosystem theory: Variables from the natural, the social, and the designed environments and human organism variables interact to affect energy consumption.

This study explored the nature of sense of place and how it might function for the workplace, developed and tested a survey instrument to measure sense of place in the workplace, and determined what relationship existed between that sense of place and the level of job satisfaction and motivation. Desk‐bound employees completed a questionnaire recording opinions, attitudes, and physical characteristics of their workplaces and themselves. Descriptive features of the work places were recorded as frequencies. Sense of place was operationalized to include comfort, control, noise, privacy, and personalization in the workplace. Social interaction, time spent at work, sense of place, and motivation were identified as intervening variables. Job satisfaction was the dependent variable. The data was collapsed by factor analysis, indexes were formed, and correlations calculated within and between indexes. Employees who displayed work‐related objects were positively correlated to motivation. Positive correlations between job satisfaction and motivation were demonstrated by display of personal objects and the ability to choose and arrange work area furnishings. Sense of place is an amorphous concept that can be adapted to interior settings. It can be measured by combining a variety of factors in the workplace. Because sense of place in the workplace is significantly related to job satisfaction and motivation, designers and their clients must evaluate the impact of allowing the employee to establish sense of place in the workplace.

In this article we report on the effectiveness of a community-based, culture-specific, controlled trial of intensive peer education aimed at preventing lead burden in children 0-36 months of age within a neighborhood with high risk for lead exposure. Mothers (n = 594) were randomly assigned to control or intervention groups. Offspring blood lead levels were assessed every 4 months. All participants received brochures on basic lead prevention strategies. Intervention participants were offered 20 bi-weekly educational sessions by same-ethnicity peer educators over the course of 1 year, and quarterly booster sessions for 2 years afterward. The intervention group's educational curriculum included information on lead sources (e.g., paint, dust, water, soil, and risks from home repairs and remodeling), health consequences of lead burden, and strategies to reduce lead exposure, including household cleaning, hygiene, safe use of water, and nutritional recommendations. Results indicated that of the 378 children contributing sufficient blood data for analysis, 23% had blood lead levels > 10 µg/dL before 3 years of age. Intervention participants were more likely to maintain blood lead levels < 10 µg/dL than were controls (81% vs. 73%; p = 0.08). Multivariate analyses demonstrated that the intervention reduced the risk of blood lead levels > 10 µg/dL by approximately 34%. We conclude that although intensive education resulted in a lower proportion of children with elevated lead levels, education alone cannot be relied upon to prevent lead burden.

The purpose of this study was to examine energy‐conserving practices and consumption from 1987 to 1997 using a human ecosystem framework. Research on energy consumption and practices at the household level has been minimal in recent years. Factors that influence household energy consumption were examined, including climate, demographic characteristics of the households, housing characteristics including weatherization features and appliances, and occupant behaviors. This study was a secondary analysis of data compiled by the Energy Information Administration from the 1987, 1990, 1993, and 1997 Residential Energy Consumption Surveys and included only owner‐occupied, single‐family detached residences. Based on multiple regression analyses, more than 30% of the household energy consumption was accounted for by the variables representing the environments of the human ecosystem.

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