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The paper reports analysis of data from a household survey concerning water conservation behaviour in Kuwait. Econometric models were used for nine conservation measures, The models were estimated for nationals and expatriates. The results revealed that households made efforts to conserve water by changing habits/practices. The results failed to support the theory of planned behaviour as water conservation campaign had no effect on households' water conservation. Awareness about environment and water conservation did not result in pro-conservation behaviour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low-income populations are disadvantaged in a car-dependent society despite car ownership and could be using walking and cycling to reduce their travel costs. This study explores how low-income households with and without cars living in various geographies disproportionately use walking and cycling to save money in comparison to higher-income households. Data from the 2017 National Household Travel Survey is used to investigate the variation in walking and cycling behavior among three groups of households: (1) carless low-income households, (2) low-income households with cars, and (3) higher-income households. Generalized ordered logistic regression models are estimated to examine how the probability of using active travel to save money varies by household type, location (urban, suburban, rural) and other socioeconomic attributes. We find that low-income households are more likely to walk or cycle to save money on transportation compared to higher-income households. Carless low-income households present a higher probability to use active travel to decrease travel costs in comparison to car-owning low-income households. Our results also indicate that on average, urban residents are more likely to travel actively to reduce expenses compared to suburban and rural residents. The lowest spatial variation is found for carless low-income households, demonstrating their higher disadvantage compared to those with cars. Low-income people of color are more likely to use active travel to save money while being a female, older, or having children are attributes associated with a lower probability to use active travel to reduce travel expenses in low-income households. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study assessed the impact of safety nets on food insecurity in households with people with disabilities (PWD) in Nigeria. Using data from the 2019 Nigeria General Household Survey, we assessed the risk of experiencing food insecurity among households and the moderating role of safety nets using households without PWDs as a reference. PWD households were three times more likely to experience severe food insecurity compared to households without PWDs. The impact of the safety net program on the risk of food insecurity showed that receiving social benefits had little effect among households with disabled members experiencing severe food insecurity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large, unexpected shocks are becoming more frequent, making the design of robust social transfer programs more vital than ever. We evaluate the performance of the Food Friendly Program (FFP), the largest in-kind social transfer program in Bangladesh, before and during the nation-wide COVID-19 lockdown. Using two-rounds of nationally representative household surveys combined with administrative data, we document that high leakages and large welfare losses are related to corruption. This contrasts with the performance of the pre-lockdown FFP, when leakage was low and coverage high. We then compare the performance of the FFP with two initiatives launched following the pandemic: an in-kind and cash transfer program, respectively. These programs have markedly higher levels of leakage than the FFP. Our findings are relevant to other large shocks, such as those caused by climate change, and have important policy implications for the design and delivery of transfer programs in developing countries characterized by institutional weaknesses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerous studies have explored associations between bicycle network characteristics and bicycle ridership. However, the majority of these studies have been conducted in inner metropolitan regions and as such, there is limited knowledge on how various characteristics of bicycle networks relate to bicycle trips within and across entire metropolitan regions, and how the size and composition of study regions impact on the association between bicycle network characteristics and bicycle ridership. We conducted a retrospective analysis of household travel survey data and bicycle infrastructure in the Greater Melbourne region, Australia. Seven network metrics were calculated (length of the bicycle network, betweenness centrality, degree centrality, network density, network coverage, intersection density and average weighted slope) and Bayesian spatial models were used to explore associations between these network characteristics and bicycle ridership. We demonstrated that bicycle ridership was associated with several network characteristics, and that these characteristics varied according to the outcome (count of the number of trips made by bike or the proportion of trips made by bike) and the size and characteristics of the study region. These findings challenge the utility of approaches based on spatially modeling network characteristics and bicycle ridership when informing the monitoring and evaluation of bicycle networks. Further efforts are required to be able to quantify network characteristics that reflect the myriad of factors that influence comfort and safety for people of all ages and abilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In South Africa, youth (15–34 years) are the most vulnerable age group, assuming a large share of unemployment and NEET rates. This has raised concerns of their living standards, which have a great influence on their overall development. Although much has been written on poverty in South Africa, poverty specifically among the youth remains under-researched. This study analyses factors that determine poverty among youth-headed households in South Africa using the 2018 General Household Survey data from Statistics South Africa. Using a binary logistic regression, the paper provides findings and makes recommendations and imperative insights to policy-makers in advancing the socio-economic status of young people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In one of the largest demand-side energy efficiency programs at the time, the Mexican government supported more than 11 million, mostly low-income households in replacing their old light bulbs and appliances with more efficient models. Previous evaluations of this program focused exclusively on appliances, which made up almost 90 per cent of the total program cost, and found modest benefits in terms of energy savings. This study compares the respective effects of