structural equation modeling

Today, humans have entered an era in which the way of production and their impact on the earth's planet and human health are of great importance. Environmental damages, in addition to reducing agricultural and non-agricultural activities, will also endanger human health. Considering the importance of preserving the environment and human health, the research aimed to analyze the environmental effects of adopting organic agricultural products among producers and consumers of these products in Tabriz County. The research population consists of the producers and consumers of organic farm products. The community of producers is 28 persons who were studied in total. In the consumer community, the sample size was estimated to be 384 persons (for better results, 391 questionnaires were completed). To analyze, Structural Equation Modeling in SMART PLS software and one-sample T-tests and Friedman Tests were used. The results of the initial evaluation indicate the appropriateness of the model. The results of the structural model, indicate the existence of a significant structural relationship between structural improvement and soil fertility, reducing water pollution and waste, improving air quality and reducing pollution, strengthening agricultural and biological diversity, controlling and replacing chemical fertilizers and pesticides with organic and biological fertilizers, and environmental knowledge. Based on the results, organic agriculture with methods such as using plant residues as green manure, soil conservation, reducing pollution, etc., has led to an increase in soil fertility and its non-erosion, and by producing agricultural products with high quantity and quality, harming the environment was reduced.

Over the past few years, the world has faced various climatic anomalies. Climate change poses a significant threat to natural and human systems on a global scale. Natural hazards, as recurring phenomena, can become catastrophic and have devastating impacts in the absence of effective systems to mitigate them. Among natural hazards, drought is one of the most complex, threatening both human life and natural ecosystems. Given the various drought management strategies, the drought risk management approach aims to reduce the loss of life and financial damage caused by droughts. Implementing effective strategies to reduce vulnerability, along with increasing resilience, is considered the primary step in drought risk management.The key element to improving the condition of rural households during drought conditions is increasing attention to the concept of resilience, which promotes positive adaptation and flexibility in such situations. Social capital is recognized by social science scholars as one of the key components of community resilience. Resilient communities can better cope with shocks, and sudden changes do not disrupt their development to the extent seen in less resilient communities. Therefore, development in communities characterized by high levels of social capital and consequently higher resilience is likely to be more sustainable than in communities with lower levels of resilience. Social capital can play an important role in reducing vulnerability to natural disasters and hazards by strengthening social systems through cooperation and communication among various organizations, groups, and social networks.Rural areas in Mashhad Township have been directly and indirectly affected by the impacts of drought. The occurrence of droughts in the region has led to increased vulnerability of rural communities due to their low resilience to this hazard. Therefore, emphasizing rural resilience, where social capital plays a significant role in enhancing it within the framework of drought risk management, is crucial. Since improper drought risk management has been the root of many issues and challenges in the region, enhancing the resilience of rural residents through strengthening social capital plays a critical role in drought risk management. Consequently, this study, relying on social capital, seeks to answer the question of how the social capital and resilience of rural households in Mashhad Township fare against drought. It also investigates how social capital affects the dimensions of household resilience. Therefore, the study first aimed to assess and evaluate the status of social capital and the level of resilience of rural households against drought in Mashhad Township and then to examine the relationship between social capital and the improvement of rural resilience dimensions in Mashhad Township.

This study is quantitative in nature, with an applied objective, and in terms of data collection, it is a descriptive-correlational research. To gather information, the documentary method was used for the theoretical part, while the survey method, based on field observation and questionnaires, was utilized for the empirical part. Social capital and resilience are measured in various ways. In this study, a set of indicators was used to measure and evaluate resilience and social capital. By reviewing the literature and conducting library studies, 31 items related to social capital were developed within three components, while 79 items in 16 components were designed to evaluate the economic, social, infrastructural, institutional, and environmental dimensions of resilience. The questionnaire items were constructed using a five-point Likert scale.The statistical population of this study consists of 11,706 rural households residing in Mashhad Township. Using the Morgan table, a sample size of 372 households was selected. Multi-stage sampling was employed to ensure representation. The validity (both face and content) of the questionnaire was confirmed by a group of experts in geography and rural planning with experience in similar studies. Additionally, Cronbach's alpha coefficient was used to assess internal consistency among various indicators. After data collection, the results were analyzed using the one-sample T-test, Pearson correlation test, and structural equation modeling (SEM). SPSS and AMOS software were employed for data analysis.

