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While on paper Zimbabwe has a comprehensive child protection legal framework, the occurrence of child sexual abuse (CSA) is high. Drawing from findings of a qualitative study, a case study design, and a research population consisting of a forum of organizations providing CSA interventions: the Victim Friendly System, this paper presents how some cultural myths, cultural practices, cultural rites, and religious practices may contribute to CSA in Zimbabwe. Purposive sampling was used to select 38 professional working in the VFS, 4 key informants, 17 VFS monthly meeting minutes, and 300 court files of tried and sentenced CSA cases from Harare and Gokwe. CSA is a gross child and human rights violation that places some religions, myths, beliefs, and cultural practices at crossroads with social work principles. Various social work interventions are suggested as ways to navigate the paradox: shaped by cultural, traditional, religious, and mythical factors contributing to CSA and legal frameworks to address CSA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of yield gaps has become more complex, prompting the use of varied approaches to measure yields and a wider range of factors to explain these gaps. In the Global North, the focus is on precision farming, whereas in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), a broader perspective is necessary due to pronounced variability in farmland conditions. While biogeophysical and management factors have been traditional focal points in yield gap analyses, socio-economic and institutional factors are increasingly recognized as significant, especially in SSA. This review synthesizes research from the past decade in SSA that integrates biogeophysical, management, farm characteristics, and institutional factors in yield gap discussions. The findings indicate a slow shift in including socio-economic factors, with management, particularly nutrient supply and crop management, remaining predominant. However, there is a growing trend towards methodological diversity, such as the adoption of remote sensing and GIS in recent years. Case studies from Kenya and Ghana, utilizing field surveys, interviews, panel data, and spatial analysis, highlight how a multifaceted approach can enhance our understanding of the various elements influencing maize yield gaps in SSA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an analysis of statements issued by the Polish Ministry of Family and Social Policy, relating to care homes and the threat to the health and lives of their inhabitants during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the declared intention by the government to carry out the transition from residential care to community-based support, the results of the study reveal that under the slogans of care, safety, and commitment, the traditional vision of disability that promotes the operation of segregated institutions is reinforced. Ensuring safety is understood as strengthening the institution of a care home by emphasizing its importance, allocating additional resources, and introducing organized isolation practices that do not necessarily account for subjectivity and residents' rights. The authors, using the critical approach, point to elements of the discourse that may be remembered most by recipients. The paper is focused on an approach presented by the Polish Ministry of Family and Social Policy during the COVID-19 pandemic regarding care homes. While the discussion about transition from residential care to community-based support in Poland seems to be advanced, there are still facilities for over 100 inhabitants. In the face of the COVID-19 crisis, the Ministry's communication related to facilitating the transition to independent living was pushed aside, while the traditional institutional-oriented approach came to the fore. The communication by the Ministry is transmitting to the public a strong message that presents care homes as safe places that should be supported and developed as a key housing option. The lack of attention to issues such as transition from residential care to community-based support and a human-rights approach in communication led us to formulate the concept of a turbo-institutional approach implicit in the Ministry's communiques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the country of Lebanon sinks deeper into economic turmoil and healthcare devastation, period poverty has been recorded to reach its all-time high, whereby it was estimated that 66% of adolescent Lebanese girls cannot afford menstrual products to manage their menstrual cycle. The following descriptive paper aims to discuss the overall situation of period poverty in Lebanon, particularly during the economic crisis that hit the country and that coincided with the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. It will then highlight nongovernmental organization initiatives and community-based partnerships that have been carried out with the goal of alleviating the significant physical, mental, and socioeconomic impact of period poverty on Lebanese girls and women. Finally, this paper will provide socioeconomic and policy recommendations to accomplish and sustain positive menstruation outcomes in Lebanon. This paper is necessary as it highlights the humanitarian impact of such an important women's rights issue in Lebanon. It helps fill a gap in the literature because limited data are available on the status of period poverty in the country to raise awareness and take action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A public health approach to gambling has been accompanied by a wide understanding of gambling harms. This has led to the creation of conceptual frameworks to understand and itemize different gambling-related harms, dimensions of harms, and subjects of harms. The current paper presents a comparative review and synthesis of existing harm frameworks. Following the PRISMA guidelines, we conducted a systematic literature review on existing harm frameworks in five scientific databases across the years 2000–2021. We included studies that aimed at creating a conceptual framework or synthesis of different level gambling harms at a population level. The final sample consists of seven papers that present four different models. Gambling-related harms span health, psychological, relationship, financial, cultural, work, and crime-related issues. Harms accrue to individuals (heavy gamblers, non-problem gamblers and nongamblers), but also to families, communities, and societies. Harms form a spectrum in terms of severity and temporality. Risk factors or determinants of gambling are often similar to the harmful consequences of gambling. The results are discussed in terms of gaps in current understanding of gambling harms, including increased communication between models, increased focus on severity levels and issues of causality, and a better incorporation of harms that stem from gambling provision rather than harmful gambling consumption. We conclude that framing harms as consequences of individual behavior remains predominant, and a shift of focus to the social and commercial determinants of gambling