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The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) is a brief screening questionnaire of child behaviour, used to evaluate mental health. It is applicable for children 2–17 years, available to both parents and professionals, and exists in a self-report version available from the age of 11 years. This paper aims to generate Greenlandic norms on the self-report and parent-report versions of the SDQ. In 2023, the self-report version was translated, and a representative sample of children and adolescents completed the SDQ (N = 641). In 2008, the parent-report version was translated into Greenlandic and used in a study of children's well-being (N = 939). Data from both samples were analysed, generating normative scores. Results show significant differences between genders (effect sizes of.006-.145), and discrepancies between parent and self-report. Parents report higher total problems for boys, while self-reporting indicate higher total problems for girls. Cut-off values are higher for self-report norms than parent-report norms. Mean scores on the SDQ total score and subscales differ across age, area of living, caregiver constellation and caregiver's educational level (effect sizes of.011–.064). With the availability of Greenlandic norms, we anticipate further use of the SDQ in clinical practice and research settings, strengthening screening and assessment of children and adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Distributional implications of capital account regulation is eminently context-specific. This paper examines the distributional effects of the openness of foreign direct investment (FDI) flows across 27 European countries in different economic environments around the Great Recession, covering the period 2007–2013. Our multi-level approach allows us to combine country-level variables and sociodemographic characteristics of individuals. The results highlight that the openness of FDI flows heterogeneously affects the income share of individual groups, favouring in particular the highest income classes. This finding seems to be driven by the educational level. We argue that even though highly educated individuals are present along the entire distribution, the highest income classes are especially favoured by the openness of FDI flows. This biased distributional effect of the openness of FDI flows persists throughout the years examined, regardless of the economic environment; this is due, in part, to the fact that the distribution of highly educated people is not sensitive to the business cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over-the-counter (OTC) analgesics are safe for pain-management when used as recommended. Misuse can increase the risk of hypertension and gastrointestinal problems. To conduct a scoping review of the uses and misuses of OTC analgesics in sub-Saharan Africa, to inform strategies for correct use. Following guidelines for conducting a scoping review, we systematically searched Pubmed, ResearchGate and Google Scholar databases for published articles on OTC analgesic drug use in sub-Saharan Africa, without restrictions on publication year or language. Search terms were 'analgesics', 'non-prescription drugs', 'use or dependence or patterns or misuse or abuse' and 'sub-Saharan Africa'. Articles focusing on prescription drugs were excluded. Of 1381 articles identified, 35 papers from 13 countries were eligible for inclusion. Most were quantitative cross-sectional studies, two were mixed-methods studies, and one used qualitative methods only. About half (n = 17) the studies recorded prevalence of OTC drug use above 70%, including non-analgesics. Headache and fever were the most common ailments for which OTC drugs were taken. Primary sources of OTC drugs were pharmacy and drug shops, and family, friends and relatives as well as leftover drugs from previous treatment. The main reasons for OTC drug use were challenges in health service access, perception of illness as minor, and knowledge gained from treating a previous illness. Information regarding self-medication came from family, friends and neighbours, pharmacies and reading leaflets either distributed in the community or at institutions of learning. OTC drug use tended to be more commonly reported among females, those with an education lower than secondary level, and participants aged ≥50 years. Self-medicating with OTC drugs including analgesics is prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa. However, literature on reasons for this, and misuse, is limited. Research is needed to educate providers and the public on safe use of OTC drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One in five child deaths under age 5 are a result of severe wasting. Malnutrition at early ages is linked to lifelong consequences, such as reduced cognitive skills, reduced earnings in adulthood and chronic health conditions. Countries worldwide have committed to addressing child undernutrition, and ending hunger is foundational to the Millennium Development Goals. In this paper, we study the intergenerational effect of providing free tuition in secondary school on future children’s nutrition. We combined a novel longitudinal dataset that captures educational policies for 40 African countries from 1990 to 2019 with the Demographic and Health Survey (DHS). We identified three countries that introduced free secondary education several years after implementing free primary education. Exploiting this variation in timing we estimate the additional impact of providing free secondary education over free primary education. Using a difference-in-difference approach, we find that introducing free secondary education significantly reduced wasting. Cohorts exposed to free secondary had an 18% relative decrease in wasting. The impact on cohorts exposed only to free primary was smaller and not statistically significant. Expanding free secondary education has long-term, intergenerational benefits and is an effective path to reducing malnutrition. Results are robust to different specifications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the relationship between child labour and educational attainment and explores the distinction between harmful and non-harmful agricultural cocoa work. We conduct a secondary analysis of data on 3,338 children who reported attending school in 2018 across cocoa growing regions of Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire. To address differences between harmful and non-harmful child labour, we differentiated work completed by a child by hazardous activity engagement. These groups of child labour were then modelled against educational attainment, defined by a whether or not the child needed to repeat a class. We then conducted mediation analysis to assess whether injury mediates this relationship. Our results show that hazardous child labour increases the odds of repeating a class and work-related injury compared to non-hazardous labour. The effect of hazardous child labour on academic attainment was also found to be mediated by work-related injuries by 14%. Educational attainment is associated with hazardous labour activities and the odds of injury and not the act of participation in agricultural labour alone. Programmes based on strong measures of harmful work will foster better protection for children who are most at risk and may inform global debates around the benefits versus the risks of child labour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the findings of a research study in Thane District, Maharashtra, India, on access to sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) for women and girls of Nomadic and Denotified Tribes (NT-DNT). NT-DNT communities face stigma and violence due to their historically criminalised status and nomadic lifestyle. Their precarious legal, social, and economic status has a negative impact on women's SRHR. Existing literature on this subject is sparse, and studies by researchers from within the community, which could bring about organic and community-led change, are almost non-existent. This study, carried out by a woman from a Nomadic Tribe, presents an insider's perspective on the experiences of and factors underlying the violation of the SRHR of girls and women of NT-DNT communities. The study used a human rights-based participatory methodology with qualitative methods including three focus group discussions with 21 women and 10 in-depth interviews with women and key informants from NT-DNT communities. The findings describe the gender, community, and health system barriers which hinder women's and girls' access to SRHR. Issues such as language barriers between the women and medical fraternity, criminalisation by the police, and extreme deprivation – more intense than faced by the general poor – are unique to women of these communities. The NT-DNT communities face extreme deprivation of basic resources such as identity documents, shelter, sanitation, education support, workplace safety, and transportation, which further deny women their sexual and reproductive rights. The paper aims to amplify these women's voices to advocate for better SRHR services for women and girls of NT-DNT communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Achieving a fair and equitable distribution of health in the population while progressing toward universal health coverage (UHC) is a key focus of health policy in Vietnam. This paper describes health barriers experienced by women (and children by inference) in Vietnam, and measures how UHC, with reference to maternal health services and child mortality rates, is affected by selected social determinants of health (SDH), termed 'barriers'. Methods: Our study uses a cross-sectional design with data from the 2011 Vietnam Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey. The study sample includes 11,663 women, aged 15-49 years. Weighted frequency statistics are cross-tabulated with socioeconomic characteristics of the population to describe the extent and distribution of health barriers experienced by disadvantaged women and children in Vietnam. A subset of women who had a live birth in the preceding two years (n_1,383) was studied to assess the impact of barriers to UHC and health. Six multiple logistic regressions were run using three dependent variables in the previous two years: 1) antenatal care, 2) skilled birth attendants, and 3) child death in the previous 15 years. Independent predictor variables were: 1) low education (incomplete secondary education), 2) lack of access to one of four basic amenities. In a second set of regressions, a constructed composite barrier index replaced these variables. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were used to report regression results. Results: In Vietnam, about 54% of women aged 15-49 years in 2011, had low education or lacked access to one of four basic amenities. About 38% of poor rural women from ethnic minorities experienced both barriers, compared with less than 1% of rich urban women from the ethnic majority. Incomplete secondary education or lack of one of four basic amenities was a factor significantly associated with lower access to skilled birth attendants (OR_0.28, 95% CI: 0.14-0.55; OR-0.19, 95% CI: 0.05-0.80) and a higher risk of having had a child death in the previous two years (OR-1.71, 95% CI: 1.28_2.30; OR-1.59, 95% CI: 1.20-2.10). Conclusions: Our study shows the need for accelerating education and infrastructure investments for ethnic minority communities living in rural areas so as to be able to contribute to equity-oriented progress toward UHC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Knowledge of the aggregate effects of multiple socioeconomic vulnerabilities is important for shedding light on the determinants of growing health inequalities and inequities in maternal healthcare. Objective: This paper describes patterns of inequity in maternal healthcare utilization and analyzes associations between inequity and multiple socioeconomic vulnerabilities among women in Vietnam. Design: This is a repeated cross-sectional study using data from the Vietnam Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys 2000, 2006, and 2011. Two maternal healthcare indicators were selected: (1) skilled antenatal care and (2) skilled delivery care. Four types of socioeconomic vulnerabilities -- low education, ethnic minority, poverty, and rural location -- were assessed both as separate explanatory variables and as composite indicators (combinations of three and four vulnerabilities). Pairwise comparisons and adjusted odds ratios were used to assess socioeconomic inequities in maternal healthcare. Results: In all three surveys, there were increases across the survey years in both the proportions of women who received antenatal care by skilled staff (68.6% in 2000, 90.8% in 2006, and 93.7% in 2011) and the proportions of women who gave birth with assistance from skilled staff (69.9% in 2000, 87.7% in 2006, and 92.9% in 2011). The receipt of antenatal care by skilled staff and birth assistance from skilled health personnel were less common among vulnerable women, especially those with multiple vulnerabilities. Conclusions: Even thoughVietnam has improved its coverage of maternal healthcare on average, policies should target maternal healthcare utilization among women with multiple socioeconomic vulnerabilities. Both multisectoral social policies and health policies are needed to tackle multiple vulnerabilities more effectively by identifying those who are poor, less educated, live in rural areas, and belong to ethnic minority groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Majority of research on urban development perceive migration as internally homogeneous phenomenon that influences growth and spatial redistribution of population. This enables to identify certain general migration patterns, but understanding regularities and consequences requires looking at internal structure of migration. This paper aims to visualise the impact of selective migration to the population structures across multiple spatial scales and in a complex way taking Slovakia as the case study. By this means spatial patterns of migration are demonstrated in a more efficient way. The resulting maps show the impact of migration is selective at various spatial levels regarding age and educational attainment. In comparison with general migration, selective migration shows stronger spatial polarisation in Slovakia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the influence of community characteristics on self-proclaimed environmentalism. We find that the composition of a community affects the likelihood that a person claims to be a strong environmentalist even after controlling for individual political leaning, socio-economic characteristics, and pro-environment behaviors. Individuals are more likely to claim to be strong environmentalists if they live in areas where a larger share of the population has post-graduate degrees, if they live in heavily Democratic areas, or if they live in heavily Republican areas. These community effects occur only when individuals are predisposed to take on an environmental identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The average years of education, an indicator of the average educational attainment in a population, is a widely used proxy of human capital stock in the empirical literature. Its application is somewhat limited by data availability, even though annual series have already been created for a few countries. This paper offers an annual series of the average years of education in Hungary between 1920 and 2006, estimated by a version of the Barro-Lee (2001) methodology modified to correct the systematic bias arising from the assumption that mortality and educational attainment are uncorrelated. Using the new series, we also carry out a simple growth-accounting exercise and find that human capital accumulation was a major determinant of economic growth in Hungary, though only in the 1990s. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines trends in social class inequalities in young people's educational attainment and HE entry between the mid-1980s and the end of the 1990s in England and Scotland. Using time-series data derived from the Scottish School Leavers Surveys and the England (and Wales) Youth Cohort Study, changes in both absolute and relative social class differences within and across the two countries were analysed through the use of a series of ordered logits. The results show that Scotland has higher educational attainment rates but also higher social class inequalities than England. Moreover, while in England social class inequalities at upper-secondary and tertiary level have declined over time, in Scotland no evidence of such trend has been found. The conclusions highlight that possible explanations for these patterns reside in the different features of the two education systems and in the remarkable educational success of the Scottish middle class. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we present the results of a qualitative study by a non-profit organisation implementing a community-based urban adolescent development programme. The study highlights the sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) situation of marginalised young women in a developed state of India. Our findings, based on in-depth interviews with young women and frontline health providers, show that structural factors, such as economic and social stratifiers, gender norms and cultural beliefs, result in further marginalisation of young women. In turn, marginalisation adversely affects the realisation of SRHR through discriminatory practices around menstruation and lack of control in matters related to sexuality, contraception, pregnancy and safe abortion. Rights to the highest standards of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) care are compromised. Health system factors like providers' attitudes and knowledge, commodity supplies, and indifference to ensuring delivery of contraceptives and other services often result in unplanned pregnancies and affect the quality of young women's SRH care. Whatever information and support adolescents and young women get is from local community-based organisations. We conclude that structural determinants and violations of fundamental rights to education, equal opportunities and participation constitute a significant barrier to the