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AimTo assess, from a United States (US) payer's perspective, the cost-effectiveness of gels designed to separate the endometrial surfaces (intrauterine spacers) placed following intrauterine surgery.Materials and methodsA decision tree model was developed to estimate the cost-effectiveness of intrauterine spacers used to facilitate endometrial repair and prevent the formation (primary prevention) and reformation (secondary prevention) of intrauterine adhesions (IUAs) and associated pregnancy- and birth-related adverse outcomes. Event rates and costs were extrapolated from data available in the existing literature. Sensitivity analyses were conducted to corroborate the base case results.ResultsIn this model, using intrauterine spacers for adhesion prevention led to net cost savings for US payers of $2,905 per patient over a 3.5-year time horizon. These savings were driven by the direct benefit of preventing procedures associated with IUA formation ($2,162 net savings) and the indirect benefit of preventing pregnancy-related complications often associated with IUA formation ($3,002). These factors offset the incremental cost of intrauterine spacer use of $1,539 based on an assumed price of $1,800 and the related increase in normal deliveries of $931. Model outcomes were sensitive to the probability of preterm and normal deliveries. Budget impact analyses show overall cost savings of $19.96 per initial member within a US healthcare plan, translating to $20 million over a 5-year time horizon for a one-million-member plan.LimitationsThere are no available data on the effects of intrauterine spacers or IUAs on patients' quality of life. Resultingly, the model could not evaluate patients' utility related to treatment with or without intrauterine spacers and instead focused on costs and events avoided.ConclusionThis analysis robustly demonstrated that intrauterine spacers would be cost-saving to healthcare payers, including both per-patient and per-plan member, through a reduction in IUAs and improvements to patients' pregnancy-related outcomes.

Purpose: Brazil has the second-biggest transplant system in the world. The organ donation rates, however, are still low. To persuade the population towards the theme, media interventions are broadcast regularly. This article analyses how media intervention in the form of advertising campaigns, telenovelas, and news can raise the rates of organ donations in Brazil. Design/methodology/approach: We obtained data from the Brazilian Association for Organ Transplantation (ABTO), the Brazilian Health Ministry (HM), the Brazilian Institute for Geography and Statistics (IBGE), Globoplay, and other media sources to build a panel with quarterly data from 2009 to 2019, by state. Then we used fixed-effect panel regression models with healthcare supply and demographics as control variables to ascertain the effect of the media variable on organ donations during this period. Findings: The results indicate that media interventions can increase the number of effective organ donors by up to 1%. The coefficient of media interventions is significant and positive for telenovelas (95% C.I 0.156–0.164), and for news in the following quarter (95% C.I 0.108–0.232), not significant individually for contemporaneous news or government advertising campaigns. Social implications: Telenovelas and news presentations are effective tools of awareness for organ donation. Empirically, media interventions in the form of telenovelas or news impact organ donation as much as improvements in the healthcare system and can diminish the mortality on the waiting list by 17%. Originality/value: This is the first time that media coverage and organ donation campaigns are evaluated together using panel data analysis in Brazil. Peer review: The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/IJSE-03-2023-0221 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article evaluates the development of the tax burden on cigarettes in the Czech Republic from 1993 to the end of 2023. Tax burden is represented by effective tax rate. The research results show that the tax burden on these products is still increasing. Not only does the tax burden increase, but so does the price of these products. The regression analysis results show that quantities such as the price of cigarettes, the effective tax rate or the amount of cigarettes consumed are factories that positively influence tax revenue. Since the tax rate or the price of these products constantly increases, the tax revenue is also increasing. It increased almost six- fold over the entire analyzed period. At the same time, it was found that other factors, such as the average wage, also affect the tax revenue. It is necessary to consider that the cigarette consumption has been showing a downward trend in recent years. However, the reason is not only the increasing tax burden and the price of these products but also the transition of consumers to so-called e-cigarettes. A reduction in cigarette consumption may be reflected in the future by reducing healthcare costs, which will create potential reductions in public health insurance payments.