replacing light bulbs and appliances simultaneously in a single econometric framework, using data from nationally representative household surveys and a difference-in-differences approach which exploits geographical variation in treatment intensities. Despite using different sources and types of data, our results for the appliances replacement intervention are largely in line with the estimates of previous studies. In addition, we find that the impact on energy consumption (proxied by the amount paid for electricity) of replacing light bulbs was of comparable magnitude as that of replacing appliances, although the average cost per participating household was much smaller. Overall, our results suggest that low-cost investments that help poor households reduce their energy consumption for lighting can have high returns on energy efficiency in the residential sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper develops a Bayesian method to detect heterogeneity in the relationship between covariates and the outcome in models with ordered responses. To this end, we construct an efficient Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithm for a hierarchical Bayesian model that selects random coefficients in ordered models. This method extends an approach for selecting random coefficients in linear mixed models into the ordered setting by adding two enhancements that are relevant to the latter category of models. First, we construct steps to efficiently estimate cut-points by addressing identification and ordering constraints. Second, we develop a framework to evaluate marginal effects that combine the fixed and random effects of each covariate. The marginal effects additionally allow for model uncertainty by averaging across models visited by the selection algorithm. Simulation studies demonstrate that this method detects random effects when they are present, estimates parameters accurately and efficiently samples from the posterior with low autocorrelations across successive draws. On applying this method on data from the survey of consumer expectations, we find clear support for the presence of household-level heterogeneity in relationships between demographic variables, and current as well as expected financial conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Household consumption surveys do not typically offer poverty estimates for refugees. We test the performance of a recently developed cross-survey imputation method to estimate poverty for a sample of refugees in Chad, combining survey and administrative data collected by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). We find the imputed poverty rates are not statistically different from the poverty rates obtained directly from the survey consumption data. This result is robust to different model specifications, varying poverty lines, and assumptions of the error terms. Targeting results based on the imputed poverty estimates also outperform common targeting methods, such as proxy means tests and the current targeting method used by humanitarian organizations in Chad. Replicating this approach in at least some of the 122 other countries currently using UNHCR administrative data could help address data gaps and provide much-needed estimates to effectively respond to forcibly displaced crises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The practice of women eating after men is a common gender-inequitable food allocation mechanism among adults in Indian households and has been associated with poor health and nutritional outcomes for women. However, empirical evidence on whether a similar practice of girls eating after boys is prevalent among children is scarce. Using primary data from a household survey conducted in educationally backward areas of four Indian states, we provide new evidence of this practice among children. Almost 28 per cent of the sample households follow the mealtime custom of girls eating after boys. Scheduled Tribes and households with higher incomes are less likely to follow this practice. Other relevant factors include children's relative ages by sex and an interplay between family size and children's sex composition. While our findings may not be generalizable, they suggest an intersectionality between gender and other dimensions of inequality, namely social identity and economic class. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In South Africa, households were formed at about twice the rate that the population grew be-tween census 1996 and census 2011 and the number of single-person households ballooned by 150%. Reweighted household survey data shows a surge in household formation in the late 1990s was driven by prime-aged and older women and Black African men, likely connected to new freedoms afforded to these groups after the transition to democracy. Household formation steadied in the 2000s, hiding variation in who formed what types of households. Astonishing growth in the rate at which South Africans live alone was led by Black African men, a group historically associated with circular labour migration. Women instead are heading up complex households including children. These changes connect to long-term marital decline. By 2011, most female heads were never-married and the growing majority population group of never-married adults increased their rate of household formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The United Nations has estimated that 2.8 billion individuals across the world will not have access to safely managed sanitation in 2030. In the accounting of global sanitation access, local inequities often are invisible to those counting, especially given that many of these counters are physically distant and often external to communities suffering from lack of access. Lowndes County, Alabama, a predominantly-Black county in rural Alabama (USA), provides a window into the social, racial, and environmental injustices that are present in the rural American South. Our survey of household sanitation access in Lowndes County, implemented by a collaboration of an academic institution, a local environmental justice organisation, and residents, shows that community members in the county are aware of the problems associated with failing septic systems. Producing data that can make publicly visible the lack of access to sanitation will, however, remain a challenge until institutional and structural barriers are overcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The distance between the birth date and the school entry cutoff has been repeatedly used as an exogenous instrument to examine the impact of several educational programmes. In this work, we analyse the validity of this instrument for the case of Argentina. Considering multiple waves of the Permanent Household Survey we detect the existence of discontinuities in the distribution of births around the school entry cutoff (30 June). These discontinuities suggest that parents act strategically. In particular, they defer birth dates to days after the cutoff. This effect is especially large considering