enjoyment of SRHR by the marginalised young women in the study. Unless these are addressed, government policies and programmes to promote young people's SRHR will not benefit young women from disadvantaged communities. Partnership and complementarity between government programmes, adolescents and health rights civil society organisations are recommended to promote rights-based, equitable adolescent and youth-friendly services to this vulnerable population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the relationship between school-based variables (years of schooling, curriculum track, grades, college plans, and extracurricular activities) and the development of political attitudes from adolescence into early adulthood. Longitudinal data on the development of political interest, political alienation, racial equality attitudes, and anti-Vietnam war attitudes are analyzed. Multipole regression techniques are used to trace the development of these attitudes from adolescence into early adulthood and to assess the relative impact of school-based variables on political attitudes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Understanding factors associated with domestic violence-supportive attitudes among Vietnamese women is important for designing effective policies to prevent this behavior. Previous studies have largely overlooked risk factors associated with domestic violence-supportive attitudes by women in Vietnam. Objective: This paper explores and identifies socioeconomic factors that contribute to domestic violence--supportive attitudes amongVietnamesewomenusing data fromthe Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS). Design: Secondary data from two cross-sectional studies (MICS 3, 2006, and MICS 4, 2011) with representative samples (9,471 and 11,663 women, respectively) in Vietnam were analyzed. The prevalence of supportive attitudes toward domestic violence and associations with age, residence region, area, education level, household wealth index, ethnicity, and marital status were estimated using descriptive statistics and multivariate Poisson models, giving estimates of relative risk. Results: Overall, the prevalence of acceptance of domestic violence declined between 2006 and 2011 in Vietnam (65.1% vs. 36.1%). Socioeconomic factors associated with women's condoning of domestic violence were age, wealth, education level, and living area. In particular, younger age and low educational attainment were key factors associated with violence-supportive attitudes, and these associations have become stronger over time. Conclusion: Higher educational attainment in women is an important predictor of women's attitudes toward domestic violence. To date, Doi Moi and the Vietnamese government's commitment to the Millennium Development Goals may have positively contributed to lowering the acceptance of domestic violence. Tailored interventions that focus on education will be important in further changing attitudes toward domestic violence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The innovative use of vignettes in quantitative surveys offers a novel means of assessing attitudes, capturing individuals' responses across diverse life domains to measure voice and agency more directly. Utilizing the use of scales and vignette-based inquiries, this study explores voice and agency on making marital decisions among 458 adolescents in India and Nepal. Regression analysis revealed that higher voice and agency scores correlated significantly with reduced odds of endorsing early marriage and increased support for continued education post-marriage. In vignette scenarios, greater voice and agency scores were linked to advocating against early sibling marriage and making independent choices for their own futures. These findings highlight that improved self-perception of agency empowers adolescents to assert independent decisions. Utilizing vignettes proved beneficial in this context as they enabled adolescents to understand community norms through storytelling, offering insights into their likely behaviour in specific situations, rather than drawing on abstract concepts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 5 is focused on reducing maternal mortality and achieving universal access to reproductive health care. India has made extensive efforts to achieve MDG 5 and in some regions much progress has been achieved. Progress has been uneven and inequitable however, and many women still lack access to maternal and reproductive health care. Objective: In this review, a framework developed by the Commission on Social Determinants of Health (CSDH) is used to categorize and explain determinants of inequity in maternal and reproductive health in India. Design: A review of peer-reviewed, published literature was conducted using the electronic databases PubMed and Popline. The search was performed using a carefully developed list of search terms designed to capture published papers from India on: 1) maternal and reproductive health, and 2) equity, including disadvantaged populations. A matrix was developed to sort the relevant information, which was extracted and categorized based on the CSDH framework. In this way, the main sources of inequity in maternal and reproductive health in India and their inter-relationships were determined. Results: Five main structural determinants emerged from the analysis as important in understanding equity in India: economic status, gender, education, social status (registered caste or tribe), and age (adolescents). These five determinants were found to be closely interrelated, a feature which was reflected in the literature. Conclusion: In India, economic status, gender, and social status are all closely interrelated when influencing use of and access to maternal and reproductive health care. Appropriate attention should be given to how these social determinants interplay in generating and sustaining inequity when designing policies and programs to reach equitable progress toward improved maternal and reproductive health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The issue of levels of participation in post-compulsory education has been emphasised by the current policy initiatives to increase the age to which some form of participation is compulsory. One of the acknowledged weaknesses of research in the field of children's intentions with regard to participation is the lack of longitudinal data. This paper offers a longitudinal analysis using the Youth Survey from the British Household Panel Survey. The results show that most children can express intentions with regard to future participation very early in their secondary school careers and that these intentions are good predictors of actual behaviour five years later. Intentions to stay on are more consistent than intentions to leave and most children who finally leave at 16 have at some point said they want to remain in education post-16. The strongest association with participation levels is attainment at GCSE. However, there are also influences of gender and parental background and these remain, even after attainment is held constant. The results show the value of focusing on intentions for participation at a very early stage of children's school careers and also the importance of current attempts to reform curriculum and assessment for the 14–19 age group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the findings from a study of the admission arrangements for all secondary schools in England. We sketch the history of selection, answer questions about the scale and extent of selection by attainment or aptitude including an account of partially selective schools, consider the similarity and differences between selection by aptitude and by attainment and analyse some of the issues associated with both kinds of selection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the characteristics of people who return to learning to achieve at least a level 2 qualification, drawing on the 1958 National Child Development Cohort Study. Results show that adults who gained level 2 were more likely than those who did not to have been engaged in a range of learning activities at earlier ages, including learning during childhood, staying in education during adolescence and undertaking courses leading and not leading to qualifications during adulthood. The factor that has the highest impact on progression by age 33 and by age 42 is early school attainment. This means that for individuals who do well at school there is a greater chance of achievement of qualifications during adulthood, even when this qualification is not achieved by age 23. We further find that socioeconomic constraints in adulthood may be less of a barrier to progression than is often believed. Taking together, these findings suggest that the main focus should be on paying particular attention to attitudinal barriers to learning, rather than just being concerned with removing economic and social constraints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports on a literature review conducted in the UK for the Design Council and CfBT (Higgins et al., 2005) which looked at the evidence of the impact of environments on learning in schools. We have reviewed the available