This study used the T-test to determine the status of social capital components and the resilience components of rural households against drought in the studied Township. The results revealed that rural households in Mashhad Township have a social capital status above average. Therefore, due to all social capital components being above average, it can be concluded that rural households in Mashhad Township are in a relatively good situation in terms of social capital. , the results also indicate that the average resilience index, except for the environmental and physical dimensions, has a score below average, suggesting that the households studied are not in a favorable position in terms of drought resilience.From the perspective of rural resilience dimensions, environmental and physical resilience have the highest scores, while institutional resilience has the lowest. The Pearson correlation test results indicate that at a 1% error level, there is a positive and significant relationship between social capital and all dimensions of rural households' resilience to drought. To examine the most influential indicators of social capital on the resilience dimensions of rural households, Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was utilized. The conceptual model of the research was formed based on the indicators and dimensions of social capital (SCapital) and rural resilience (R).The results of the standardized model indicate that social capital has a positive effect (0.82 coefficient) on the resilience dimensions of rural households in Mashhad Township against drought. Among the latent factors of social capital, the social networks factor (0.93) played the most significant role in improving the resilience of rural households. Regarding the effects of latent factors of social capital, the greatest impact was observed in the economic dimension of household resilience, while the least impact was related to the physical dimension.

Social capital, as one of the key components of resilience, plays a significant role in improving the various dimensions of resilience in rural communities during drought conditions. Given that individuals and communities increasingly face severe and frequent risks due to climate change, and considering the vulnerability of rural settlements, it can be argued that strengthening social systems and social capital enhances their adaptive capacity and reduces their vulnerability.Based on the findings of this study and considering the impact of social capital on improving the resilience of rural households, it is recommended that planners and policymakers enhance the resilience of rural households by promoting local grassroots groups with proper government support. Efforts to establish rural organizations such as cooperative funds, microcredit funds, and professional associations are essential. It is also suggested that relevant rural organizations diversify their activities and employ strategies such as forming associations and cooperation groups to ensure broader participation in social fields. Furthermore, increasing farmers' awareness of modern and efficient irrigation methods through suitable training programs is highly recommended.

The increasing limitations of water resources, coupled with growing population pressures and the rising demand for food production and water, highlight the need for a precise and practical strategy grounded in decentralized and participatory management. Recognizing the critical importance of agricultural water resources and their optimal management, this study aims to investigate the effects of good governance on agricultural water resource management in Eslamabad-e Gharb County. The statistical population consists of household heads engaged in agricultural activities. The sample size was estimated using Cochran's formula to be 331. Initially, 54 components were considered for the study, though six components were excluded due to insufficient adequacy. The results of the initial evaluation of the measurement model demonstrated its suitability. The structural model results revealed a significant relationship between good governance and the management of agricultural water resources. The governance factor had the greatest impact on the environmental index and the least on the economic index. Additionally, the MAIRCA technique identified three villages, such as Dalo Hasanabad, Mohammad Ali Khani, and Darkhur Hasanabad, as being in a more favorable position regarding agricultural water resource management. The findings highlight that achieving optimal management of water resources and ensuring their maximum and efficient utilization requires multiple processes. Key elements in this process include raising awareness, fostering active participation from farmers in water policy development, enforcing legislation, adopting new and efficient technologies, and employing methods to mitigate water scarcity and drought stress.