a bandwidth of 7 days and in boys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a paucity of official data on violence against women (VAW) in Mexico. Two-hundred and seventy-two household surveys and seven focus group discussions with 50 women were conducted to explore women's experiences of VAW in public spaces in Corregidora, Mexico. Seven semi-structured interviews with stakeholders were carried out to understand their knowledge of VAW and reduction measures through infrastructure delivery and urban planning. Results showed that the most common and recurring type of VAW was catcalling, and 39 per cent of survey participants experienced at least one type of VAW. Government stakeholders appeared either unaware of the extent of VAW or were dismissive of its impact. The disconnect between women's experiences and stakeholders' views has implications for the design and implementation of safety measures for women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiple stressors such as climate shocks, environmental degradation and resource conflicts may pose a great challenge for African communities struggling to adapt to climate change. Yet, there is limited empirical evidence on the differential vulnerabilities of farming and fishing households to these triple stressors. Using a household survey in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria, we compare the vulnerability of farming and fishing households. We find that the farming households were more exposed to the triple stressors while the fishing households were more sensitive to the triple stressors owing to their poor physical and natural asset base. In addition, we find that the two groups share similar adaptive capacity and composite vulnerability scores. Overall, interventions such as credit schemes can enable fishing households to address their livelihood disruptions and build their asset endowment, and climate-responsive interventions such as early warning systems can partly reduce the climate exposure of farming households. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To determine the prevalence of trachomatous inflammation—follicular (TF), trachomatous trichiasis (TT), water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) access in 131 evaluation units (EUs) after implementation of trachoma elimination interventions in Oromia Region, Ethiopia. A population-based cross-sectional survey was conducted in each EU using the World Health Organization-recommended two-stage cluster-sampling methodology. Twenty-six clusters, each with a mean of 30 households were enumerated in each EU. All residents aged ≥1 year in selected households were examined for TF and TT. Information on WASH access in surveyed households was also collected through questioning the household head and direct observation. A total of 419,858 individuals were enumerated in 131 EUs, of whom 396,134 (94%) were examined, 54% being female. Age-adjusted EU-level prevalence of TF in children aged 1–9 years ranged from 0.15% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.0–0.4) to 37.5% (95% CI: 31.1–43.7). The TF prevalence was <5% in 73/131 (56%) EUs. The EU-level age- and gender-adjusted prevalence of TT unknown to the health system among people aged ≥15 years ranged from 0.001% (95% CI: 0.00–0.02) to 2.2% (95% CI: 1.1–3.1) with 37/131 (28%) EUs having a prevalence <0.2%. Only 48% of all households surveyed had access to improved water sources for drinking. Approximately 96% of households did not have an improved latrine. Oromia is on the path towards elimination of trachoma as a public health problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To assess the contemporary prevalence of trachoma in Brazil's non-indigenous population, surveys of those thought to be at greatest risk of disease were conducted. Rural census tracts of non-indigenous population from nine mesoregions were selected to compose the survey evaluation units (EUs) by considering previously endemic municipalities at greatest risk of trachoma. In each of the nine EUs, we conducted a population-based prevalence survey. Every resident of selected households aged $$ \ge $$ ≥ 1 year was examined for trachomatous inflammation — follicular (TF) and trachomatous trichiasis (TT). Additionally, data were collected on household-level access to water, sanitation, hygiene (WASH) and education. A total of 27,962 individuals were examined across nine EUs. The age-adjusted TF prevalence in 1–9-year-olds was <5% in each EU. The age- and gender-adjusted prevalence of TT unknown to the health system in ≥15-year-olds was <0.2% in eight EUs; in one EU, it was 0.22%. The median number of households surveyed per EU with access to an improved drinking water source within a 30-minute roundtrip of the house was 66%. School attendance was >99% of surveyed children. The prevalence of TF was well below the target for elimination as a public health problem in all EUs. Because EUs surveyed were selected to represent the highest-risk non-indigenous areas of the country, TF prevalence is unlikely to be ≥5% in non-indigenous populations elsewhere. In one EU, the prevalence of TT was above the target threshold for elimination. Further investigation and possibly improvement in TT surgical provision are required in that EU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing concern for sustainable forest and protected forest resources motivates this study. In the wake of rising protected forest depletion, climate change and public health problems, this study through a bidding game format develops a sustainability index to show households' sustainability behavior toward the protected forests in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. Relying on a cross-section of household survey data and regression analysis, this study finds that overall, approximately 79% of respondents exhibited sustainable behavior toward protected forests in GAR. Also, this sustainable behavior is associated with expected revenue of GH¢ 80,837,594 (USD$ 15,368,398) per annum. We also find that socioeconomic, psychological, and environmental factors are the main drivers of protected forest sustainability in the Greater Accra Region, Ghana. This study has important implications for institutions working toward sustaining protected forest and forest resources in Ghana. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