Clean energy transition has become a key strategy in combating global air pollution. In 2017, China launched its “coal-to-gas” policy, which provided subsidies to households for their clean energy transition. While debates on this policy focus mainly on safety and cost concerns, few studies have examined the causal relationship between energy transition and its health benefits, particularly mental health. Using data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Survey (CHARLS), this paper employs a difference-in-differences (DID) approach to estimate the impact of the “coal-to-gas” policy on the mental health of the rural elderly in China. The findings indicate that the policy significantly improved the cognitive status of the elderly, especially episodic memory, which saw a 10.4% increase relative to the sample mean. The policy also significantly boosted the proportion of households using clean cooking fuels by 5.8%. Further analysis suggests that the improved sleep quality from reduced indoor air pollution by household energy transition, as a mechanism, could explain these results. This study provides a timely assessment of the policy’s effectiveness, highlighting the importance of indoor air pollution control by household energy transition.

To understand older adults’ perceptions regarding access to medical cannabis and information related to it. We employed cross-sectional survey design to recruit Canadians (≥60 years) who consume cannabis for health purpose(s). Recruitment flyers were circulated to potential sites (e.g. CanAge). Interested participants self-selected to participate by contacting the researcher and completed the online survey. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and conventional content analysis. A total of 107 older adults participated in the study. Most sought information from healthcare professionals (HCP) (49.5%) or cannabis retail stores (40.2%) and accessed cannabis via retail stores (56.1%). High cost, judgement from others, and HCP reluctance to prescribe were reported as the common barriers to access. Participants most often sought information related to benefits, safety, and dosage of medical cannabis. Many older adults relied on medically unauthorized sources such as retail stores to access medical cannabis and information related to it. At the policy level, initiatives are needed to help older adults for whom medical cannabis may be appropriate to learn about and access medical cannabis via authorized sources. To ensure safe and effective medical cannabis use, knowledge products about medical cannabis are necessary for older adults.

Moral Distress (MD) refers to the negative experience that arise when a person cannot act in accordance with their values and principles when caring for patients, associated with individual, social or institutional barriers. This article presents the result of the qualitative research analyzing MD in health personnel of high complexity hospital in Bogotá, Colombia focusing in the attention of older patients with chronic or acute illnesses. The study used qualitative methods that included semi-structured interviews, focus groups and participant observation. The data was analyzed based on a theoretical matrix, considering how MD is configured, the way participants experience it, the contexts in which it happens, whether they consider consequences of this, and whether the education they have received provided them with tools to confront it. Findings include the constant presence of MD among healthcare personnel while confronting death and patient suffering. It is influenced by the level of education, previous work experience, and hierarchies within the healthcare system. Additionally, coping strategies such as emotional distancing and the of seeking knowledge are identified, although there is a noted lack of specific training in managing death and morbidity situations, as well as effective communication skills.

AbstractThe paper examines the relationship between health and economic growth using a dynamic panel with threshold effect and endogeneity. The study uses a sample of 136 countries over the period of 1965–2015 and the results indicate that the relationship between health and economic growth is nonlinear. The findings suggest that the impact of health on economic growth is only positive in countries that have attained minimum benchmarks of health improvement. These findings carry significant policy implications. Low-income countries need a comprehensive approach, encompassing multiple factors, such as education enhancement, productivity boost, and entrepreneurship promotion, that go beyond health promotion to foster substantial economic growth. In countries already attaining satisfactory health outcomes, policies prioritizing improved health outcomes, through directing investments towards Research and Development can serve as an effective means to promote sustainable economic growth.

Spatial neglect in stroke survivors is associated with a decrease in quality of life. This disorder occurs in 20–80% of stroke survivors and up to 1/3 of stroke survivors will continue to experience chronic impairment. Occupational therapists are uniquely qualified to treat stroke survivors with spatial neglect due to their holistic approach but access to therapy is limited. Diagnostic coding is used to help determine appropriate reimbursement and continuation of care including rehabilitation services. The objectives of this study were to 1) identify the prevalence of diagnostic coding for spatial neglect in stroke survivors, and 2) identify the prevalence and types of rehabilitation for patients with diagnostic coding for spatial neglect. We completed a retrospective cohort analysis using 2018 and 2019 5% Medicare Limited Data Sets from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. We extracted all ischemic stroke survivors and stratified them by the presence of a secondary diagnostic code indicating spatial neglect. Rehabilitation Current Procedural Terminology codes were used to identify stroke survivors who received rehabilitation. Despite recommendations from clinical practice, only 4.9% had a diagnostic code for spatial neglect. Of those formally diagnosed, only 2.3% received outpatient occupational therapy after being discharged from acute care.