Access, plays an important role in rural development as there is a meaningful relationship between rural development and access to infrastructure services. Villages that have less access to essential services, especially transport, faced with a lot of structural and socio-economic constraints, which are obstacles to sustainable rural development. The present study seeks to examine the accessibility and the factors affecting it. Accordingly, it is considered with descriptive-analytic research method. The statistical population of the study, consisted of villages in the central District of Tabriz County (52 villages) that there needed data were gathered from rural municipals. After validity and reliability of the research, in order to evaluate accessibility, we used the Dematel technique and ANP, then to assess the role of different elements in accessibility of rural areas, we used SEM in Amos software. Initial results of Rural Accessibility Survey showed that the Mayan Sefli village had the highest accessibility and the final result of the research are determining the role of factors in rural accessibility based on factors such as distance from the city, service centers and social status of the village are more effective than other factors in accessibility.

A city requires city brand and appropriate strategies for beneficiaries, especially tourists; hence, city development plans can affect the type of city brand orientations. Accordingly, this study was conducted to identify the effective factors to design structural equation modeling (SEM). SEM was employed to rank the factors and find the correlation between them using Forner-Larcker Matrix. This was an applied-correlational study in which, data were collected through convergent mixed methodology, library study, questionnaire, and Semi-structured interviews. Birjand was chosen as the research field and a statistical sample was chosen at descriptive statistics using purposive and snowball sampling methods. Accordingly, 19 subjects were selected from urban experts, and 381 tourists were chosen at the quantitative step using simple random sampling. findings obtained from interviews implied that some points should be considered for the city branding of Birjand. The factors include the significant militarily and academic impact of Birjand on historical aspect and service-based economy of the city, cultural capitals, and the arts that are forgetting, immigration, and implementing the development-driving plans. The research model indicated that city development plans had the highest positive effects on the landscape and mental image regarding city branding plans. Moreover, According to the correlation between components, the highest relationship was between mental image and landscape (0.66).

Nowadays, the sustainable viability of rural areas is greatly influenced by the social capital of the villagers. In other words, improving the dimensions and indicators of social capital provides the basis for achieving life facilities in line with sustainable rural livability. Social capital is one of the fundamental pillars for the participation of villagers in the development of economic plans and as a capacity to improve sustainable rural living, which creates the ground for the constructive participation of villagers. In other words, social capital plays an important role in the participation of villagers in developing economic plans for rural settlements. For this reason, social capital is considered a solution in rural areas to solve economic difficulties, which is effective in the participation of villagers in the process of economic development of villages. Therefore, the value and necessity of the subject require us to get a deeper scientific understanding of the effect of social capital and the participation of villagers in the development of economic plans and sustainable rural livability in the study area.

The current research is quantitative in terms of its practical purpose, in terms of the method of carrying out survey research, and in terms of the nature of the data. In this research, the effective and effective indicators of the research were analyzed based on the hypothesis and the conceptual framework using a descriptive-analytical method. Also, the method of data collection was library and field methods. The statistical population of the research includes the number of 178 inhabited villages in the central part of Jiroft city based on the results of the census of Iran Statistics Center in 2016. To determine the random sample size, 30 villages were randomly selected to fill out the questionnaire at the village level. It should be mentioned that based on the "central limit theorem," the number of samples larger and equal to 30 from each community will be sufficient due to the normality of the distribution. Thus, the sample size calculated for random sample households based on the "Cochran" formula with a confidence level of 95%, a pre-estimated variance of 0.25 (0.5*0.5), and a desired probability accuracy of 5%, the number of 352 households was calculated. The quorum was not found to complete the questionnaire since the number of sample questionnaires in several villages, according to the method, compared to the size of the households in the villages. Therefore, the number of random sample household questionnaires was increased to 400 households. Also, AMOS software was used to analyze the questions to enter the model and the structures. The measurement of the research indicators was in the form of Likert Scale options ranging from 1 very low to 5 very high.

The research results revealed that among the indicators of social capital, the index of social cohesion had the lowest average of 2.83, and social organization, with a value of 3.42, had the highest average. The average indicators of participation of villagers in the development of economic plans are equal to 2.85. Among the dimensions of sustainable rural livability, the economic dimension has the lowest average, 3.15, and the environmental-ecological dimension has the highest average, 3.59. In addition, the findings of the communication model of the research showed that the fit of the coefficients of the social capital path had an effect of 1.39 on the participation in the development of economic plans and on sustainable rural livability by 0.54. Based on this, the findings revealed that the path coefficient of the variables has a good fit. Thus, social capital can positively affect the villagers' participation in the development of economic projects.