International survey researchers are increasingly turning to a geospatial sampling approach known as gridded population sampling for finer resolution and a more updated sampling frame than conventional census-based sampling. To date, there have been no direct comparisons of accuracy between survey results derived from the two methods. This experiment fielded two parallel public opinion surveys concurrently before Uruguay's 2019 first-round election to compare the accuracy of both probabilistic sampling approaches. Holding other factors constant, we found that the gridded population sample survey performed slightly better than the conventionally drawn census sample survey at predicting election results. The quality of the Uruguayan census frame set a high standard for the gridded population sample, and our experimental results demonstrate that it surpassed it. Given gridded population sampling's additional demonstrated advantages, particularly time savings, these results suggest that it is a promising approach for face-to-face survey sampling in many lower- and middle-income countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early childhood development (ECD) access and quality inequalities can manifest as school and labour market outcomes that are persistently unequal by race, gender and geography. Using the General Household Survey 2019 and Early Childhood Development Census 2009–2014 data, we find that household socio-economic status, proximity to ECD centres and the mother’s educational attainment are positively associated with ECD enrolment. Having an economically inactive or unemployed adult in the household is negatively associated with enrolment rates. This paper also evaluates the programme gains (value added) of five ECD programmes in the large-scale cross-sectional the Early Learning Outcomes Measure study. We find gains that are surprisingly large, considering that these programmes served mainly poorer children, and because contact time per week for three of the programmes was only 2½ to 8 hours. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the effects of the Tigrai war and siege on household livelihood sources and identifies the coping mechanisms adopted in Mekelle City. A cross-sectional household survey of randomly selected respondents was conducted and analysed using a coping strategy index and descriptive analysis. The results revealed that most of the respondents lost their livelihoods due to the war and siege. The study also confirmed that households with the pre-war occupations of government employee, handcrafter, daily labourer, and metal- and woodworker suffered the most. The study concludes that the siege has interrupted the livelihoods of the people in Mekelle City and most of them are waiting for humanitarian food aid. This study advises households to diversify their income sources to cope with man-made shocks and thereby reduce risk. It also recommends that the international community intervene and support the warring parties to settle their political differences peacefully. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article details the gendered micro-politics of livestock management in a pastoralist community in southern Kenya. It centers on traditionally underemphasized women's spaces within homesteads and women's livestock caretaking activities therein, and in so doing demonstrates how gendered labor is co-constitutive of gendered norms and resource access norms. Moreover, in focusing on access to cattle, access to milk, milk use, and decision-making concerning these cornerstones of livestock-based economies, it illuminates the variety of women's responsibilities and challenges regarding resource management, food security, and wellbeing. Drawing from an ethnographic mixed methods research project, including an in-depth focal household study, household surveys, intra-household surveys, and interviews, this article also illuminates the norms, rules, and institutions governing gendered labor and resource management decisions in the gendered, multispecies spaces of milking. Findings presented here reveal how processes of rule-making and rule-breaking around milk management (access, use, and sales) come to be, why they are challenged or perpetuated, and their impacts on everyday gendered practices during rare times of plenty and more frequent times of hardship. These findings contribute to literatures that highlight the importance of understanding spatialized and gendered intra-household dynamics for reducing inequities in food systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Survey data is a crucial tool for understanding behaviours in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), but it is often subject to various biases that impede statistical inference. One of these biases is the systematic non-response of wealthy populations, which poses a considerable risk to research on income and wealth inequality, entrepreneurship, consumer behaviour, housing markets, demand for urban services, education and career trajectories, and other topics relevant to these groups. This article offers a technical and methodological review of non-response bias inherent in surveys of wealthy households, encompassing unit non-response and item non-response. Based on a literature review, we suggest a range of strategies that can be used to minimize these biases, starting with strategies for implementing the survey itself and then proposing solutions for adjusting the sample after the survey. This article provides researchers and survey managers with a theoretical understanding of the issues at stake, as well as practical tools for mitigating biases specific to surveys of wealthy households in LMICs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COVID-19 continues to take a large toll on the mental health of the not working population, particularly of those who were unable to work. This study, using the Household Pulse Survey, estimated the association between reasons for not working and major depression and anxiety symptoms (MDAS). The lowest MDAS was reported by retirees. Individuals who were unable to work because of transportation problems, layoffs, COVID-19 concerns, and sickness or disability reported the highest MDAS. Mediation analysis showed that the direct and indirect effects of reasons for not working were much higher for those individuals who were unable to work than for individuals who were working or decided not to work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study analyses the main determinants of migration in order to guide future policy interventions in Ethiopia. We use a double-hurdle model for observing a sample of 4,946 households by a representative survey data. The findings show that the likelihood of migration mainly depends on socio-economic factors while not affected by regional origin. The determinants related to household heads and members have strong impacts, thus confirming that the decision is driven by these actors instead of being a purely individual choice. In addition, the findings confirm that migration is mainly linked to rural areas. Educational policies have a decisive impact on the household choice to let someone migrate. Literacy is the strongest determinant of migration choice, with the highest impact; agricultural policies have a smaller impact on the decision to migrate rather than other policies have. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Employing foreign domestic workers (FDWs) has become a common practice for outsourcing domestic labor. There has been a rapid diffusion process of the practice from the families with more resources to families with fewer resources. This study adopts an employment perspective to examine the employers' subjective experience and the risk of replacing FDWs, and how these are related to the employing families' economic and informational resources. Analyzing data from a representative household survey (N = 732 employer-FDW dyads) and follow-up interviews (N = 20), the results show that couples living in larger apartments and recruiting FDWs through social networks were more likely to have better subjective experience with their FDWs, while couples who grew up with FDWs in their childhood were less likely to replace FDWs. Families with fewer economic and informational resources have poorer experiences with their FDWs. This finding is important when the practice has become popularized among families with fewer resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examine spillovers from agricultural estates to Malawian smallholders within an econometric counterfactual framework. We consider economic spillovers such as income, as well as agrarian spillovers such as yields, harvests, and crop diversity. We identify long-run effects of large agricultural investments on small-scale farmers. For the location of large estates, we use a novel OpenStreetMap dataset, while data on smallholder's stems from a household survey. We provide evidence for the importance of the distance threshold for spillovers, and explore multiple thresholds. In proximity to estates we find higher groundnut and pigeon pea yields and increased crop diversity. In very close proximity, incomes are also higher. Area under cultivation in total and for maize are smaller for nearby households, while maize yields are not significantly different. Overall, our results suggest that policies should aim to leverage the increased crop diversity and groundnut yields while mitigating potential detrimental effects arising from reduced cultivated land. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about bats often underlie social support for bat management and intentions to conserve bats. Effective bat conservation and management hinges on understanding these drivers across contexts. Lands classified as wildland-urban interface (WUI) are rapidly expanding in the USA, increasing the likelihood of human-bat interactions from management practices and encroachment on forested landscapes. We surveyed 410 households in one Arizona WUI community to assess residents' knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and emotions toward bats, and differences among these variables associated with demographic traits, past encounters with bats, support for bat management, and willingness to place artificial bat roosts on their properties. Greater knowledge and positive attitudes, beliefs, and emotions positively predicted willingness to place roosts 59% to 85% of the time, varying across demographic groups; they did not predict support for bat management. Our findings demonstrated that contexts and demographic traits are important considerations for bat conservation and management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We analyze the effect on poverty of a significant increase in the minimum wage using a quasi-experimental situation in Mexico. In January 2019, the Mexican government announced an increase in the minimum wage: in most of the country it increased by 16 per cent, while in 43 municipalities along the U.S. border it increased by 100 per cent. Using household surveys and the official method for calculating labor income poverty, we implement difference-in-difference and synthetic control methodologies to estimate whether this policy affected poverty in Mexico. We find that poverty along the border decreased by 2.6–3.0 percentage points (11–13 per cent) due to the larger increase in the minimum wage. Poverty was reduced mainly by reducing the flow from non-poverty into poverty. However, poverty intensity increased, mainly because the policy did not affect the share of families without labor income among the poorest households. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focused on drivers of youth participation in maize value addition in Gulu district. The study identified the socioeconomic characteristics of the participating and non-participating youth and further ascertained the drivers of youth participation in maize value addition. A cross sectional household survey was conducted in Gulu district in two selected sub-counties and two divisions. Data were collected from a randomly selected sample of 168 participating and non-participating youth in maize value addition using structured questionnaires. SPSS and StataSE13 software were used for data analysis. Independent t- and chi-square tests were used to ascertain if significant differences existed between the participating and non-participating youth in maize value addition. A probit model was used to estimate the determinants of youth participation in maize value addition. Our results revealed that participating youth differed from their non-participating counterparts by age, education, experience in maize value addition, access to market, and location. Factors which significantly influenced youth participation included age, education, land size for maize production, location, access to market, training and extension. The study recommends that targeted training be organized for youth in areas of value addition technologies and strategic business location to enhance successful participation in agri-value chains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the first time ever, the United States Census Bureau began collecting data on the LGBT community with Phase 3.2 of the Household Pulse Survey. The Household Pulse Survey assesses how residents of the United States are doing during the COVID-19 pandemic. The data provided by the Household Pulse Survey Week 34 through Week 39 provides information to understand the lives of LGBT residents of the United States and how the LGBT community as a whole is doing economically. This study merges six weeks of the Household Pulse Survey, for a total of 382,908 survey responses. The sample represents a population of 250,265,449 adult residents aged 18 and older in the United States. This study provides the first nationally representative sample of residents of the United States that identify as transgender. This study specifically focuses on LGBT people with disabilities but highlights disparities facing transgender disabled U.S. adult residents. Disability is defined in the Household Pulse Survey as a severe or total impairment of those with seeing, hearing, remembering, and mobility disability types. The data indicates significant disparities for LGBT people compared to non-LGBT people, specifically in terms of economic considerations like work loss, household finances, and mental health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In underserved rural areas, domestic rainwater harvesting has been gaining importance as an alternative water source. In rural South Africa, however, less than 1% of households use conventional rainwater harvesting systems. Instead, a household survey in KwaZulu-Natal reveals that many households