evidence regarding different facets of the physical environment and provided an analysis based on different areas of effect, including the extent to which different facets interact (positively and negatively) with one another. Our conclusions suggest that, although the research often indicates the parameters of an effective environment, there is an overall lack of empirical evidence about the impact of individual elements of the physical environment which might inform school design at a practical level to support student achievement. However, at a secondary level of analysis, there are indications that environmental change can be part of a catalytic process of school development and improvement. The implications of these findings for Building Schools for the Future will be discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The prevalence of adolescent tobacco use in Indonesia is among the highest in the world. Monitoring the extent and distribution of adolescent cigarette smoking is crucial to being able to target prevention and reduction strategies and evaluate the effectiveness of interventions. Objectives: To quantify the prevalence of adolescent cigarette smoking in Indonesia and assess the association with key socio-economic, demographic and geographic factors. Methods: We used data from the 2013 Indonesian Basic Health Research (RISKESDAS) national household survey to quantify the prevalence of cigarette smoking in adolescents aged 10-18 years by sex, age, education, economic status, place of residence and province. We used logistic regression to assess the adjusted association between adolescent smoking and these factors. Results: The overall smoking prevalence among Indonesian  adolescents was 7.2% (95% Confidence Interval/CI: 7.1-7.4). The prevalence was substantially higher among males (14.0%; 95% CI: 13.6-14.4) compared with females (0.2%; 95% CI: 0.1-0.4). After controlling for socio-economic, demographic and geographic characteristics, higher odds of smoking were observed among males (OR = 118.1; 95% CI: 91.2-153.0) as compared to female and among  adolescents aged 13-15 and 16-18 years as compared to those aged 10-12 years (OR = 13.2; 95% CI: 10.8-16.2 and OR = 72.7; 95% CI: 59.1-89.4, respectively). The odds of smoking were greater among adolescents with higher education as compared to those with lower education (OR = 1.3; 95% CI: 1.1-1.4) and adolescents in the poorest quintile had more than twice the odds of smoking compared with adolescents from the richest quintile (OR = 2.5; 95% CI: 2.2-2.8). Conclusion: Smoking prevention and cessation interventions in Indonesia need to be specific considering the sex, age, socioeconomic status and geographic location of adolescents. Ongoing monitoring of adolescent smoking is important for targeting interventions at higher-risk groups and assessing the effectiveness of current tobacco control strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Empowering rural women economically helps to ensure gender equality, the well-being of nation and the basic needs of a family. This study was conducted to figure out factors affecting rural women economic empowerment endeavors of development practitioners in Wolaita Ethiopia. Multi-stage sampling techniques were used to obtain a sample size of 100 rural households. Data were collected using cross-sectional semi-structured questionnaire, which were analyzed by descriptive and binary logit model. Rural women economic empowerment index was calculated to measure dependent variables. The index result showed that 69% of the households scored less than 0.5, and thus were considered economically not empowered. The binary logit model result revealed that age of women, marital status, educational level, perception toward economic empowerment, motivation, income, participation in decision-making and participation in leadership positively and significantly affected rural women economic empowerment. It is recommended that existing programs and strategies should be reviewed and new ones should be designed to effectively improve the situation of rural women economic empowerment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To examine whether education level influences screening, monitoring, and treatment of hypercholesterolemia. Epidemiological cohort study. Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Copenhagen University Hospital Hvidovre. Cholesterol blood test results ordered by general practitioners in Greater Copenhagen were retrieved from 2000-2018. Using the International Standard Classification of Education classification, the population was categorized by length of education in three groups (basic education; up to 10 years, intermediate education; 11-12 years, advanced education; 13 years or more). The database comprised 13,019,486 blood sample results from 653,903 patients. Frequency of lipid measurement, prevalence of statin treatment, age and comorbidity at treatment initiation, total cholesterol threshold for statin treatment initiation, and achievement of treatment goal. The basic education group was measured more frequently (1.46% absolute percentage difference of total population measured [95% CI 0.86%–2.05%] in 2000 and 9.67% [95% CI 9.20%–10.15%] in 2018) over the period compared to the intermediate education group. The advanced education group was younger when receiving first statin prescription (1.87 years younger [95% CI 1.02–2.72] in 2000 and 1.06 years younger [95% CI 0.54–1.58 in 2018) compared to the intermediate education group. All education groups reached the treatment goals equally well when statin treatment was initiated. Higher education was associated with earlier statin prescription, although the higher educated group was monitored less frequently. There was no difference in reaching treatment goal between the three education groups. These findings suggest patients with higher education level achieve an earlier dyslipidemia prevention intervention with an equally satisfying result compared to lower education patients. Little is known about the role of social inequality as a possible barrier for managing hypercholesterolemia in general practice. Increasing education level was associated to less frequent measurement and less frequent statin treatment. Patients with higher education level were younger, and less comorbidity at first statin prescription. Education level had no effect on frequency of statin treatment-initiated patients reaching the treatment goal was found. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

E-learning vs. face-to-face delivery: this binary opposition has governed much of the existing pedagogical research concerning technological innovation, as educationists are pressured to prioritise efficiency and the cost-effectiveness of traditional teaching methods. This paper rejects such a false dichotomy, proffering the alternative that can be found in blended learning methods. It is through the meticulous splicing of e-learning and traditional lectures that the individual economics lecturer is freed to deliver a pluralist perspective. "Contest and controversy; orthodoxy and heterodoxy; critique and reject": technology provides the vehicle for economics education to break free of the constraints of monist teaching methods and ensures that economics students can fully engage in the discipline's vibrant debates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundSchool improvement initiatives in England have focused on urban areas, which have traditionally been home to larger numbers of poor and underperforming pupils. Previous research has found that rural regions of the country have had higher overall educational attainment due to their greater affluence. However, that broad picture could be hiding under-serviced and under-performing pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds. PurposeThe study’s aim was to identify whether all pupils and all disadvantaged pupils attending geographically isolated secondary schools have different academic attainment rates compared with their peers at less isolated schools. MethodsThe isolation of a school is calculated based on the average travel time by car to its five nearest state-funded mainstream secondary schools. This was then included as an independent variable, along with variables for school demographics, prior pupil attainment and neighbourhood deprivation. ResultsDisadvantaged pupils attending more isolated schools had lower attainment rates (as measured by the percentage of students achieving grades of C or higher in English, mathematics and at least three other subjects at General Certificate of Secondary Education [GCSE] level) than pupils in less isolated schools, when controlling for school demographics and prior attainment. There was no relationship found between whole-school GCSE attainment and geographic isolation. ConclusionWhen framing the challenges of providing equitable opportunities in education, broader contexts beyond pupil characteristics, such as geographic isolation, should be taken into consideration. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Irrigation has a critical role in improving food security and alleviating poverty. Long-term studies on small-scale irrigation have identified several factors that influence the participation of farmers in irrigation. However, farmers in the study area are still hesitant to participate in small-scale irrigation as a source of income. As a result, the focus of this study was examining farmers' engagement in small-scale irrigation. A stratified random sampling technique was used to select 184 respondents, and data was collected from those sample respondents. The double hurdle model was used to identify determinants and the extent of farmers' participation in small-scale irrigation. The model's first hurdle found that farmers' desire to participate in small-scale irrigation was highly influenced by their age (1.3%), educational level, extension contact (20.8%), training access (19.7%), dependency ratio, farm distance from water, and land topography. According to the result of the second hurdle, the level of farmers' participation in small-scale irrigation was highly affected by land size (11.6%), income, adult labor, educational level, age, and market distance. The study finds that strengthening income sources, land utilization, training access, extension contact, market access, and education level would increase farmer participation in small-scale irrigation. Therefore, stakeholders should strive to deliver these essential services to encourage farmers to participate in small-scale irrigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considerable proportions of pregnant women consume inadequately diversified diets in Ethiopia. On the other hand, women's empowerment is identified as a means of achieving maternal nutrition improvement. However, evidence on the relationship between multiple dimensions of women's empowerment and dietary diversity during pregnancy is limited in Ethiopia. This study aimed to assess the mediating effects of women's empowerment in the pathway between women's education and dietary diversity during pregnancy in West Shewa zone, Ethiopia. A health facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 1,383 pregnant women in 2021. Dietary diversity was measured using the minimum dietary diversity for women (MDD-W) tool. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were employed to identify and validate women's empowerment dimensions. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to examine the pathways linking pregnant women's education and empowerment to dietary diversity during pregnancy. From the latent dimensions of women's empowerment produced by factor analyses, pregnant women's education was directly associated with household decision-making power, psychological and time dimensions. In turn, household decision-making power, psychological and time dimensions were associated with dietary diversity during pregnancy. The direct relationship between pregnant women's education and dietary diversity was insignificant, but the total indirect effect and total effect were significant. Household decision-making power, psychological and time dimensions were significant mediators in the relationship between pregnant women's education and dietary diversity. However, economic dimension was related to neither pregnant women's education nor dietary diversity. This study highlights pregnant women with better education are more likely to be empowered in household decision-making, psychological and time dimensions; and those empowered pregnant women are more likely to consume more diverse diets, suggesting women's access to higher education could have a positive indirect effect on consumption of more diverse diets during pregnancy by empowering women in the study area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2021, WHO notes that globally, 32% of annual deaths worldwide are due to cardiovascular causes, which have been attributed to excessive sodium intake, and therefore recommends a reduction in salt intake to less than 5 g/day. Ecuador does not have data on sodium consumption in the population. Hence, this study sought to determine the association between sodium consumption and sociodemographic variables in subjects living in urban areas of Ecuador. Determine the main dietary sources of sodium in subjects living in urban areas of the Coast and Highlands of Ecuador, and the association between sodium intake and sociodemographic variables such as: sex, region, marital status, socio-economic and educational level of this population. Sodium intake was studied in 800 subjects of both sexes aged 15 to 65 years living in urban areas in Ecuador, originating from the Latin American Nutrition and Health Study (ELANS) between 2014 and 2015. Data were obtained through two 24-hour recalls, and were accessed according to sex, region, age, marital status, socio-economic and educational levels. The mean sodium intake was 4900 mg/day (SD ± 1188.32 mg/day), and both sexes exceeded the recommendations. Adjusting for energy intake, sodium consumption is higher in participants aged 50–65 years, from low socio-economic status and with basic education level. A positive relationship was found between sodium and energy intake. Around 48% of the sodium sources included the spices, condiments and herbs group. Within this group, salt itself constitutes 99% of sodium sources. The Ecuadorian population consumes more than double the sodium recommendations, which vary according to gender and age. The first source of sodium is salt itself, which is part of spices and condiments food group. This data is important to formulate public health policies and interventions in Ecuador, especially in the population at risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While there have been notable advancements in child health in Egypt, disparities in child mortality still exist. Understanding these disparities is crucial to addressing them. The objective of this study is to explore the factors linked to child mortality in Egypt, providing a comprehensive understanding of the disparities in child mortality rates. The study utilises cross-sectional data from Egypt's Demographic and Health Survey (EDHS) in 2014 to examine child mortality. The dataset consists of 15,848 observations from mothers with children born within five years prior to the survey. The choice of explanatory variables was guided by the Mosely and Chen Framework and logistic multivariate regression was used to conduct the analyses. The study finds lower education, early childbearing, insufficient birth spacing, lack of breastfeeding, and absence of improved toilet facilities (proxy for living conditions) were all significantly linked to an increased likelihood of child loss. Additionally, poorer people in rural settings experienced the worst child mortality. The findings align with the World Health Organization's Conceptual Framework for Action on the Social Determinants of Health (CSDH). Recommended policy interventions include targeting women in rural areas, improving living conditions and removing financial/other barriers to accessing care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poverty, lack of education and gender inequality make unemployed and out-of-school young women extremely vulnerable to HIV infection. Promotive social protection programmes aim to increase livelihood and capabilities and could empower this priority population to act on HIV prevention choices. In Botswana, they rarely benefit from such programmes. A modified Policy Delphi engaged a panel of 22 unemployed and out-of-school young women and eight frontline service providers to consider alternative policy and practice options, and tailor available programmes to their own needs and social situation. The panel assessed the desirability and feasibility of improvement proposals and, in a second round, ranked them for relative importance. Nearly all 40 improvement proposals were considered very desirable and definitely, or possibly, feasible, and panellists prioritised a wide range of proposals. Frontline service providers stressed foundational skills, like life skills and second chance education. Young women preferred options with more immediate benefits. Overall, panellists perceived positive role models for programme delivery, access to land and water, job skills training, and stipends as most important to empower HIV-vulnerable young women. Results suggest ample policy space to make existing social protection programmes in Botswana more inclusive of unemployed and out-of-school young women, hence more HIV-sensitive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Structural competency is used to train health professionals on how social, political, and economic dynamics create conditions that negatively impact a population's health. In the Global South, this approach has historical roots in social movements, popular education, social medicine, and human rights. In 1982, during a time of extreme poverty, inequality, and violence under the Chilean military dictatorship, Educación Popular en Salud (EPES), developed a programme for training community health promoters to address common illnesses and analyse the underlying causes of poor health. In 2010, EPES began using the same model to train international and Chilean health professionals. The approach advanced four competencies. Evaluations show that training contributes to transforming