The literature and research findings revealed that social capital is an important factor for participation in the development of rural economy plans. In such a way, the formation of social groups by official organizations such as agricultural jihad and semi-official organizations such as Barkat Foundation and the like has effectively expanded the network, social relations, and social trust among the villagers. The result is increased social participation and participation in economic projects in the studied villages. Therefore, the improvement of the dimensions of social capital has led to the participation of villagers in the plans and programs of economic development of rural settlements. This has resulted in the improvement of environmental-ecological, social, and economic dimensions of sustainable livability in the studied area. In general, it can be said that although the improvement of social capital indicators in the studied area has led to the participation of villagers in the development of various agricultural and non-agricultural economic projects, the local administration must provide clear training and awareness in the field of development of various rural economic plans and gain social trust to create the ground for their participation in such plans and in order to improve the dimensions of livability.

In the current situation, it becomes more necessary to pay attention to social and economic sustainability, taking into account the challenges and bottlenecks facing developing countries, and in the meantime, rural areas are facing many problems. A significant share of rural instabilities goes back to socio-economic instability, which, in addition to deteriorating employment, income, inequality of opportunity, access to services, basic needs, and the like, also has negative feedback on environmental sustainability. Due to these instabilities, rural areas are experiencing consequences such as urban-rural inequalities, population evacuation, migration, and environmental degradation. Economic sustainability and social sustainability are two inseparable components because individual welfare is not separate from the welfare of society, and the existence of social cohesion, empathy, and tolerance leads to the creation of space in which people feel more responsible and believe that a fairer distribution of resources plays a key role in the long-term survival of society.

The type of research is applied and descriptive-analytical in terms of its nature and method. Inferential statistical methods (one-sample t) and structural equation modeling were used to analyze the data. The statistical population of this research uses spatial analysis in GIS for sampling (Using the adjacent layers raster to the province's permanent rivers, settlement density, rural population density, distance from the road, distance from the nearest cities, the province's land layer, slope, and height and their overlap in the final raster and placing the whole province in 3 classes are high, middle, low. Out of 378 villages with more than 20 households, 37 villages were selected as a sample, and 250 questionnaires were calculated and randomly completed by the villagers in 2020-2021.

Numerical mean analysis obtained from the calculation of components affecting socio-economic sustainability in rural areas was obtained among the respondents using questionnaire data. To investigate this issue, a single-sample t-test was used, in which the component of social participation with an average of 3.1646 was higher than the average (3). Also, the analysis of research data with the structural equation modeling approach in PLS software includes the study of model fit in three parts as measurement model, structural model, and general model. Measurement models show the relationship between each hidden variable and its indicators. The reliability and validity of the variables are checked to evaluate the measurement models. After testing the measurement models, it is necessary to evaluate the structural model of the research that shows the relationships between the variables. For this purpose, are examined the coefficient of determination (R2) and the predictive power of Stone and Geiser (Q2). After evaluating the measurement and structural models of the research, the fit of the overall model is examined. The GOF criterion is used to evaluate the fit of the overall model. Finally, the results show that according to the results of t and the significance of path coefficients in PLS software, social stability has a more important role in creating overall stability than economic stability.

Structural analysis of components affecting socio-economic sustainability in order to identify, strengthen, and develop socio-economic factors affecting sustainability in the study area was the main purpose of this study. In terms of components and factors affecting the socio-economic stability of the study area, the results of the one-sample t-test showed that the component of social capital (social participation factor) has the greatest impact on social sustainability in the study area and in terms of economic stability except for the rural investment factor, other factors are in a weak position. The results obtained from estimating the structural equation modeling of fit indices have good validity and reliability. Also, the results of the structural equation modeling technique (in three parts as measurement model, structural model, and general model) showed that social capital has a greater impact on social stability than social welfare. Also, the economic justice component has the most significant impact on regional economic stability.