harms is needed. This also includes the development of societal level harm screening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The process of urbanization in Africa is receiving global attention and is subject to comprehensive scientific research due to the wide socioeconomic influence of this continent. Adopting specific search terms and strategies, this paper conducts a statistical analysis of the research articles addressing African urbanization (n = 2046) from the Web of Science core collection. The results show that since 2006, research on African urbanization has entered a stage of rapid development. South Africa and the Global North are the main regions engaged in research on African urbanization. With the application of the bibliometric software HistCite, this paper tries to investigate the research streams and trends contributed by highly cited articles. The main research streams can be divided into 5 areas, with the relationship between disciplines becoming stronger. Population, economy and land-use are the core issues of African urbanization studies, with the largest volume of highly cited articles. Furthermore, the changes in research hotspots were explored based on keyword analysis by CiteSpace. The results indicate that the topics of research hot spots by African and Global North researchers are different, and the Global North has a stronger influence on African urbanization studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are continued debates on whether social pensions should be universal or targeted. This paper investigates this issue from the perspectives of Thai older persons regarding the old-age allowance system. The paper uses data from the 2016 Population Change and Well-being in the Context of Aging Society Project with the final sample of 6,040 individuals aged 60 and older. The study employs probit regression analysis, where the dependent variable is whether the respondent thinks that the old-age allowance should be universal or targeted. Independent variables include individual, household, social, and economic characteristics. The paper finds that those with high or low education and those with high or low economic well-being tend to prefer the targeted system compared to the middle group. Family status, individual values, and social norms also influence the preferences. The two main mechanisms explaining the preferences of older persons are self-interest and altruism. The findings suggest that the old-age allowance system should continue to provide basic income security for all older persons. Separate poverty relief programs can be implemented to support individuals in need. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extant studies have deployed variable-centered methods to examine predictors of children's nutritional status, and few focus on the double burden of malnutrition among young Chinese children. This paper adopts a person-centered approach and leverages data from large samples of Chinese families (the China Health and Nutrition Survey, CHNS 2004–2015, and China Family Panel Studies, CFPS 2010–2018) to examine trends in the prevalence of stunting, overweight, and stuntingoverweight in early childhood. We developed a hierarchical structure of socioeconomic indicators, including region (Eastern-Central-Western), urbanicity (urban-rural), and family socioeconomic status gradient (four quartiles). We assessed relative risks for malnutrition for 24 subgroups of children from varying socioeconomic strata. Results indicate that the prevalence of stunting decreased consistently while the prevalence of being overweight increased first, followed by a decreasing trend. Moreover, a small group of stuntedoverweight children (4.7%) was identified. Data from the CHNS indicated that children from affluent families in the Central region were prone to being overweight. Data from the CFPS indicate that underprivileged groups (children from poor rural families living in Western China) were at higher risk for both undernutrition and overnutrition than their more advantaged peers. The findings suggest that children in poor, rural areas in Western China should be targeted for malnutrition alleviation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Negligible attention has been given to how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted upon social and economic attributes of rural and island (R&I) places. The paper considers impacts of COVID-19 on the resilience of Scottish R&I communities during the crisis or emergency stage of the pandemic and then after its shift to what may be described as an everyday disruption, suggesting ways that communities could transition to a resilient future in a post-COVID world. The paper's longitudinal, qualitative, Scotland-wide, and holistic assessment of community change and responses represents a novel approach to exploring the impacts of the pandemic on resilience between 2020 and 2022. It allows greater understanding to be gained about both the pandemic's impacts on socio-economic aspects of Scottish R&I communities and the implications for transitioning to a more resilient post COVID-19 rural world. The paper reports that, when those who participated in the research discussed transitioning to a new future for R&I places, their thoughts about how it should change altered over time. Specifically, by addressing dual discourses of emergency and everyday resilience, the paper identifies how the impacts of COVID-19 affected resilience during different stages of the pandemic and what might be learned about ongoing resilience in R&I communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper develops a unified port performance index (PPI) considering different cargo categories and the multi-dimensional nature of port performance indicators/dimensions. This study has used the quintile method to construct PPI. Further, the PPI obtained from the quintile method is compared with weighted unified index (PPIPCA) using principal component analysis (PCA), extensively used for index development in the literature. A pilot index development is demonstrated using secondary panel data for 12 major Indian ports on five significant dimensions, namely, operations, physical infrastructure, technical infrastructure, finance, and socio-economic. Results show that the JNPT port outperforms all other ports under the container cargo category. Likewise, Kandla port in the liquid port category and Paradip port in the other (dry & break bulk) cargo category are on top. Also, qualitatively similar results and insights are obtained with the PPIPCA. Subsequently, the panel data regression and efficiency analysis are performed to demonstrate the utility of the proposed index. The results affirm that the operations, physical infrastructure, and socio-economic dimensions have a positive and significant impact on port financial performance. The present study operationalises some key unexplored port performance indicators/dimensions that can enable effective decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the outbreak of Covid-19 health communicators around the globe have had to reach, urge, and persuade individuals and communities to adopt appropriate