Background: While foreign migrants contribute to economic development, they may impact public health by transmitting communicable diseases to the local population. With its geopolitical position, Thailand has been a primary destination for migrants from neighbouring countries in Southeast Asia and beyond. This positioning makes it a focal point for examining the complexities of migration dynamics and its implications for public health. Through a quantitative analysis, this paper investigates the influence of foreign migrants on physical health issues in Thailand, exploring their impact on various types of communicable diseases. The utilization of provincial-level data from Thailand offers insights into the localized effects of migrant populations on public health within the country. These insights can serve as a valuable resource for researchers and policymakers who conduct comparative analyses, facilitating a deeper understanding of the complex relationship between international migration and public health worldwide. Methods: A spatial panel autoregressive model (SAR) is applied on the provincial level communicable diseases and socio-economic data in Thailand from the period 2016 to 2021. Results: The results indicate that the influence of foreign migrants on communicable diseases in Thailand varies depending on the type of disease. While an increase in migrants correlates with a higher prevalence of respiratory and other communicable diseases, it conversely reduces the prevalence of vaccine-preventable diseases. Additionally, we found that migrants do not significantly impact the prevalence of food- and water-borne diseases, insect-borne diseases, animal-borne diseases, or sexually transmitted diseases in Thailand. Additionally, other factors, such as GPP per capita, unemployment, poverty, and technology access, strongly correlate with most types of communicable diseases. Conclusion: As revealed by this study, the increase in migrants leads to a rise in respiratory and other communicable diseases, as well as a decrease in vaccine-preventable diseases, which carries significant policy implications. These results urge policymakers, the Ministry of Labour, and the Ministry of Public Health to implement tailored policies and measures to enhance public health and effectively mitigate the risk of communicable diseases transmitted by migrants in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper analyzes the optimal lockdown policy using the SQAIRD model over a network with three population groups (young, adult, and old). We show that different lockdown policies may be justified by different socioeconomic structures (objective cost functions that are either convex or concave). We also show that a lockdown policy is always better than a laissez-faire policy, and a targeted policy specific to each group outperforms a uniform policy. In our benchmark example, we consider the case of Italy. Our simulations show that: (a) a lockdown policy is always better than the laissez-faire policy because it limits the costs generated by the pandemic in an uncontrolled situation; (b) a group-specific targeted lockout policy is more effective than a uniform policy to the extent that the groups differ. The latter is a less expensive targeted policy (as it optimally minimizes direct, indirect, and vaccination costs), and it is equally effective in controlling the pandemic. One finding of particular interest is that the optimal lockdown rate should be higher for the young and elderly than for adults. This is motivated by the fact that younger individuals are more likely to spread the virus in question asymptomatically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hungarian A poszttraumás stressz szindróma (PTSD) az egyik olyan pszichiátriai betegség, ami az egészségügyi ellátó rendszer szélesebb körű használatához vezethet, azonban kevés ismerettel rendelkezünk arról, hogy milyen betegségteher vizsgálatok állnak rendelkezésre ehhez kapcsolódóan. Magyarországi költségelemzést eddig nem publikáltak a PTSD betegségterhével kapcsolatosan és nemzetközi szinten is kevés, módszertanilag rendkívül heterogén szakirodalom áll csak rendelkezésre. A tanulmány célja, hogy betöltse ezt az űrt és szisztematikusan áttekintse a PTSD betegségterhével foglalkozó szakirodalmat. Kutatásom során Medline-keresést végeztem 2022. augusztusig bezárólag, mely során a beválogatási kritériumok a következők voltak: (1) eredeti közlemények, (2) angol nyelvű absztrakttal, melyek (3) költségelemzést jelentettek PTSD-ben. Az így kiválasztott 15 tanulmány közül mindegyikben részletesen tárgyalták a direkt egészségügyi költségeket, két tanulmányban elemezték a direkt nem egészségügyi költségeket is, ideértve az informális ellátás költségeit, két további cikk az indirekt költségeket is vizsgálta. A tanulmányok széles skálán mutattak ki költségkülönbségeket: az egy betegre jutó éves direkt egészségügyi kiadások Ausztráliában 4 461 és 43 362 EUR között mozogtak, az Egyesült Államokban 2 442 és 35 967 EUR között, míg Európában 217 és 36 204 EUR között változtak. Szintén jelentős eltéréseket tapasztaltak a direkt nem egészségügyi költségek terén, ahol az összegek 98 és 9 372 EUR között mozogtak. Az indirekt költségek tekintetében a legalacsonyabb összeg 2 918 EUR, míg a legmagasabb 11 061 EUR volt. A tanulmányokból továbbá kiderült, hogy a gépjármű balesetet és a bántalmazást követő PTSD-ben figyelték meg a legmagasabb költségeket, de a betegség súlyossága is szignifikánsan növeli a keletkező költségeket volumenét. English Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric condition associated with increased utilization of healthcare services. Despite its significance, there is a paucity of comprehensive studies addressing the burden of illness related to PTSD, and the existing literature displays considerable methodological heterogeneity. Notably, there has been no published cost analysis of the disease burden of PTSD in Hungary, and international literature on the topic remains limited. This study aims to address this gap by systematically reviewing the literature on the burden of PTSD. A systematic search of the Medline database was conducted up to August 2022, employing the following inclusion criteria: (1) original publications, (2) English-language abstracts, and (3) studies reporting cost analyses of PTSD. Fifteen studies meeting these criteria were selected for review. All of these studies provided detailed discussions of direct healthcare costs, while two studies additionally analyzed direct non-healthcare costs, including informal care costs. Moreover, two articles examined indirect costs. The analysis revealed a broad range of cost estimates. In Australia, annual direct healthcare expenditure per patient ranged from €4,461 to €43,362. In the United States, costs varied from €2,442 to €35,967, and in Europe, from €217 to €36,204. Direct non-healthcare costs exhibited significant variability, ranging from €98 to €9,372. Indirect costs were reported to range from €2,918 to €11,061. The studies indicated that the highest costs were associated with PTSD resulting from motor vehicle accidents and abuse. Additionally, the severity of the illness was found to significantly elevate the total costs incurred.

