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This study explores cross-cultural differences in car travel behaviour in a northern and an eastern European country, namely Sweden and Estonia. We assess the role of country-specific socio-structural circumstances, and the influence of individual motivations, including social values, perceived seriousness of environmental problems associated with car use, and car use reduction intentions, in shaping the frequency of car use for different purposes. The results show that compared to Swedish people, people in Estonia are more dependent on cars in their everyday travel. Our study shows that higher social position is associated with higher frequency of car trips in more stratified Estonian society, but not necessarily where socio-economic differences are less pronounced, as in Sweden. Regarding the relative significance of values and intentions next to socio-economic determinants, values and intentions have a greater explanatory power of car use frequency in Estonia, compared to Sweden. That values and preferences play a smaller role in car travel frequency in the socio-economically more secure Sweden, indicates that car travel is a basic habit, which is not easily discernible through individual values and attitudes in more affluent societies. Differences in car travel frequencies between the respondents from different settlement types in Estonian but no differences between settlement types in Sweden, shows that a country's broader approach to managing the economic and social viability of its regions, may shape car travel needs and opportunities. The results of this study may have implications in terms of ways of curbing emissions from transportation in different parts of Europe.

Purpose: Adverse health impact of air pollution on health may not only be associated with the level of exposure, but rather mediated by perception of the pollution and by top-down processing (e.g. beliefs of the exposure being hazardous), especially in areas with relatively low levels of pollutants. The aim of this study was to test a model that describes interrelations between air pollution (particles < 10 μ m, PM₁₀), perceived pollution, health risk perception, health symptoms and diseases.

Methods: A population-based questionnaire study was conducted among 1000 Estonian residents (sample was stratified by age, sex, and geographical location) about health risk perception and coping. The PM₁₀ levels were modelled in 1 × 1 km grids using a Eulerian air quality dispersion model. Respondents were ascribed their annual mean PM₁₀ exposure according to their home address. Path analysis was performed to test the validity of the model.

Results: The data refute the model proposing that exposure level significantly influences symptoms and disease. Instead, the perceived exposure influences symptoms and the effect of perceived exposure on disease is mediated by health risk perception. This relationship is more pronounced in large cities compared to smaller towns or rural areas.

Conclusions: Perceived pollution and health risk perception, in particular in large cities, play important roles in understanding and predicting environmentally induced symptoms and diseases at relatively low levels of air pollution.