health protective behaviors. They have used a mix of communication channels, including outdoor media and public signage which are the focus of this paper. Drawing on a comparative linguistic landscape analysis, this paper critically examined the amount, content, and prominence of Covid-19 signage in Hackney, a London borough severely hit by the first wave of the pandemic. Having analyzed 1288 signs collected between May and July 2020, we found significant differences in Covid-19 signage between deprived and less deprived areas. These differences (e.g., in messaging about staying at home) have created inequalities in access to Covid-19 related health information and guidance. We also explored the changes in Covid-19 signage over time and the tailoring of risk and health messages to minority communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore the preferences of people with memory complaints (PwMC) and their significant others regarding starting a diagnostic trajectory for dementia. A systematic literature search was conducted in PubMed, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Web of Science, and Embase. Selection of abstracts and papers was performed independently by two researchers. Methodological quality was assessed with the Mixed Method Appraisal Tool. Result sections of the selected papers were thematically synthesized. From 2497 citations, seven qualitative studies and two mixed methods studies published between 2010 and 2020 were included. Overall quality of the studies was high to moderate. A thematic synthesis showed that preferences for starting a diagnostic trajectory arose from the feeling of needing to do something about the symptoms, beliefs on the necessity and expected outcomes of starting a diagnostic trajectory. These views were influenced by normalization or validation of symptoms, the support or wishes of the social network, interactions with health care professionals, the health status of the PwMC, and societal factors such as stigma and socioeconomic status. A variety of considerations with regard to decision-making on starting a diagnostic trajectory for dementia were identified. This emphasizes the need to explore individual preferences to facilitate a timely dementia diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The outbreak of coronavirus disease in 2019 has become a serious threat to human health. Whether meteorological conditions could influence the transmission and virulence of COVID-19 remains controversial. In this study, we systematically reviewed the impact of temperature and humidity on the replication, morbidity, and mortality of COVID-19. We also discussed the main factors underlying the inconsistency across studies. Pubmed, Web of Science, Embase, and Scopus were used to identify papers published up to 7 December 2020. We initially identified 3515 papers, and 28 articles met the inclusion criteria after screening. Most studies showed high temperature and high humidity can partly reduce the reproduction, morbidity, and mortality of COVID-19. But the rest papers failed to identify a significant association. The discrepant results may be related to the difference in the climate context, study design, exposure assessment, policy intervention, socioeconomic status, and public health service. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Controlling antibiotic drug resistance requires understanding extinction and emergence mechanisms of emerging bacteria. Selective pressure from prolonged antibiotic misuse may cause high-level antimicrobial resistance. Self-medication and other socioeconomic factors reduce antibiotic use, accelerating the emergence and extinction of resistant pathogens through stochastic fluctuation. This continuous antibiotic self-medication exposes individuals and communities to antibiotic resistance, especially in low- and lower-middle-income countries, according to current literature. We developed a stochastic drug-resistance model that integrates socio-economic growth and antibiotic use to study extinction and strain establishment in this paper. We analytically derived the extinction threshold using the multi-type branching process and obtained pathogen extinction conditions that match numerical experiments. The model's sensitivity analysis identifies extinction dynamics' key parameters. Our results show that higher income, awareness, and lower antibiotic use may increase the chance of extinction by reducing antibiotic misuse, along with strain transmission potential. These analyses may help public health policymakers combat drug resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Urban Policy & Research is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of European Journal of Social Work is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The paper is focused on studying the relationship between the risk of terrorism and economic and political development of 13 European countries, quantified using a set of socio-economic and political indicator variables. Numbers of terrorist attacks are used as a terrorist activity indicator. A method of categorization of the numbers of terrorist attacks into a level of risk of terrorism index is presented. Proportional odds multinomial logit generalized linear model is used to describe the connection between the level of risk and the socio-economic and political indicator variables. The presented findings imply that the connection is significant for 9 out of the 13 studied countries. Furthermore, a possible application of the model for obtaining short time predictions of the probability of the levels of risk is presented using a real data set. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores whether institutional change brought about by financial inclusion results in sustainable debt management by households. We analyze household indebtedness and its various dimensions using primary data collected from 600 households across 3 districts of rural Kerala in India. We find that more than half of the sample households are indebted. Using flow and stock analysis, we assess the repayment capacity of households. While the flow analysis based on interest and income comparison shows that debt is sustainable, the stock analysis indicates an alarming debt situation considering the illiquid nature of land assets. Both agricultural and non-agricultural households appeared to be caught in a debt trap. Our econometric analyses show that socio-economic factors like education and age of the household head, main source of household income and household asset value without land, are significant determinants of household level indebtedness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the nuances of the experiences of waiting for state-issued documents and state welfare. Waiting as an everyday experience forms an important aspect of the relationship between socio-economically marginalised groups and the state institutions. In order to examine this relationship, this paper draws upon eight interviews, conducted during December 2017 to February 2018 and in January 2019, among pheriwale. Pheriwale are self-employed traders, in Delhi, India, who collect huge amounts of second-hand/used-clothes