ObjectivesPreterm birth occurs in more than 10% of U.S. births and is the leading cause of U.S. neonatal deaths, with estimated annual costs exceeding $25 billion USD. Using real-world data, we modeled the potential clinical and economic utility of a prematurity-reduction program comprising screening in a racially and ethnically diverse population with a validated proteomic biomarker risk predictor, followed by case management with or without pharmacological treatment.MethodsThe ACCORDANT microsimulation model used individual patient data from a prespecified, randomly selected sub-cohort (N = 847) of a multicenter, observational study of U.S. subjects receiving standard obstetric care with masked risk predictor assessment (TREETOP; NCT02787213). All subjects were included in three arms across 500 simulated trials: standard of care (SoC, control); risk predictor/case management comprising increased outreach, education and specialist care (RP-CM, active); and multimodal management (risk predictor/case management with pharmacological treatment) (RP-MM, active). In the active arms, only subjects stratified as higher risk by the predictor were modeled as receiving the intervention, whereas lower-risk subjects received standard care. Higher-risk subjects' gestational ages at birth were shifted based on published efficacies, and dependent outcomes, calibrated using national datasets, were changed accordingly. Subjects otherwise retained their original TREETOP outcomes. Arms were compared using survival analysis for neonatal and maternal hospital length of stay, bootstrap intervals for neonatal cost, and Fisher's exact test for neonatal morbidity/mortality (significance, p