health professionals' mindsets and leads them to question their practices. However, educating practitioners does not change the underlying structures that generate poor health. This article examines the intersection between EPES' competencies and the structural competency framework, highlighting two major contributions of EPES to structural competency: a methodology that narrows the gap between a theoretical analysis of social determinants of health and implementing action plans; and organic long-term links with social movements that strengthen collective action in poor neighbourhoods to advance social justice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2019, the Doña Ana Wellness Institute (DAWI), Doña Ana County, New Mexico's health council, sponsored two trainings in structural competency by the Structural Competency Working Group. One focused on health care professionals and learners; the other focused on government, non-profit organisations, and elected officials. DAWI and New Mexico Human Services Department (HSD) representatives attended the trainings and identified the structural competency model as useful for the health equity work both groups were already engaging. These trainings provided the foundation for DAWI and HSD to develop additional trainings, programmes, and curricula founded on structural competency and focused on supporting health equity work. This article describes how DAWI and HSD used the structural competency framework to deepen our work, including how we have expanded the concept beyond its original orientation to support strategic planning, improve communication, and build structurally competent communities. We illustrate how the framework strengthened our existing community and state work and how we adapted the model to better fit our work. Adaptations included changes in language, the use of the lived experiences of organisation members as a foundation for structural competency education, and a recognition that policy work happens at multiple levels and in multiple ways for organisations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Health challenges of communities are often assessed using biomedical or individual risk-based frameworks which are often inadequate for understanding their full extent. We use observations from the global South to demonstrate the usefulness of structural assessment to evaluate a public health problem and spur action. Following newspaper reports of excessive deaths in the marginalised indigenous or Adivasi community of the Pando people in Northern Chhattisgarh in central India, we were asked by the state government's public health authorities to identify root causes of these deaths. In this rapidly evolving situation, we used a combination of public health, social medicine, and structural vulnerability frameworks to conduct biomedical investigation, social inquiry, and structural assessment. After biomedical investigations, we identified scrub typhus, a neglected tropical disease, as the most likely cause for some of the deaths which was unrecognised by the treating physicians. In the social inquiry, the community members identified the lack of Adivasi status certificates, education, and jobs as the three major social factors leading to these deaths. During the structural assessment of these deaths, we inductively identified the following ten structures– political, administrative, legal, economic, social, cultural, material, technical, biological, and environmental. We recommended improving the diagnosis and treatment of scrub typhus, making the hospitals more friendly for Adivasi people, and tracking the health status of the Adivasi communities as some of the measures. We suggest that a combination of biomedical, social,and structural assessments can be used to comprehensively evaluate a complex public health problem to spur action.. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

People from the Americas are a small, largely neglected part of Australia's immigrant population. Most came from middle-class backgrounds in the post-global economic restructuring era (post-mid-1970s), though a minority were working class. Five dimensions of their intergenerational assimilation are analyzed: educational attainment and occupational status; linguistic shift; identification as Australians; discrimination (racism); and, for Sydney, first to second generations spatial assimilation. While the first three dimensions conform to the classic assimilation model, intergenerational socioeconomic status shift and spatial dispersal do so only partially. Intergenerational patterns of educational attainment and occupations broadly correlate, but first through third generation shift among both North and Latin Americans is downwards toward national means. Second generation ancestry groups are more dispersed than the first, but only a minority into host-society districts; suggested reasons include superdiversity, age, income, and housing market factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blood transfusion is essential in the treatment of a wide range of illnesses. There are two sorts of donors in the blood donation system voluntary and replacement donors. In this study, we examined Saudi adults' knowledge, beliefs, and associated factors towards blood donation in Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional web-based survey was conducted over three months between November 2019 & January 2020 among the general public, using structured self-administered 18-items online questionnaires. A descriptive analysis was performed, a chi-square test was conducted to determine the relationships between the variables. A p-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. A total of 364 respondents (93.1%) believed that blood donation is an important responsibility of every individual. When asked about the reason for previous donations 261(66.8%) said voluntary while approximately 130 (33.2%) donated for their families and friends. Fear of needles 91 (23.3%), fear of infection 53 (13.6%) a lack of time 88 (22.5%) were common barriers, and 270 (69.1%) agreed that token gifts should be given to donors. In this study, 71.1% (n = 278) were found to have good knowledge, and 96.7% (n = 378) found positive beliefs towards blood donation. The knowledge is significantly associated with being a male gender (p < 0.049), and the educational level of the participants (p < 0.003). positive beliefs were significantly associated with young donors (p < 0.045) These outcomes indicate that the Saudi public has positive beliefs and acceptable knowledge about blood donation and its importance in the society and health care system. Furthermore, educational programs should be done to increase the level of awareness about blood donation and its significance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deconstructing current definitions of "health literacy (HL)" and "eHealth literacy (eHL)", into the core notion of "understanding health information (HI)", this study provides insights into what promotes and inhibits the understanding of HI for breast cancer patients during cancer patient pathways (CCP) in Norway. Seven well-educated women were interviewed. Through a stepwise deductive-inductive analysis of the transcribed interviews, the following topics were identified: 1) explanations accompanied by drawings, 2) individualized knowledge-based information, 3) information processing capacity, and 4) ambiguity in medical information. The women's understanding of HI increased when spoken communication was accompanied by visual illustrations, which served as roadmaps throughout the CPP. Even if HI should be targeted to the patients' individual needs, some HI can be generalized if it refers to established knowledge about the health phenomena. The women described their changing mental and physical status during the CPP and how these changes influenced their understanding of HI. The results challenge the idea that HL and eHL are fixed, stable, personal characteristics. On the contrary, HL/eHL, in this case particularly the understanding of HI, depends on the individual (temporary) physical and cognitive capacity of the patient and adaptation in the institutional and private contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In Vietnam, women are at risk of HIV infection due to many factors. However, there is limited evidence about what women know and how they behave to protect themselves from HIV. Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate the trends in comprehensive HIV/AIDS knowledge, attitude, and associated factors among Vietnamese women from 2000 to 2011. Design: Data from three waves of the Vietnam Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (years 2000, 2006, and 2011) were used. Logistic regression methods examined factors associated with each of two dependent variables, HIV/AIDS knowledge and attitude toward HIV/AIDS. Results: Although there was an increasing trend in basic HIV/AIDS knowledge and positive attitude toward the disease, in Vietnamese women in the general population over the survey years, the prevalence of women with basic HIV/AIDS knowledge and positive attitude toward HIV/AIDS was low. Multivariable models indicated that women who had higher levels of education, lived in urban areas, had higher economic status, and knew about places of HIV-related services were more likely to have good HIV/AIDS knowledge (e.g. in 2011, AOR's = 3.01; 1.27; 1.88; 2.03, respectively). Women with higher educational attainment, knew about HIV services, and had better HIV knowledge were more likely to report positive attitude toward HIV/AIDS (e.g. in 2011, AOR's = 2.50; 1.72; 2.23, respectively). Conclusions: This study recommends that public health programs for the control of HIV, such as behavioral change communication campaigns or social policies for women, should focus not only in improving the quality of existing HIV/AIDS counseling and testing services but also on expanding coverage to increase accessibility to these services for women in rural areas. In addition, efforts to raise the level of knowledge about HIV/AIDS and improve attitude toward the disease should be undertaken simultaneously. The results of this study can help inform HIV control policies and practices in other developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-binary and genderqueer (NBGQ) individuals do not identify with a binary gender identity. Some but not all NBGQ individuals identify as transgender, and it is currently unclear on which aspects of mental and sexual well-being NBGQ and binary transgender individuals may differ. To compare NBGQ, binary transgender and cisgender individuals on variables related to mental well-being, sexual well-being, and sexual self-concept discrepancies. We conducted an online questionnaire study in 125 transgender men, 72 transgender women, 78 NBGQ individuals, 98 cisgender men, and 107 cisgender women. For most variables, NBGQ individuals did not differ from binary transgender individuals. These two groups differed only on gender dysphoria and transgender specific body image worries, which were both lower in the NBGQ group. Compared to the cisgender group, NBGQ individuals scored higher on gender dysphoria, actual/ought sexual self-concept discrepancies, and actual/ideal sexual self-concept discrepancies, and lower on general life satisfaction and sexual esteem related to body perception. These results offer a first quantitative analysis of sexual well-being in NBGQ individuals, and highlight that – while both groups face unique challenges – NBGQ individuals encounter similar difficulties concerning mental and sexual well-being as binary transgender individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Sexual assertiveness (SA), i.e., the ability to communicate thoughts and desires that may be translated into satisfying sexual activity within an intimate relationship, is important for safe and satisfying sexual behavior. In an attempt to unravel which cultural, relational, and individual variables are related to the development of SA in emerging adults, an exploratory study was conducted in Cuenca, Ecuador. Methods: Five hundred and thirty-eight participants completed scales that measured their levels of SA, endorsement of the sexual double standard, relationship satisfaction, and mental well-being. Results: This study showed a negative effect of the sexual double standard on SA in both men and women and this effect was slightly tempered by the level of education. Women reported higher levels of SA than men. In women, SA was associated with general mental well-being and relationship satisfaction; but not in men. For both women and men, no association was found with relationship status or duration. Conclusions: These findings corroborate evidence highlighting the importance of SA for healthy sexual relationships and emphasize the importance of (sex) education for SA for lower educated women and men. The results are discussed in relation to findings on SA in other contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: A literature review was conducted to analyze the impact of COVID-19 on documented preexisting determinants of adolescent pregnancy in sub-Saharan Africa such as poverty, inequitable gender norms, low access to education, and reproductive health services. Methods: The terms "sub-Saharan Africa," "Gender Norms," "Poverty," and "Adolescent Pregnancy" were used to search the literature for preexisting determinants of adolescent pregnancy in academic and grey literature. "COVID-19" was added to investigate the potential consequences of the pandemic. The literature revealed similar experiences in adolescent girls during the Ebola outbreak, which lead to the analysis of government and healthcare official responses to previous epidemics. Results: The literature review revealed that the relationship between identified micro (inequitable gender norms, transactional sex, sexual and gender-based violence, early marriage, and menstruation) and macro (poverty, education, and healthcare) factors contributing to adolescent pregnancy were exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Conclusion: Three realistic targets including, expanding and communicating available reproductive health resources, prioritizing the role of women in the economy, and ensuring return to school should be included as part of current COVID-19 mitigation programs. Additionally, these interventions should be incorporated in future public health preparedness plans to reduce the risk of adolescent pregnancy during public health emergencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We address a problem in inference from retrospective studies where the value of a variable is measured at the date of the survey but is used as covariate to events that have occurred long before the survey. This causes problem because the value of the current-date (anticipatory) covariate does not follow the temporal order of events. We propose a dynamic Bayesian approach for modelling jointly the anticipatory covariate and the event of interest, and allowing the effects of the anticipatory covariate to vary over time. The issues are illustrated with data on the effects of education attained by the survey-time on divorce risks among Swedish men. The overall results show that failure to adjust for the anticipatory nature of education leads to elevated relative risks of divorce across educational levels. The results are partially in accordance with previous findings based on analyses of the same data set. More importantly, our findings provide new insights in that the bias due to anticipatory covariates varies over marriage duration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Many trans women of color communities experience high HIV seroprevalence, extreme poverty, high rates of victimization and substance use, and poor mental health. Greater knowledge of trans women of color social capital may contribute toward more effective services for this marginalized population. Methods: These data come from a mixed-methods study that examined trans/gender-variant people of color who attended transgender support groups at harm reduction programs in NYC. The study was conducted from 2011 to 12, total N = 34. The qualitative portion was derived from six focus group interviews. Results: Two support groups stood out as exhibiting very strong alternative kinship structures. One group was comprised of immigrant trans Latinas, and the other group were trans women of African descent living with HIV. Both groups demonstrated ample cultivation of "trust capital" in the form of "thick trust" (bonding capital) and "thin trust" (bridging/linking capital) both inside and outside/beyond the support groups. Thick trust included the cultivation of intimacy, support in primary romantic relationships, and community leadership. Thin trust included networking with a variety of organizations, increased educational opportunities, and cultural production. Discussion: Participants "opened up to social capital" through the process of trusting as a series of (1) risks; (2) vulnerabilities; and (3) reciprocities. A solid foundation of thick trust resulted in a social, psychological, and emotional "base." Upon this foundation, thin trust was operationalized resulting in positive material, economic, and quality-of-life outcomes, leading to an expanded space of capabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper argues that the focus on graduate-level study in the field of public administration is largely due to the timing of the field's development and the state of American higher education after World War II. The rapid expansion of access to undergraduate education at a time when the role of government grew considerably to deal with pressing social concerns created both a market for and an interest in public administration in the 1960s and 1970s. It was natural for scholars and students to focus on the specialized, higher order skills provided through graduate education to the neglect of undergraduate education in public administration under such circumstances. Building on the field of curriculum development, it is suggested that sequencing of knowledge for cumulative and continuous learning as presented in Bloom's Taxonomy is key to properly placing undergraduate programs in the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Available data suggest that women with disabilities have an increased risk of sexual