and sell them forward to make a living. They largely work in highly precarious informal work environments, lack social security and depend on irregular income. However, as residents of India, they are also regulated through various state measures such as being registered within the national biometric database, as bank account holders and as recipients of public welfare provisions. By focusing on the experiences of pheriwale, findings show that waiting is shaped through intersecting hierarchies of gender, class and caste in the context of India. This article elucidates that a conceptualisation of waiting cannot overlook how the act of waiting for state-issued documents is tied into politics of recognition and redistribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sustainable transport has received substantial attention globally. Evidently, transportation is a major contributor to global carbon emission, which causes the degradation of environmental quality and safety. Economic-oriented activities are performed in terms of inclination aspect. Thus, this paper aims to analyze whether and how environmental pollution and fatality, economic-oriented transport, and socioeconomic factors affect transport efficiency. For this purpose, panel data from 2000 to 2020 for 35 OECD countries are used. First, data envelopment analysis slack-based measure and windows analysis are employed to measure transport efficiency by using fourteen inputs/output variables. Second, econometric analysis demonstrates the relationship between socioeconomic factors and sustainable transport efficiency. Outcomes suggest that 30.2% increase in sustainable transport efficiency is due to a 1% increase in transport–household expenditures. OECD countries significantly performed with high economic efficiency scores for the examined period. Econometric analysis indicates that socioeconomic factors have a remarkable impact on sustainable transport efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is believed that shared transport services (STSs) can reduce transport poverty and social exclusion. This paper proposes a definition of "social acceptability" and "social acceptance" and examines whether vulnerable groups accept STSs. The notions "acceptability" and "acceptance" were distinguished and four necessary conditions, especially for vulnerable groups, or the 4As were identified: "availability", "accessibility", "affordability", and "attractability". In the context of STSs, "social acceptability" is defined as the degree to which an individual intends to use a STS before experiencing it in everyday travel based on the expected availability, accessibility, affordability, and attractability of the service, while "social acceptance" also incorporates the use of a STS after experiencing it in everyday travel based on a minimum level of perceived availability, accessibility, affordability, and attractability. This paper further reviews the scientific literature in transport research regarding the "acceptability" or "acceptance" of STSs by vulnerable groups. While several studies include socio-economic and demographic variables (e.g. age, gender) to explain the "acceptability" of STSs, only a few studies specifically focus on vulnerable groups. More research on the "social acceptance" of STSs, especially shared scooters, ride-sharing, and apps and Mobility as a Service (MaaS), by vulnerable groups is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing on ethnography of one family's life with diabetes in a poor settlement in Delhi's suburbs, this paper examines the relationship between emotional structures of care and kinship in the face of chronic illness. While anthropologists have argued for a relational understanding of care and discussed how, in India, modernity and social transformations have resulted in crises of familial care, less attention has been paid to the emotional terrains of care and its difficulties as they unfold in concrete relationships over time. This paper demonstrates how emotional intensities define the possibilities, limits, and ambivalence of kin care for the chronically ill. Described as care without heart, this mode of attention implies a continuation of care labour that maintains kinship ties and holds the possibility of kin futures, but is disinvested emotionally and feels unsatisfactory. The analytic of care without heart expresses a particular mode of care by which persons navigate dominant moral regimes around gendered family responsibilities and imperatives of love in relationships, but without fully subscribing to them. Care without heart at once signifies an inadequate form of care, invokes North Indian normative moral regimes around family care responsibilities and emotions, and acknowledges the shortcomings of these regimes and norms of relatedness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines intraregional bilateral trade in virtual water embedded in cereal flows between the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) states. A gravity model is employed to examine whether annual bilateral trade depends on differences in water endowments, but also includes socio-economic and political determinants that affect trade. There is evidence that the abundance of water resources in a country influences trade for a product that is water dependent. Thus, the adverse effect of water scarcity in a country may be ameliorated by encouraging exports of water-intensive cereal crops where water is in abundance and imported where water is scarce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Socioeconomic disruptions of short-term rentals have instigated heated debates. Critics have accused short-term rental of various nuisance and gentrification; local governments around the world have imposed regulatory measures from outright ban to taxation on them. As the latest literature has pointed out a lack of studies on the effectiveness of such regulations, this paper attempts to formalize a general taxonomy which renders short-term rental regulations in different cities comparable for the assessment of their effectiveness. Following an investigation of seventeen American cities, six approaches to the regulation were identified. A quantitative measure called STR Friendliness was formed to draw hypotheses on the relationships between the regulation and relevant socioeconomic indicators. The paper hypothesizes that (1) the regulation has negative impacts on the proliferation of short-term rentals and housing occupation (2) but not necessarily on the increase in home prices and rents, and that (3) the regulation tends to be stricter in cities where the lodging industry contributes to the local economy to greater extents (4) as well as in cities where the criticism of short-term rentals as a cause of rent increase is louder regardless of the actual rent increase. These hypotheses will facilitate future empirical studies of the regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The severity and type of morbidity largely define the health-seeking behavior of an individual, although the socioeconomic determinants also play an important role. In this paper, the health-seeking behavior of individuals from