This article examines the relationship between parental provision of alcohol and teenage risky behavior. The study analyzes data from the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System and state laws regarding parental provision of alcohol. The results suggest that parental exemption laws, which allow parents to provide alcohol to their underage children, are associated with a slight increase in teenage alcohol use and binge drinking. However, these laws are also associated with later sexual initiation and fewer sexual partners. The findings suggest that while parental provision exemptions may delay teenage drinking, they may not reduce risky behavior once teenagers begin drinking. [Extracted from the article]

School-based mental health services (SBMH) may increase students' access to care, which could yield benefits for mental health status and human capital-related outcomes. We use a difference-in-differences design with 19 years of survey and administrative data to estimate the impacts of SBMH on a range of K–12 student outcomes. SBMH increases average outpatient mental health service use and reduces self-reported suicide attempts. There is weaker evidence that SBMH reduces suspensions and juvenile justice involvement and no evidence that SBMH affects average attendance, standardized test scores, or self-reported substance use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study how the societal disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic impacted diagnosis of a prevalent childhood mental health condition, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Using both nationwide private health insurance claims and a single state's comprehensive electronic health records, we compare children exposed to the pandemic to same-aged children prior to the pandemic. We find the pandemic reduced new ADHD diagnoses by 8.6 percent among boys and 11.0 percent among girls nationwide through February 2021. We further show that higher levels of in-person schooling in fall 2020 dampened the decline for girls but had no moderating effect for boys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the increasing attention on energy poverty due to its health implications, the South African story is yet to be told, while pathways of influence have received little empirical investigation in the extant literature. This study examines how energy poverty affects mental distress in post-apartheid South Africa and explores gender and locational heterogeneities in outcomes as well as potential pathways. We use five years of longitudinal data extracted from the National Income Dynamics Survey (NIDS). We employ the Lewbel instrumental variable method to resolve endogeneity and apply causal mediation analysis to identify potential channels of effect. The findings suggest that energy poverty is associated with an increase in mental distress. This outcome is consistent across different estimation methods and conceptualisations of energy poverty. The deteriorating effect of energy poverty on mental distress is more pronounced among females and rural residents. We further establish that experiences of persistent cough and chest pains/tightness serve as potential pathways in the link between energy poverty and mental distress. We encourage the South African government to increase budgetary allocations to the free basic electricity policy and provide connection subsidies to poor households, which have the potential to alleviate energy poverty and reduce mental distress as a result.

One of the most recent global aims is to increase life expectancy since healthy people are seen as human capital that may boost the economy. The study investigates the role of governance in the globalisation-life expectancy nexus using 39 African countries between 1996 and 2019.

Digital technologies have significantly changed the way adolescents perceive the world around them. The perception of the social environment is crucial for their well-being and health.