the current research was conducted to analyze and investigate the impact of livelihood assets on the sustainability of rural women's livelihood in Gachsaran City. Analysis and investigation of the effect of the effective factors on the livelihood of the rural women in Gachsaran City. The statistical population of the research included 500 rural women randomly in Gachsaran City, of which 139 were selected and surveyed by simple random method. The data collection tool was a questionnaire. The validity of the research tool was confirmed by the professors of the University of Tehran's promotion and development department and subject experts, and its reliability was calculated and confirmed using Cronbach's alpha test during the distribution of 30 questionnaires in the pre-test stage. LISREL 8.8 and SPSS 26 software were used to perform statistical tests. Also, to investigate the impact of livelihood assets on the sustainability of rural women's livelihood, it was done using the structural equation modeling method with the help of Lisrel 8.8 software. The results showed that the independent variables studied (five capitals) were able to explain 60.13 percent of the variance of the dependent variable, i.e. sustainable livelihood of rural women in Gachsaran City. Also, the goodness of fit indices showed that the structural model of the research has a good and acceptable fit. In addition, the human capital index (λ = 0.61) was assigned the first importance and priority for measuring the sustainable livelihood of rural women. Based on this, among the solutions to improve the livelihood of rural women are: 1) Organizations and other planning and policy-making officials pay due attention to the activities of rural women and improve the field of improving their livelihood according to the existing conditions. 2) In order to help poor and vulnerable rural women and families, they can act by providing appropriate financial assistance, such as setting up rural micro-funds.

Iran is ranked first as the cheapest tourist destination, 10th as world heritage, and the 26th most beautiful country in the world. however, it has attracted only 0.62 percent of tourist arrivals and 0.53 percent of the amount spent by international tourists in 2019. Also, an annual growth of about 30 percent in tourist arrivals is necessary to achieve the goal set in the 7th Development Plan of IRI. For extracting the effective criteria, proposing the structural equation model for tourist attraction, and examining the difference between the existing and the desired states of the identified criteria, a questionnaire was used to collect the opinions of tourists who were on flights leaving Iran after visiting (Convenience sampling). The data obtained from 143 questionnaires was analyzed using the factor analysis method. Ten criteria were identified as a result. Controlling these ten criteria leads to fulfilling 60 percent of tourists' desires. Then, the structural equation model of the relationship between the criteria was designed and fitted using structural equation modeling. Finally, a gap analysis was performed. It was found that there is a significant difference between the desired and the existing states of seven out of ten criteria, and the existing state of these seven criteria is lower than expected (desired) by foreign tourists. With 99 percent confidence, the fitted model shows the direct significant relationship and the strong effect of the identified criteria with/on the selection of Iran as a tourist destination.

In the present century, with the advent of new and intelligent technologies in the field of information and communication technology in Tehran metropolis, many changes have taken place in the life of urban dwellers and its quality, and this has attracted the attention of many thinkers to the concept of "quality of smart life". The result is a review and presentation of effective dimensions and indicators in measuring it in Tehran metropolis. Given the importance of the quality of life factor in the urban planning system, attention to the concept of intelligence and the expansion of its impact on this factor is increasingly discussed. The purpose of this study is to achieve a structural model, the order of importance and impact factor of dimensions and quality indicators of smart urban life through structural equations with partial least squares (PLS) approach in the metropolis of Tehran. Districts one, six and nineteen of Tehran Municipality have been selected as the statistical population and the size of the statistical population is four hundred people. Based on the results, all seven dimensions of research have a significant relationship with the quality of intelligent urban life to measure and evaluate it. Also, in order to express the importance of these dimensions in different regions, the factor of cohesion and social participation in region one, public education in region six and the factor of resource consumption and environment in the nineteenth region of Tehran have the highest rank. It can be said that the development of cities and communities is strongly influenced by the increasing development of information and communication technology in different parts of the world, but this issue should not ignore the differences and demands of different people.