the “Below Poverty Line” is analyzed by using the individual-level data of the Indian Human Development Survey (IHDS)-II (2011–12). The trend and pattern of both major and short-term morbidity among the individuals from the “Below Poverty Line” are analyzed along with the comparison with individuals from the “Above Poverty Line.” Further, The logit regression model is used to determine the prominent socioeconomic factors of health-seeking behavior among individuals from “Below Poverty Line” and the decomposition analysis is conducted to determine the factor contributing to widening or narrowing the gap in getting treatment by individuals from both income groups. The result shows that individuals from the “Below Poverty Line” have a comparatively lower burden of major morbidity but also get lower treatments. The condition of women is more concerning. Socioeconomic factors such as “place of residence,” “education,” marital status, “age,” and “caste” are significant to the health-seeking behaviors of individuals from the “Below Poverty Line.” Further, “education” and “primary activity” are two major factors for both major and short-term morbidity that widen the gap in the health-seeking behavior of individuals from both income groups. However, factors such as “place of residence” and caste increase the gap in case of only short-term morbidity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

School teachers' sickness absence has been shown to affect student achievement in the short run. However, we know little about whether socioeconomic backgrounds may compensate for reductions in instructional quality and to what extent teacher absence effects persist over time. This paper examines the socioeconomic differences in the short- and long-term effects of teacher absence. We use population-wide Norwegian register data to study the effects of certified teacher absence during lower secondary school (grades 8–10) on non-completion of upper secondary education by age 21 (i.e. school dropout) as well as academic achievement in 10th grade. In a school fixed effects model, we find that an increase in teacher absence of 5 percentage points reduces students' examination grades by 2.3% of a standard deviation and increases the dropout probability by 0.6 percentage points. However, the teacher absence effects vary considerably by family background, with large effects for low-SES students driving the overall effects. Overall, our findings indicate that reductions in instructional quality increase social inequality in long-term educational outcomes. This result highlights that studying heterogeneous impacts of contextual exposures is needed to understand the role of schools in shaping inequality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although teen pregnancy and birth rates have declined over the decades, all adolescentpopulations are at risk. Disparities among adolescent pregnancies still exist, including increased risk and rates of unplanned pregnancy among vulnerable adolescents, including those with a mental health diagnosis.Adolescent girls with mental health disorders are notably at higher risk and are three timesmore likely to become pregnant than those without a mental illness. Adolescents who have experienced trauma and have a mental health diagnosis are much more likely to engage in high-risk sexual activity, to not participate in contraceptive use, and to become pregnant than their counterparts.Using Trauma Informed Care (TIC) to assess mental health diagnoses, high-risk sexual behaviors, and risk for unplanned pregnancy among adolescent populations can be an effective approach for primary prevention. There is increased expectation for clinicians to practice TIC and to establish relationships with patients while understanding how mental health diagnoses can impact health behaviors. The focus of this paper is to examine the effects of adolescent unplanned pregnancy, identify the increased risk for adolescents with mental health disorders, and discuss general methods for TIC in clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poverty and economic insecurity are driving forces in entering sex work among women in low resource areas. This increases their risk for HIV by influencing the decision-making process for high-risk behaviors. Few studies have examined the financial behaviors and capacities of women engaged in sex work (WESW). This paper describes the methodology used in a financial diary study aimed at characterizing women's spending patterns within a larger prevention intervention trial among WESW in Uganda. From June 2019 to March 2020, a subsample of 150 women randomized to the combination HIV prevention and economic empowerment treatment was asked to complete financial diaries to monitor daily expenditures in real time. Two hundred and forty financial diaries were distributed to study participants during the financial literacy sessions at eight sites. A total of 26,919 expense entries were recorded over 6 months. Sex-work-related expenses comprised approximately 20.01% of the total. The process of obtaining quality and consistent data was challenging due to the transient and stigmatized nature of sex work coupled with women's varying levels of education. Frequent check-ins, using peer support, code word or visuals, and a shorter time frame would allow for a more accurate collection of high-frequency data. Moreover, the ability of women to complete the financial diaries despite numerous challenges speaks to their potential value as a data collection tool, and also as an organizing tool for finances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wellbeing is an increasingly prominent topic across academia, including analyses of the myriad factors that influence it. Of these, perhaps the most prominent is economics, with a relatively-well substantiated link, especially at lower levels of income. However, most work has been limited to select measures (usually life evaluation) and/or populations (usually Western nations). This paper offers an expansive approach, exploring associations between income and a selection of 31 items pertaining to wellbeing in the Gallup World Poll over 3 years (2020–2022), covering 386,654 people in 142 countries. Significantly, on every single variable, participants with higher incomes fare better than those with lower incomes. However, there are also many interesting nuances when filtering the results through various demographic considerations, including comparing participants in terms of global regions, sex, age, and level of education. Together, these nuances paint a complex picture of the impact of economics on wellbeing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On-demand work applications (ODWAs), a type of digital platforms (DPs), are technology-enabled intermediaries for gig workers. In this paper, we study these platforms and their impact on women belonging to the low socio-economic section in a developing economy. These women act as primary unpaid workers while being expected to make an economic contribution. Hence, they suffer from time scarcity where they need to find mechanisms to generate economic success from the limited time they have, in a