Aims: To describe healthcare costs of patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) initiating first-line (1 L) therapies from a US payer perspective. Methods: Patients initiating a Flatiron oncologist-defined 1 L mCRPC therapy (index date) on or after mCRPC diagnosis were identified from linked electronic medical records/claims data from the Flatiron Metastatic Prostate Cancer (PC) Core Registry and Komodo's Healthcare Map. Patients were excluded if they initiated a clinical trial drug in 1 L, had <12 months of insurance eligibility prior to index, or no claims in Komodo's Healthcare Map for the Flatiron oncologist-defined index therapy. All-cause and PC-related total costs per-patient-per-month (PPPM), including costs for services and procedures from medical claims (i.e. medical costs) and costs from pharmacy claims (i.e. pharmacy costs), were described in the 12-month baseline period before 1 L therapy initiation (including the baseline pre- and post- mCRPC progression periods) and during 1 L therapy (follow-up). Results: Among 459 patients with mCRPC (mean age 70 years, 57% White, 16% Black, 45% commercially-insured, 43% Medicare Advantage-insured, and 12% Medicaid-insured), average baseline all-cause total costs (PPPM) were $4,576 ($4,166 pre-mCRPC progression, $8,278 post-mCRPC progression). Average baseline PC-related total costs were $2,935 ($2,537 pre-mCRPC progression, $6,661 post-mCRPC progression). During an average 1 L duration of 8.5 months, mean total costs were $13,746 (all-cause) and $12,061 (PC-related) PPPM. The cost increase following 1 L therapy initiation was driven by higher PC-related outpatient and pharmacy costs. PC-related medical costs PPPM increased from $1,504 during baseline to $5,585 following 1 L mCRPC therapy initiation. Limitations: All analyses were descriptive; statistical testing was not performed. Conclusion: Incremental costs of progression to mCRPC are significant, with the majority of costs driven by higher PC-related costs. Using contemporary data, this study highlights the importance of utilizing effective therapies that slow progression and reduce healthcare resource demands despite the initial investment in treatment costs. PLAIN LANGUAGE SUMMARY: Prostate cancer is one of the most common causes of cancer death in men. While outcomes are good if treated early, some patients may develop advanced disease that is more difficult and costly to treat. The most advanced form is late-stage hormone-resistant prostate cancer. Previous studies found that healthcare costs and use of medical services increase when prostate cancer advances to this stage. New medications are available, but their costs are not well known. Our study reviewed clinical information and health insurance data to estimate the healthcare costs and medical services used by 459 men who received drug treatment for late-stage hormone-resistant prostate cancer between 2017 and 2021 in the United States. In the year before a diagnosis and the start of drug treatment for late-stage hormone-resistant prostate cancer, total healthcare costs per month were approximately $4,000. After diagnosis of but before drug treatment for late-stage hormone-resistant prostate cancer, monthly healthcare costs nearly doubled, to approximately $8,000. Most of the additional $4,000 were specifically related to prostate cancer. After the start of the first drug treatment, total healthcare costs increased to approximately $13,500 every month. Most of the costs were related to medical office/clinic visits and medications. As their disease progressed, men received additional therapies, and office/clinic visits and use of chemotherapy also increased. These results emphasize the high healthcare costs and large number of medical services used by men with late-stage hormone-resistant prostate cancer. Therapies that slow progression to advanced prostate cancer may help to reduce high healthcare costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The present study investigates the nexus between health performance dynamics and economic growth in 43 countries in sub-Saharan Africa for the period 2004–2018. Design/methodology/approach: Four health performance dynamics are used, notably: total life expectancy, male life expectancy, female life expectancy and risk of maternal death. The empirical evidence is based on quantile regressions (QRs) in order to put into perspective the conditional distribution of economic growth. Findings: The following findings are established: (1) total life expectancy and male life expectancy increase economic growth exclusively in the 10th and 90th quantiles of economic growth; (2) female life expectancy boosts economic growth in the 90th quantile of economic growth and (3) the risk of maternal death reduces economic growth in the 75th and 90th quantiles of economic growth. Policy implications are discussed. Originality/value: The study complements the literature on the nexus between health performance and economic growth by assessing the nexuses throughout the conditional distribution of economic growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The areas most affected by the opioid crisis have witnessed deteriorating economic conditions, although it is unclear if this represents a causal relationship. I provide new evidence on this question by leveraging a natural experiment that sharply decreased the supply of hydrocodone, the most commonly prescribed opioid in the United States, relative to other opioids. Areas with larger reductions in hydrocodone prescribing experienced relative improvements in labor force participation and employment. However, these areas also witnessed higher growth in drug-related arrests. I find some evidence of reductions in illicit opioid deaths, which are offset by increases in other drug-related deaths. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the effects of social distancing measures on various types of social mobility, using country- and day-fixed effects on a panel of daily data comprising 29 European countries. Although social distancing measures proved to be significant for all types of mobility in the examined period, they are best captured by retail and recreation mobility. Linear effects of restrictive measures on COVID-19 cases and deaths are examined by OLS regression with country- and day-fixed effects on a panel of 29 European countries, while non-linear effects were investigated by quantile regressions. Stricter mobility restrictions significantly reduced COVID-19 cases and deaths, but the variant of the virus was also an important determinant. Although the Delta variant was much more infectious, its mortality reduced. However, the impact of social distancing measures on COVID-19 cases and deaths was not constant but strengthened with increasing quantiles of the distribution of cases and deaths, suggesting that an early response from policy-makers was very important. Vaccination brought benefits for both cases and deaths, but a particularly beneficial effect can be seen on COVID-19 deaths. The vaccination benefits grew with the share of the vaccinated population. Distrust in public institutions proved to have a negative impact on both COVID-19 cases and deaths. The inclusion of a set of control variables (health, economic, social and demographic) revealed that country characteristics such as cardiovascular mortality, the share of male smokers, economic development, the proportion of the population living in extreme poverty, population density, the quality of education or the share of rural population were important determinants of COVID-19 spreads. The analysis of the linear and nonlinear effects of the stringency of measures on various categories of sales according to the digital cash collection system (eKasa) in Slovakia revealed that sales in essential sectors for consumers, such as retail and grocery stores, were relatively resistant to tightening measures, while sectors that are less essential for consumers were more sensitive to social distancing measures.