violence, but little is known about the situation of those women living in resource-limited settings. To assess the burden and examine the drivers of sexual violence among women with disabilities. This is a pooled analysis of two population-based surveys conducted in Cameroon and Burundi. Adults with and without disabilities were randomly recruited from the general population. Structured interviews were conducted at both sites to collect data on participants' functional limitations, life-course history of sexual violence, education, employment, and resources. Only women with disabilities whose impairments started before the age of 10 years (n = 359) and women without disabilities (n = 720) are included in this analysis. The age-adjusted prevalence of violence was computed, and risk factors were assessed using a discrete survival regression and mediation analysis. At both sites, the participants with disabilities had a lower education level and had an increased risk of food insecurity. The pooled age-adjusted prevalence of lifetime sexual violence was 19.8% (95%CI:15.3–24.3) among women with disabilities and 11.7% (95%CI:9.3–14.1) among those without disabilities (ORap: 2.0, 95%CI:1.4–2.8). Women with cognitive limitations and those with visual impairments had the highest risk of sexual violence (ORap: 3.5 (95%CI:2.0–6.3) and 2.7 (95%CI:1.4–5.0), respectively). Over the life course, the risk of sexual violence was especially high among women with disabilities who had lived with an intimate partner before the age of 25 years (p < 0.001). Education level mediated approximately one-third of the total association between disability and sexual violence (p = 0.001). There was no evidence of an indirect effect through food insecurity. This study provides evidence of the high burden of sexual violence among women with disabilities who live in urban African contexts. The social environment and access to education may be key contributors to this vulnerability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last two decades, Indonesia has experienced remarkable economic growth. However, the percentage of infants and young children meeting the minimum dietary diversity (MDD) criteria has stagnated. Despite the growing body of evidence of the association between MDD and socioeconomic factors, there is little information about socioeconomic inequalities in MDD in Indonesia. The current study seeks to quantify the wealth- and education-related inequalities in MDD among infants and young children in Indonesia and determine the contribution of different factors to these disparities. We included a total of 5038 children aged 6–23 months of the 2017 Indonesia Demographic and Health Survey. We measured wealth- and education-related inequalities using the concentration curve and Wagstaff normalised concentration index. Using a concentration index decomposition analysis, we then examined factors contributing to wealth- and education-related inequalities in MDD. The concentration indices by household wealth and maternal education were 0.220 (p < 0.001) and 0.192 (p < 0.001), respectively, indicating more concentration of inequalities among the advantaged population. The decomposition analysis revealed that household wealth (29.8%), antenatal care (ANC) visits (16.6%), paternal occupation (15.1%), and maternal education (11.8%) explained the pro-rich inequalities in MDD in Indonesia. Maternal education (26.1%), household wealth (19.1%), ANC visits (14.9%), and paternal occupation (10.9%) made the most considerable contribution to education-related inequalities in MDD. There is substantial wealth- and education-related inequalities in MDD. Our findings suggest an urgent need to address the underlying causes of not reaching dietary diversity by promoting infant and young child feeding equity in Indonesia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To understand young people's expectations of, and experience with sexual healthcare in New Zealand. Online survey of 15–24 year olds in a region with high socioeconomic deprivation, with selected outcomes compared for Māori and Europeans. Of 500 respondents, 60% had received sexual healthcare (74.3% in general practice) and 81% were happy with care received. Fewer Māori and people not in education, employment, or training reported positive experiences of sexual healthcare on arrival and in the consultation. Findings highlight the need for equitable delivery of youth-friendly, culturally safe, sexual and reproductive healthcare in general practice settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study secondary analysed the last Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) implemented in Egypt which is a cross-sectional school-based survey used self-administered questionnaire to research smoking among a national representative sample of (2,141) adolescents aged 13–15 years. The study identified that male adolescents are more likely to smoke than female adolescents in Egypt. The likelihood of adolescents' smoking in Egypt was significantly associated with age; low educational level of fathers; having no weekly pocket of money; poor self-confidence to refuse friends' smoking offers; absence of restriction on selling cigarettes to adolescents near their schools; and observing teachers' smoking inside schools. Whereas accessing information, through schools, about smoking consequences prevents adolescents' smoking. Adolescence is critical period for experimenting and continue smoking. The study identified some personal, parenteral, and school related factors that influence adolescents' smoking in Egypt. These factors should be considered in designing smoking prevention program that targets adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current knowledge on product marketing in Ethiopia is poor and inadequate for designing and implementing policies to overcome problems in the marketing system. This study was conducted to identify the factors influencing the market participation decision of smallholder haricot bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) farmers in Northwest Ethiopia. Survey data were collected from 312 smallholder farmers and analyzed using Heckman's two-step econometric model that estimates probit model in the first step and regression model with the parameters estimated using the Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) method in the second step. The educational status, non-farm income from nonfarm employment, number of extension contacts, gender, improved seed use, chemical fertilizer, and farmers' perception of land degradation were the significant variables affecting the market participation decision of smallholder farmers. The amount of haricot bean output supplied to the market were influenced by age, experience, livestock holding, nonfarm income, extension contacts, gender, market access, and membership in marketing association. Participation in the market can be improved by providing training and education regarding the production and marketing of haricot bean output and increasing farmers' contact with extension agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diabetes is increasing rapidly in South-East Asia. Studies have reported typical risk factors associated with all-age adult diabetes and highlighted the roles of economic transition and childhood development factors in diabetes in later life. However, little is known about whether these factors were associated with young adult diabetes risk. The study has two main aims: (1) estimate diabetes prevalence among adult participants of the Indonesian Family Life Survey (IFLS), and (2) identify childhood development factors associated with early-onset adult diabetes (diagnosed between age 20 and 40) in Indonesia. Data were taken from adults participating in 4th and 5th IFLS (in 2007 and 2014) and linked to childhood history from previous surveys. Diabetes was ascertained from self-report and HbA1c testing in a subsample. Diabetes prevalence rates were estimated by age and source of diagnosis. Cox regression analysis was applied to assess potential risk factors for early-onset adult diabetes. A total of 34,767 participants were included in the study. Crude total prevalence estimate from self-report was 2,3% and increased with age. Including HbA1c measurements yielded nearly eight times higher prevalence estimates, depending on age. The proportion of yet undiagnosed cases is considerably higher in young age groups. Regression analyses showed that urban childhood residence and high education increased early-onset diabetes risk by 50–70%. Sex, childhood general health, socio-economic level and starvation exposure were not associated with early-onset diabetes risk. Remarkable differences between diabetes prevalence rates based on self-report and HbA1c measurement indicated the need for better diagnosis, especially in young adults. Urban childhood residence and high education increased early-onset adult diabetes risk. Incorporating these factors and diabetes awareness in existing child health programs, together with screening of individuals at risk, could improve early diabetes detection and prevention strategies among young urban Indonesian adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]