largely informal economy. We employed the theoretical lens of affordances to delineate the affordances that are provided by the various features of ODWAs and their impact on life satisfaction of women. We conducted a mixed method study using interviews of 20 female gig workers, supplemented by a survey of 927 workers on one of the largest ODWAs in India. Our analysis points to the sense of identity and individuality that these platforms provide as well as lowering the market boundaries for greater inclusion. Our research is significant from both, the information systems and inclusion research perspectives, as it contributes to the theoretical understanding of the impact of DPs on breaking societal structures and providing avenues to marginalised sections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are several cases of twin cities worldwide. In Europe, most of them came to attention after the fall of the Berlin Wall, when divided twin cities were still located on opposite sides of the Iron Curtain. Since then, many cases have been investigated, especially focusing on their functional and institutional integration, which turns out to be fundamental for their development. In this paper we deal with the case of Reggio Calabria and Messina, two large cities which face each other on the two banks of the Strait of Messina. Despite their proximity, they are poorly connected: socioeconomic interactions (e.g., commuting flows) are limited, and institutional coordination is lacking. However, they have a remarkable integrative potential, based on their complementary characteristics. By conducting a Delphi investigation, a technique which to date has never been used in this field, we analyze the potential, the scenarios, and the strategies to achieve the integration of these twin cities. Our findings show that integration may give back centrality to these two urban areas. This is a feasible scenario, which can be expected to materialize in a relatively short time even without full institutional coordination, focusing on transport services rather than on other infrastructural options (e.g., the Messina Bridge project). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper clarifies the medical and socio-economic factors affecting the prevalence of COVID-19 by using clinical and survey data in a binary probit model. Socio-economic factors are associated with risk of infection and can increase exposure to and mortality from COVID-19. Inequalities in socio-economic variables affect the prevalence to different degrees. Disparities in education and poverty are more important than being employed or being a smoker for the spread of COVID-19, we find evidence that confirms the hypothesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reproductive coercion (RC) can be conceptualized as any behavior that limits one's ability to make decisions about their reproductive health. Here, we broaden this definition to consider the impact of systemic and sociocultural factors on RC using an ecological model. Specifically, we use Bronfenbrenner's model as a framework for organizing the multilevel factors that influence reproductive coercion (RC) and its impacts on individual health. This paper is intended to offer a primer to historical, sociocultural, community, interpersonal, and individual processes that may interact to shape reproductive decision-making and its effect on individual health outcomes. We emphasize the importance of conceptualizing RC within the broader sociocultural and community context, and the potential implications for reproductive and sexual health research, clinical care, and policy in the United States. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research has highlighted agriculture's contribution to the Romanian bioeconomy growth at the level of each territorial administrative region (NUTS 2). This paper analyzes the relevant socio-economic indicators of the bioeconomy in Romania's regions. We use Eurostat and the National Institute of Statistics from Romania (NIS) database for selected indicators. Cluster analysis using the SPSS software was chosen as a research method. Results revealed disparities between development regions. The article concludes that regional policies and investments from government and private firms have an essential role in developing agriculture and the bioeconomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the progress made by the countries of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region in terms of gender equality and social and, above all, educational emancipation, today there are still disparities in terms of the participation of women in the labour market. This paper proposes a descriptive and qualitative analysis of the situation of women in two MENA countries, which are Algeria and Morocco, and of the socioeconomic factors that hinder their autonomy in the field of work. As a result, the role of the family and the social environment on women is emphasised so that they could be active members of society and consequently become an additional labour force trained for the growth of the region, is emphasised, but it is condemned for the achievement of this triple challenge: education, professional integration, and economic empowerment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parenting education programs (PEP) are an important and proven intervention strategy in preventing child abuse and neglect. While the literature on the efficacy of PEP is robust, there is still no consensus on the conditions that make some implementations of PEP more successful than others. This paper provides evidence of the impact of implementing the Nurturing Parenting Program (NPP), combined with the Family Development Matrix (FDM). Using a Pre-Post comparison design, data from the First 5 San Bernardino program were analyzed for the years 2012–2017. NPP outcome measures from the Adult-Adolescent Parenting Inventory (AAPI) improved substantially after the FDM was implemented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines populous perspectives of the government's responsibility to intervene in situations of possible parental neglect of children in England, Finland, Norway, and California (USA), and ask if institutional context, defined as child protection system and children´s wellbeing situation, are formative for people's perspectives on government responsibility for children in vulnerable situations and how they view children´s future. With representative samples of populations responses to a survey vignette using ordered logistic regression, findings indicate that the institutional context shed some light on differences on state responsibility. However, similarly to welfare state research, there are differences and contradictions in important dimensions that require further investigation, especially on citizens perceptions of neglect and on intrusive interventions. Citizens with a comparatively higher education are evidently much more supportive of state responsibility for children and child protection interventions than other citizens. This finding is similar to those of other studies of state responsibility. Overall, there is a high level of support in