This paper introduces a new trading strategy in investment: including the asset (Asset A) with the highest mean, the asset (Asset B) that stochastically dominates many other assets, and the asset (Asset C) with the smallest standard deviation in their portfolio to form portfolios in the efficient frontier for emerging and developed markets that could get higher expected utility and/or expected arbitrage opportunities. To test whether our proposed new trading strategy performs better, we set a few conjectures including the conjectures that investors should include any one, two, or three of Assets A, B, and C from emerging and developed markets. We test whether the conjectures hold by employing both mean-variance and stochastic dominance (SD) approaches to examine the performance of the portfolio formed by using hedge funds from emerging and developed markets with and without Assets A, B, and C, the naïve 1/N portfolio, and all other assets studied in our paper. We find that most of the portfolios with assets A, B, and C++ stochastically dominate the corresponding portfolio without any one, two, or all three of the A, B, and C strategies and dominate most, if not all, of the individual assets and the naïve 1/N portfolio in the emerging and developed markets, implying the existence of expected arbitrage opportunities in either emerging or developed markets and the market is inefficient. In addition, in this paper, we set a conjecture that combinations of portfolios with no arbitrage opportunity could generate portfolios that could have expected arbitrage opportunity. Our findings conclude that the conjecture holds and we claim that this phenomenon is a new anomaly in the financial market and our paper discovers a new anomaly in the financial market that expected arbitrage opportunity could be generated.We also conduct an out-of-sample analysis to check whether our proposed approach will work well in the out-of-sample period. Our findings also confirm our proposed new trading strategy to include Assets A, B, and C in the portfolio is the best strategy among all the other strategies used in our paper and gets the highest expected wealth and the highest expected utility for the emerging and developed markets. Our findings contribute to the literature on the emerging and developed markets of hedge funds and the reliability of alternative risk frameworks in the evaluation. Our findings also provide practical experience to academics, fund managers, and investors on how to choose assets in their portfolio to get significantly higher expected utility in emerging and developed markets.

Established in 1930, the Nation of Islam (NOI) offered uplift to the wellbeing of Black Americans. Its charismatic leader, the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, articulated how membership in the NOI would improve the well-being of Black Americans. We consider the impact of NOI membership on several measures of individual well-being. Using data from the first wave of the National Survey of Black Americans, we appeal to the Rubin Causal Framework to estimate the treatment effect of being a member of the NOI on certain outcomes: e.g., overall socioeconomic status, self-employment, self-esteem, and health status. To enable causal interpretation, we estimate the treatment parameters by matching on observable covariates that are not affected by the treatment. Treatment parameter estimates suggest that, at least in the late 1970s, had the NOI been able to expand its membership, new adherents would have benefited from enhanced Black identity, a higher likelihood of not having common health problems, and a lower likelihood of hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and incarceration. Our findings suggest that the NOI could have had a substantial impact on the individual well-being of Black Americans if it were larger, and that NOI-like organizations can help mitigate race-based inequalities in well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is no doubt that individual makes up a nation. Thus, as health is a crucial component of one’s welfare, access to good healthcare is a prerequisite to attaining long-term economic growth that is both sustainable and prosperous. This study looks at the impact of poverty on people’s health in Nigeria. A time series data spanning 29 years, from 1991 to 2021 was used for the study. This data was estimated using Auto Regressive Distributed Lag (ARDL). In order to simulate how poverty affects health outcomes in Nigeria, the study utilized mathematical models to determine whether Nigeria health results (CO2 emission, patients per physician, life expectancy rate, and poverty rate) responds to poverty shock. The study implies that, poverty shock has a big short-term influence on health outcome factors. The study suggested that in order to reduce high mortality rates government should focus more on improvement in health sector, particularly in the areas where there are less hospitals and basic healthcare facilities care is inadequate.