harvest rainwater in a makeshift manner, using homemade gutters and drums. Statistical analysis shows that high income, a brick house with straight gutters and good water services facilitate conventional rainwater harvesting, while a household with only round huts is easily trapped into makeshift rainwater harvesting. For upscaling rainwater harvesting in rural areas, housing types need to be considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding household food shopping locations is important as it could help policymakers develop effective place-based strategies to improve healthy eating and subsequently improve health conditions. Although a growing number of studies have examined food shopping patterns and their associations with food environment around home locations, evidence on food shopping locations relative to areas beyond residential neighborhoods remains scarce. We aimed to explore spatial dimensions of household food shopping locations relative to home, workplaces, and commuting routes. We defined three buffers to delineate potential food shopping geographies for home, workplaces, and commuting routes. We calculated home–grocery distances and work–grocery distances, and the percentage of grocery shopping locations falling inside each of the three aforementioned spatial units, respectively. Our findings suggest that people were more likely to visit food stores beyond immediate residential areas or workplace areas. They often bypassed the closest supermarkets near home or work, whereas they were more likely to shop along their commuting paths. Our findings provide an example of the uncertain geographic context problem in a context of food activities, highlighting that activity space is a more comprehensive measure for assessing food exposures and food shopping activities. Key Words: activity spaces, food shopping locations, healthy food environment, residential neighborhoods, workplace neighborhoods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated the impact of governmental stimulus payments and how they were employed by individuals—whether saved, spent, or used to pay down debt—on mortgage repayment. We determined that there was a positive effect for individuals who were eligible for the Economic Impact Payment (EIP) Stimulus and used it to increase their ability to make their next mortgage payment. However, this did not affect their overall likelihood of having paid off their mortgage. These findings held after various demographic controls were employed, as well as after controlling for alternative measures of spending meant to disentangle the EIP from other long-term patterns of saving and spending. Differences by Race and Socioeconomic status or age were also explored. Our results provide preliminary evidence that the EIP had a positive effect on mortgage payments during the COVID-19 pandemic, and show that future government stimulus payments should take into account patterns in saving affecting repayment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The multiple indicator cluster survey (MICS) is a household survey tool designed to obtain internationally comparable, statistically rigorous data of standardized indicators related to the health situation of children and women. Missing data in a large number of categorical variables are a serious concern for MICS, following complex dependency structures and inconsistency problems that impose severe challenges to the investigators. Despite the popularity of multiple imputation of missing data, its acceptance and application still lag in large-scale studies with complicated data sets such as MICS. We propose interdependent hybrid multiple imputation (HMI) techniques which combines features of existing MI approaches to handle complex missing data in large scale household surveys. The iterative HMI approach is observed to be a good competitor to the existing approaches, with often smaller root mean square errors, empirical standard errors and standard errors. Regardless of any combination, the iterative HMI method is markedly superior to the existing MI methods in terms of computational efficiency. Results from household data example support the capacity of proposed method to handle complex missing data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of indigenous and modern adaptations to climate change across the Bui Plateau, Cameroon, is investigated through interviews, focus group discussions, and a survey of farming households. Adoption and adaptation are skewed towards indigenous approaches; farmers use local seeds (72%) more than improved seeds (28%), a blend of organic and chemical fertilisers, and adjust planting dates. Policy interventions should identify the complementary roles of indigenous and modern adaptation, and promote their application as appropriate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the relationship between the Boko Haram conflict in Northeast Nigeria and the mental health of heads of households. The information on depressive symptoms (as a proxy for mental health) of household heads was collected using the Centre of Epidemiological Studies Short Depression Scale (CESD-10). The information on household coordinates provided in the 2015 wave of the Nigerian General Household Survey (GHS) was used to measure households' exposure to violent conflict through the number of conflict attacks as well as the number of fatalities within a local government area. To explore the pathways of the association between conflict and depressive symptoms, we employed mediation analysis to unpack mechanisms such as unemployment, illness or injury, and food security as potential channels through which violent conflict is associated with depressive symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The choice of household disposal methods continues to be an area of concern globally. Several pieces of research have been conducted to identify the determinants of the choice of disposal methods. Unfortunately, these pieces of research have not explored all the factors that can influence households' choices of disposal methods. Premised on this, the paper contributes to existing literature by exploring the factors that influence households' decision to adopt a particular solid waste disposal method. Using the Oforikrom Municipality, as a case study, the paper relies on household surveys and in-depth interviews with key informants from the relevant institutions. Field observations and spatial analysis were also conducted to gather further evidence. The study reveals that the factors that informed households' decision to adopt particular disposal methods were educational levels, type and nature of dwelling unit, urbanized nature of the community, waste disposal facilities, and environmental concerns of the households. Other identified factors include household size, affordability, and convenience of the household. The study recommends that a key to success in terms of proper waste disposal among residents is to ensure the availability and accessibility of disposal facilities and the proper