populations for the provision of public services to children and families in vulnerable situations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Women all over the world face a multitude of issues daily. Unfortunately, one of the most common and tragic concerns that women face, especially those in third world countries, is domestic violence. This research paper has tried to find out and analyze the trend of domestic violence during this current period of lockdown and social distancing measures, which the COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated. During our investigations, a few variables intrigued us; these variables do not lead to a simple, uncomplicated conclusion on the occurrence of domestic violence. On the contrary, the pool of 350 respondents (especially from urban areas), which include homemakers and working women alike, education was one such variable that played a pivotal role in preventing domestic violence. Another variable was the effect of social stigma; because many women have internalized the impact of spousal and familial abuse, most of them find it incredibly difficult, if not impossible, to speak up about the struggles they face. We have made use of logistic regression models to verify the independent variables and their validity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As gender equity is crucial to tourism sustainability, this paper examines how tourism and other socioeconomic factors affect gender inequality in East Asia Pacific and South Asia countries. First, by dividing the countries into two regions, we could study the relationship between the variables for countries with different geographic locations and socioeconomic cultures and see how it varies. Second, it examines the nonlinear nexus of tourism growth and gender inequality by fitting curved lines for each quantile using a D-vine copula-based quantile regression approach which improved the accuracy of estimated relationships. Finally, the nonlinear analysis revealed that the relations between gender inequality and tourism is not unidirectional; it changes direction depending on the region's level of tourism development and socio-economic-geographic characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper uses the case of Ukraine to explore the association between attitudes and saving behavior. We hypothesize that individuals' preferences and beliefs, which we proxy with support for left-wing populist economic policies, have an adverse effect on strategic, forward-looking behavior. Using the data from a nationally representative survey conducted in 2019, we find that support for populist economic policies has a negative association with a likelihood to have bank savings. The results hold in the presence of socio-economic and behavioral factors and when we remove the variation attributed to the cultural and socio-economic factors from our measure of economic populism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent declines in life expectancy in the US, especially for middle-aged White persons, have called attention to mortality from deaths of despair – deaths due to alcohol, drugs, and suicide. Using data from the Centers for Disease Control and the U.S. Census Bureau, this paper examined deaths of despair by race/ethnicity, age, cause of death, birth cohort, and sex in Missouri. We focused on Area Agencies on Aging as geographic units of interest to increase usefulness of our findings to public administrators. Deaths of despair began trending up for all age groups beginning in 2007–2009, with the sharpest increases occurring for Black or African American non-Hispanics beginning in 2013–2015. The most dramatic increases occurred for the population age 50–59 in St. Louis City and Area Agency on Aging regions in southern Missouri. For older adults, considerable variation in rates, trends, and cause of deaths of despair is evident across the state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to (1) determine if there are racial differences between Non-Hispanic (NH) Black and NH White women in health 'care' factors associated with low birth weight (LBW), (2) to determine if there are differences across health 'system' factors, and (3) to explore if the factors account for racial differences. Univariate and multinomial nested logit (MNL) models were performed. Whereas the LBW percentage for NH White women was 8.1%, for NH Black women, the LBW percentage was 13.6% (p <.001). NH Black women were significantly more likely to be unmarried (p <.001) and earn less income (p <.001). For level of care, NH Black women were more likely to have LBW babies in neonatal care; whereas NH White women were more likely to have LBW babies in well-baby nurseries. Results from MNL models indicated that NH Black women were 1.79 times more likely to have a LBW baby. When controlling for health 'care' factors, the racial difference between NH Black and NH White women in the likelihood of having a LBW baby increased to an odds ratio of 2.26 (p =.038). There are racial differences in factors associated with LBW. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On June 7th, 2019, Layleen Xtravaganza Cubilette-Polanco, a transgender woman from New York, died at Rikers Island while in solitary confinement. According to officials from the Department of Corrections, Layleen's death was a result of a series of interrelated health problems.. Trans, queer, and gender non-conforming people, especially youth of colour and Black trans women, face heightened rates of homelessness, violent victimisation, barriers to housing, employment, and healthcare. These social conditions are tied to heightened engagement in survival sex work, over-policing, and surveillance of their communities. As a result, Trans and queer people are disproportionately impacted by mass incarceration, and must contend with the nexus of a system that functions on racist and colonial legal construction of gender, making carceral spaces sites of (in)visibility and death. The death of Trans people within these carceral spaces are followed by multiple discursive deaths, including the use of dead names in media, misgendering, and transphobic political debate. This paper aims to highlight and explore carceral settings as sites of death and (in)visbility for Trans and queer people and how reframing allows us to identify how (neo)liberal reforms meant to protect Trans people only entrench mass incarceration in the United States. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rather than racism targeted toward service users, this paper adds to the sparse corpus of articles that reports on racism and microaggressions experienced by racialized social work practitioners. Based on two qualitative exploratory research studies in Canada, the findings suggest that racism continues to be a significant problem for racialized social workers. In addition to the oft-mentioned category of individual racism, four other "modern" forms of racism are explored: cultural racism, institutional racism, epistemological racism, and aversive racism. The importance of broadening the categories of racism is that these other forms are less familiar and thus are more likely to be unnoticed yet have profound effects on practitioners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rejecting the association between aging and asexuality that persists in the UK's cultural representation of the female aging body, this paper reveals the importance of sensuality and maintaining physical agency to older women. It pays attention to the phenomena of participating in recreational burlesque classes to counter and negotiate potentially negative representations. Through in-depth interviews and researcher-as-participant observation, the paper explores the transformative possibilities mediated through participating in theatrically glamorized performance classes and the processes thereby initiated. The author examines the potential of burlesque to offer improvements to wellbeing and healthier self-perceptions for aging women experiencing marginalization through social invisibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Older sexual and gender minority adults living in rural areas of the U.S. face challenges in accessing welcoming and inclusive formal health, mental health, social, and long-term care services. The intersection of the local rural sociocultural context with lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT+) identities and aging presents both challenges and opportunities for improving formal services for LGBT+ older adults. Little is known about how the rural south central Appalachian context intersects with the identities of LGBT+ older adults with regard to accessing formal services. This paper presents the results of a qualitative study examining experiences, concerns, and recommendations regarding formal services among 11 LGBT+ older adults residing in rural south central Appalachia. Several of the participants described experiencing discrimination and/or marginalization while accessing formal services. A number of participants were fearful about the lack of LGBT+-inclusive services and expressed that they would consider leaving the area if their own or their partner's health declined or if they or their partner required long-term care services, particularly residential care. Many participants expressed the need for local provider education and training about the needs of LGBT+ older adults. Implications for practice, policy, and research are discussed in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human rights are essential in shaping the pandemic response both for the public health emergency and the broader impact on people's well-being. Utilizing the human rights lenses, this article expatiates on a developmental-clinical social work approach to the COVID-19 pandemic response. The disquisition explores human rights to health, education, adequate food and nutrition, water and sanitation, and development. It conducts projections and a cost–benefit analysis of remedial and developmental focus on health. The paper emphasizes that it is criminal to deprive human beings of their entitlements. The paper argues that socio-economic inequalities deprive people of their human rights. To this end, it calls for the equal distribution of wealth to end poverty and ultimately address human rights concerns. It advances for the integration of health in all policies. The article calls for the social work profession and other helping professions to rethink of their priorities in the enhancement of people's welfare: either to be an agent of social control or an agent of social change. Social work should face the socio-economic inequalities head-on if it is to truly reflect its professional philosophy of social justice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Families of incarcerated individuals face a multitude of social, financial and emotional costs. Family members, particularly women, have to go through an emotional upheaval as they experience stigma, its severe consequences with respect to the particular sociocultural context and, the shame and pain of dealing with the incarceration of a loved one. It disrupts family ties and leads to uncertainty creating a void in place of the incarcerated individual augmenting the risks, vulnerability and fragility of the family. This paper aims to assess the issues faced by the women of these families in the context of political turmoil and violence, highlights the socio-economic aspects of incarceration, institutional constraints on visitation and discusses the changes in family dynamics as a result of it. The paper also brings forth the protective role played by religion and faith in the lives of these women. The paper is based on interviews conducted with the women of families with incarcerated individuals. The paper emphasizes the ripple effect of incarceration on all the domains of lives of their families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This paper aims to understand the recent trends and correlation of tobacco use and factors associated with an attempt to quit smokeless tobacco (SLT) use among adults from Northeast India. Methods: We used data from two rounds of the cross-sectional Global Adult Tobacco Survey. The paper applied proportion test statistics to examine the change in the prevalence of tobacco use between the two periods. Binary logistic regression was applied to determine the associated risks of tobacco use. Results: Prevalence of SLT use among adults increased significantly by 3.9% from 2009-10 to 2016–17. In the same period, the prevalence of smoking had declined by 2.4%. Increase in use of SLT use was more prominent among women and illiterate adults, rural and poor households, while a decrease in prevalence of smoking was observed among adults. A significant proportion of educated people, students, and homemakers, reported that they had quit smoking; however, the proportion of attempts to quit SLT had increased significantly among older adults, rural residents, and those with low education levels. Conclusions: Actions involving the community, youth, women, the less educated and poor adults are necessary to encourage them quit SLT use and smoking in the north-eastern states of India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Walking within neighbourhoods had been found to be beneficial in many ways including health, but there is the need to consider factors that will influence walking behaviour for planning purposes. Finding factors of walkability requires more than one tool of measurement since it involves urban form and socio-economy. The space syntax method had been applied in examining urban form (street structure) and the socio-economic factor was measured using regression analysis, within neighbourhoods of contrasting characteristics. This paper examines the syntactical properties relating to the new urbanist area and core area of the city, relating to their walking behaviour, examining the people's socio-economic characteristics, investigating the individuals' walking behaviour and factors explaining the variance of walkability in the study area. The paper concludes by using the findings to recommend strategies that planners, designers, and policy-makers can use to design successful transit and pedestrian-oriented developments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]