In developing countries, taxation is perceived as a brake on economic growth. Indeed, taxes in most of these countries are not sufficiently adapted to the specificity of the taxpayer and often do not consider the weak administrative capacity of the countries in the region. In this context, reforms have been initiated over the last decade to create tax environments that encourage savings, investment, entrepreneurship, and social innovation. This study provides an overview of research on the effects of taxation on social innovation and the corresponding implications for the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in developing countries, taking three approaches: thematic, chronological, and methodological. Most studies agree that high taxes in business undermine social innovation and thus the achievement of SDGs, as social innovation is known to be a driver of most SDGs and business the vehicle. The majority of the selected studies used primary data collected from samples whose representativeness with respect to the population concerned (notably businesses) is still not explicitly justified.

We study the distributional effects of education on health. In 1972, England, Scotland, and Wales raised their minimum school leaving age from 15 to 16 for students born after September 1, 1957. Using a regression discontinuity design and objective health measures for 129,000 individuals, we find that education reduced body size and increased blood pressure in middle age. The reduction in body size was concentrated at the upper tail of the distribution with an eight percentage point reduction in obesity. The increase in blood pressure was concentrated at the lower tail of the distribution, with no effect on stage 2 hypertension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the literature on sustainable investing, most studies assume normal market conditions. However, research is limited regarding the specific role of sustainable investing during stressed market conditions. In this paper, we contribute to the literature by investigating the role of ESG investing in market turbulence for the case of China. To that end, we examine the performance of ESG equity indices and compare against their benchmarks amid market turmoil in China, which were triggered in response to the 2020 Wuhan Lockdown and the recent 2022 Shanghai Lockdown. Specifically, we address two key issues that are of particular concern to most investors: (i) is ESG investing safe haven in times of crisis?; and (ii) can ESG investing improve portfolio diversification? Overall, our findings shed light on the role of sustainable investing amid uncertainty in turbulent times.

The shift to remote work mode significantly impacts the way people work, especially middle managers, who play a fundamental role in organizations. There is a broad consensus that they have a key responsibility in deploying strategies, and in terms of operations and organizational culture. Based on the responses of 200 managers from five Latin American countries working in several economic sectors, the effects of remote work demands on their levels of perceived work stress and general well-being were examined in this study. Through partial least squares structural equation modeling, the positive effect of remote work demands on work stress was verified. The analysis also suggested a competitive mediating effect of role transitions on the relationship between work stress and well-being. The study also provides theoretical and practical implications for human resource management and a design of flexible labor policies from a sustainability perspective.

Background: Previous literature documents the direct and indirect economic costs of obesity, yet none has attempted to quantify the intangible costs of obesity. This study focuses on quantifying the intangible costs of one unit body mass index (BMI) increase and being overweight and obese in Germany. Methods: By applying a life satisfaction-based compensation value analysis to 2002–2018 German Socio-Economic Panel Survey data for adults aged 18–65, the intangible costs of overweight and obesity are estimated. We apply individual income as a reference for estimating the value of the loss of subjective well-being due to overweight and obesity. Results: The intangible costs of overweight and obesity in 2018 amount to 42,450 and 13,853 euros, respectively. A one unit increase in BMI induced a 2553 euros annual well-being loss in the overweight and obese relative to those of normal weight. When extrapolated to the entire country, this figure represents approximately 4.3 billion euros, an intangible cost of obesity similar in magnitude to the direct and indirect costs documented in other studies for Germany. These losses, our analysis reveals, have remained remarkably stable since 2002. Conclusions: Our results underscore how existing research into obesity's economic toll may underestimate its true costs, and they strongly imply that if obesity interventions took the intangible costs of obesity into account, the economic benefits would be considerably larger. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]