regulation of waste management organizations as well as disposal sites. These will contribute to minimizing the adverse effects of poor solid wastes disposal practices. Implications: This article is intended to deepen the understanding of solid wastes disposal practices in urban areas and to contribute to literature on the factors that influence the choice of a particular disposal method among residents in these areas. Findings and recommendations from this research are intended to inform policy decisions on how to effectively improve solid waste management, specifically at the household level, in urban areas in Ghana, and beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores gender differences in commute behavior with a focus on two-earner households using data from the 2001, 2009 and 2017 U.S. National Household Travel Surveys (NHTS). To understand whether gender differences are shrinking or persistent in terms of commute distances, we first analyze these differences by assessing descriptive statistics and t-test across multiple population sub-categories and trip purposes. We then employ Seemingly Unrelated Regression (SUR) models on the pooled data in order to analyze the determinants of the household total commute distance and share of women's commute distance. Our study reveals: (1) gender gap in commute distances has narrowed over the years, however the magnitude of change is small; (2) women continue to have shorter commute distances; (3) commute mode, presence of children, and occupation-related characteristics affect gender gaps in commuting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although much knowledge and debates about residential satisfaction exist, there is little evidence regarding its fluid nature and its influencing factors. Therefore, we suggest an analytical framework to investigate the dynamics of residential satisfaction by using data from a unique long-term study. Many previous studies have generally examined residential satisfaction using cross-sectional data at one point in time. But long-term observations are indispensable for discovering changes and/or continuity over time. For our analysis we utilized data from a study that was carried out over four decades and involved ten questionnaires. The study looks at a large housing estate (LHE) in East Germany. Our results concerning satisfaction with the estate and the apartments show the continuously high impact of residential comfort and sound insulation, and the declining impact of apartment size. Beyond that, the results reflect the development of this estate and also exemplify the political turbulence that this housing segment faced in East Germany. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the effects of rainfall variability on agricultural input demand while controlling for risk preference and other covariates. For the empirical analysis, rural household survey data, which was matched with rainfall variability data and experimentally generated measures of risk preference, was used. The results show that increased rainfall variability prompts households to reduce the application of productivity-enhancing inputs, such as fertiliser, but bolsters the application of low-risk inputs such as manure. These results are robust to alternative specifications and support the theoretical predictions developed. The findings suggest the following policy implications for chemical fertiliser use among risk-averse smallholder farmers in areas characterized by rainfall variability. First, developing more weather-resilient crop varieties and irrigation could stimulate higher use of chemical fertiliser by producing more stable yields. Secondly, weather index insurance (WII) could incentivize higher chemical fertiliser use by reducing income risk and easing liquidity constraints. Thirdly, social protection such as cash transfer programmes could lead to a higher use of chemical fertiliser by serving as insurance against income risks (i.e., through providing regular and predictable financial resources). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exploring the mediating role of water conservation desire between various factors and water conservation behavior intention helps to explore the formation mechanism of pro-environmental behavior intention. Drawing on the Model of Goal-directed Behavior and taking Hangzhou as a sample, we analyzed the influence of water conservation desire together with other factors on the water conservation behavior intention of Chinese urban households. Water conservation desire was proved to transmit the effects of other factors on water conservation behavior intention. This study showed that perceived behavior control and water conservation desire have the strongest effects on water conservation intention. Moreover, the emotional process was proved to be equally important as the motivational process for activating water conservation desire. This study provides valuable insights on how normative, emotional, and habitual processes relate to the urban household pro-environmental behavioral intentions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While utilizing the latest round of a household survey of Bangladesh, this paper used a vulnerability index to understand household welfare in case of shocks, uncertainty, or unforeseen events like COVID-19. According to our analysis, environmentally exposed regions are found to be more vulnerable to economic shock, and certain occupational groups are expected to experience higher incidences of poverty and vulnerability. In addition, demographic features of households can be crucial in vulnerability analysis. Our analysis therefore expects to provide crucial policy guidelines for identifying the vulnerable groups as well as for redesigning poverty reduction strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the local impact of foreign aid allocated to districts and constituencies in Malawi over the period 1999–2013 using a highly detailed new aid database that includes annual disbursements at each project location. First, we show using household panel surveys that growth in light density is a good proxy for growth in per capita consumption. Second, we introduce a new dataset that permits a novel instrumental variables strategy. We find a consistent and quantitatively significant relationship between aid and growth. Constituency-level regressions point to a larger effect than at district level, suggesting that aid is associated with some relocation of activity across space but not enough to make the net effect zero. The effect on growth is at its highest immediately after its disbursement, and falls to close to zero in subsequent years, implying that foreign aid has a level effect on incomes but does not stimulate sustained growth. Aid delivered as a grant is positively related with growth, while that given as a loan is not. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study objective is to assess stakeholders' roles and linkages in quality coffee production and the implications for adaptation to climate change in Yirgacheffe District, southern Ethiopia. Stakeholder analysis was performed to identify and characterize stakeholders based on their power and interest criteria and to assess their linkages and roles in quality coffee production. Additionally, a household survey with coffee farmers (stratified into quality coffee farmers and conventional coffee farmers) was conducted to assess coffee farmers' level of satisfaction of with various forms of support provided to them by the stakeholders. The stakeholders analysis revealed that stakeholders possessed different degrees of power and interest in quality coffee production. While government agencies were more powerful in decisions and actions related to quality coffee production, coffee farmers (key actors) were less powerful. The household survey revealed that quality coffee farmers tended to have stronger linkages with stakeholders than conventional coffee farmers. The authors conclude that quality coffee production was the result of efforts from multiple stakeholders, and they suggest that policy interventions to enhance collaborative quality coffee production through empowering stakeholders in decision-making processes in the coffee value chain are important to make the coffee-based livelihoods sustainable and resilient to climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intergenerational relationships are one of the most frequently studied topics in the social sciences. Within the area of family, researchers find intergenerational similarity in family behaviors such as marriage, divorce, and fertility. Yet less research has examined the intergenerational aspects of a key proximate determinant of fertility: sexual frequency. We use the National Survey of Families and Households to examine the relationship between sexual frequency of parents and the sexual frequency of children when adults. We link parental sexual frequency in 1987/1988, when children were ages 5–18, to the sexual frequency of the children in 2001–2003 when these grown children were ages 18–34. We find a modest, yet significant association, between parental and adult children sexual frequency. A mechanism behind this association appears to be the higher likelihood of being in a union among children of parents with high sexual frequency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To reduce poverty, it is important to obtain accurate information on poverty conditions in a timely manner. Previous studies indicated that nighttime light products are helpful for poverty estimation. However, there exist no studies that have investigated the potential of LuoJia1-01, a new-generation nighttime light satellite with a much finer resolution (∼130 m), for analyzing poverty. In addition, nighttime light data may not reflect daytime-only socio-economic activities. To address these problems, our study first compared the performance of LuoJia1-01 and NPP-VIIRS products in poverty estimation. Next, we incorporated point of interest (POI) information so that daytime-only socio-economic activities can be considered. Our experiments indicated that LuoJia1-01 performs slightly better than NPP-VIIRS in terms of poverty estimation at county level. More importantly, we revealed that the combination of POIs and nighttime light products can moderately increase the average estimation accuracies. These findings are expected to support poverty monitoring over large regions for long periods, which cannot be fulfilled by traditional household surveys and census. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Smallholder farmers in Ethiopia have long been using various indigenous land management practices. It appears from a survey of households, focus group discussions and key informant interviews in Farta Woreda, Northwestern Ethiopia, however that only a few indigenous techniques are widely practised. The use of some technologies has rapidly declined, whereas some others have totally disappeared. Reasons given include small land holdings, shortage of stock feed, prevalence of field-crop pests, late onset and early cessation of rainfall, too few oxen and other livestock, and engagement in non-farm livelihood options. Moreover, indigenous practices are neglected by agricultural extension that promotes introduced alternatives, sometimes coercively. Efforts should be made by research and extension programmes to preserve and use indigenous technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study analyzes the factors associated with eye care service utilization among Peruvians 50 years of age and older, measured as self-reporting of having undergone examination of visual acuity during the last 12 months. A secondary analysis of the 2019 Demographic and Family Health Survey (ENDES, for its acronym in Spanish) database was carried out. We estimated the weighted proportion of adults 50 years of age and older that reported having undergone a visual acuity examination in the previous 12 months and the frequency according to the variables of interest. Crude (PR) and adjusted prevalence ratios (aPR) of eye care service utilization were constructed using generalized linear models. Approximately 28.8% of Peruvians 50 years of age and older underwent a visual acuity examination in the previous 12 months. Having a higher education (aPR = 1.79; 95% CI: 1.33–2.40), health insurance such as EsSalud (aPR = 1.54; 95% CI: 1.28–1.87), a previous diagnosis of cataracts (aPR = 1.86; 95% CI: 1.67–2.09) and being part of the richest wealth quintile (aPR = 2.36; 95% CI: 1.74–3.20) were associated with greater utilization of eye care services, while living in the jungle was associated with a lower likelihood of utilization of these services. The unequal distribution of health resources within the territory and socioeconomic gaps among the population could explain our findings. Further efforts are needed to fulfill the eye health needs of the Peruvian population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a new model called LogLindley-Binomial and ordinal joint model with random effects for analyzing mixed overdispersed binomial and ordinal longitudinal responses. A new distribution called the LogLindley-Binomial is presented, which is appropriate for the analysis of overdispersed binomial variables. A full likelihood-based approach is used to obtain maximum likelihood estimates. A comparison between LogLindley-Binomial and Beta-Binomial distributions are given by a simulation study. Also, to illustrate the utility of the proposed model, some simulation studies are conducted. In simulation studies, the performances of the LogLindley-Binomial distribution and the proposed model are well in some situations. Also, the new model's performance for analyzing a real dataset, extracted from the British Household Panel Survey, is studied. The proposed model performs well in comparison with another model for analyzing real data. Finally, the proposed distribution and the new model are found to be applicable for analyzing overdispersed binomial and mixed data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]