Social participation is needed for rural livability, so measuring it is important. To make a settlement livable, all dimensions must be improved. Villagers' social participation is crucial to enhance the livability level in rural settlements. A questionnaire was used to survey 400 households in 30 villages for the research. The results of the research revealed, based on the standardized coefficients among the indicators of social participation of the villagers, the index of participation in educational and public activities with an influence coefficient of 0.24 and the index of participation in political and electoral activities with a coefficient of 0.223 and the index of participation in Basij and charity activities have the greatest impact on the livability level of the rural environment in the central part of Jiroft with a coefficient of 0.201. The rural environment's livability was affected by 0.65 because of social participation, as per the research. Rural livability improved as social participation increased because of strong variable correlation. Villagers don't use their full potential for rural livability. Clear trainings and awareness can create the ground for their participation in rural activities and programs.Social participation is needed for rural livability, so measuring it is important. To make a settlement livable, all dimensions must be improved. Villagers' social participation is crucial to enhance the livability level in rural settlements. A questionnaire was used to survey 400 households in 30 villages for the research. The results of the research revealed, based on the standardized coefficients among the indicators of social participation of the villagers, the index of participation in educational and public activities with an influence coefficient of 0.24 and the index of participation in political and electoral activities with a coefficient of 0.223 and the index of participation in Basij and charity activities have the greatest impact on the livability level of the rural environment in the central part of Jiroft with a coefficient of 0.201. The rural environment's livability was affected by 0.65 because of social participation, as per the research. Rural livability improved as social participation increased because of strong variable correlation. Villagers don't use their full potential for rural livability. Clear trainings and awareness can create the ground for their participation in rural activities and programs.

Tourism has special effects in rural areas and due to the nature of tourism activity and its close interaction with various economic, social and cultural activities, its effects can be very varied and widespread, and in particular have a profound impact on the environment of the host communities. Therefore, the overall objective of this study is to evaluate the effects of rural tourism on regional development (Case study: Azarshahr Ghadamgah). The purpose of this study is applied and in terms of nature and method descriptive-analytical and survey type. The statistical population of this study includes all tourists, locals and experts involved in Ghadamgah site. According to Cochran formula, the sample size was 384 persons and the sampling method was selected by available random sampling. One-sample t-test, one-sample t-test, Pearson correlation test, and structural equation modeling were used to test the hypotheses using Smart-PLS software. The results show that rural tourism has a positive and significant effect on regional development (economic, socio-cultural, and environmental) in Ghadamgah Azarshahr region and has caused rural development in the studied area. Also, religious attitude, awareness and knowledge about tourism, the intrinsic motivation of the residents, and dependence of the local community on the development and expansion of rural tourism in the study area had a significant positive effect.

Conducting urban studies from social justice perspective has been recognized as one of the most important approaches in recent years. In this approach, various indicators such as the level of access to urban services is considered as the one of the most important indicators in studying social justice. Planning on urban services without considering social justice means that the equality of all society and fair allocation of urban services for everyone will not be accomplished. The aim of this study was to analyze the indicators of social justice and access to urban facilities and services in Region 1 of Kermanshah city. The importance of the injustice in Kermanshah, especially region 1, is related of domination of unfair allocation of facilities and services. The opinions of 42 experts, university professors, and researchers at research centers were considered. For testing the hypothesis, structural equation modeling technique was used by LISREL software. The results obtained from the path analysis showed that the three indices of difference (0.93), freedom (0.84) and equal opportunity (0.78) have the highest coefficient among the criteria and have the greatest impact on the realization of social justice and fair distribution of municipal services. In general, the independent variable of social justice with a path coefficient of 0.78 has a significant direct impact on the implementation of fair distribution of urban services. Also, regarding implementing the model in the second order, the criteria of equal opportunity, freedom and difference have the greatest positive impact on the fair distribution of urban services with the coefficients of 0.89, 0.88 and 0.80 .respectively. The results showed that the indicators of social justice have a positive and significant impact on the proper distribution of urban services in regions 1 of Kermanshah city.