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Food insecurity exists when households do not have physical, social and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences. Food insecurity remains a serious challenge for many households in Vietnam and the situation is even more prevalent among rural smallholders. Therefore, this study aims to assess the food insecurity status according to rural households' profile and present better intervention strategies for policy makers to reduce food insecurity among rural households in Vietnam. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Women’s empowerment is a key focus of the Sustainable Development Goals. It is also an element in China’s national poverty reduction strategies. As most poverty identification, alleviation, and graduation strategies are targeted on households rather than individuals, the status of rural women’s empowerment remained insufficiently studied. This paper examines the status of women’s empowerment in the formerly poverty-stricken rural areas in western China, using data obtained in 2021 from a questionnaire-based survey on 1027 rural households in seven counties of four provinces. It constructs a women’s empowerment index with 10 indicators in five domains – production, resources, income, leadership, and time use – based on women’s empowerment theories and practices in agriculture. The study finds that the average level of women's empowerment is 0.654. Women are most empowered in the time use domain while least empowered in the leadership domain. Logistic regression results reveal that women’s ages, women’s educational years and the decision-making in women’s parental families are significant determinants of women’s empowerment. Further studies indicate that the role of family legacy is getting weaker in younger generations and stronger among spouses with closer ages. The household relative poverty status has no significant effect on women’s empowerment in this study, which implies that in rural areas, sociocultural factors might outweigh economic factors in determining women’s empowerment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A linchpin to realizing the internal circulation (referring to the domestic cycle of production, distribution and consumption) is reducing residents' saving rate and expanding the domestic needs. However, rural residents in China demonstrate a strong propensity to save money. Methods: In light of practical characteristics of urban-rural health integration promoted in different places, the three-phase data (from 2014 to 2018) and the dual difference-in-differences model of the China Labor-force Dynamics Survey (CLDS) are used to empirically investigate the impact of urban-rural health insurance integration on rural household savings. Results: Research reveals that urban-rural health integration can reduce the health risks and medical risks facing rural households, thus weakening the motivation of precautionary savings. The analysis of heterogeneity reveals that the integration of urban-rural health insurance significantly influences the savings rates of households headed by older individuals, particularly women, with lower levels of educational attainment. Besides, the single-tier health insurance system can have a more significant impact, whereas the multi-tier insurance system may not significantly affect the savings rate. Conclusion: Based on the aforesaid research conclusions, this article believes that in order to reduce the savings rate of rural households and expand consumption, the health insurance system should be further improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using primary data collected from 462 farm households, this paper aims to examine the impact of income diversification on rural household food security in Ethiopia. A propensity score matching model was employed to analyze the impact of participation in both agriculture and non-agriculture activities on household food security. The results indicate that age, education level, household size, number of contacts with extension agents, and numbers of livestock in tropical livestock units have a significant effect on household participation in both agriculture and non-agriculture sources of income generation. The propensity score matching result suggested that participation in both agriculture and non-agriculture would increase the rural household food security status by 10.6% to 19.5%, mainly due to a positive effect of additional sources of income generation from non-agriculture activities as witnessed in present and past studies. Therefore, to make considerable improvement on the food security situation, there is need to promote and scale-up on-farm, off-farm and non-farm income-generating activities in rural areas to diversify income sources so as to improve food security status of the rural households in Ethiopia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy poverty is one of the three major crises of the global energy system. It tends to deepen as a result of the imbalance between supply and demand, energy transition and financial factors, especially in rural areas of developing countries. This paper took rural household energy poverty as the subject and collected 27 Chinese papers and 44 English papers from Google Scholar, Sci-hub, CNKI and other academic websites in the academic field on the definition, identification methods, influencing factors and governance countermeasures of energy poverty. It focused on analyzing the influence of income level, geographic location, urban–rural differences, demographic characteristics and other factors on energy poverty, as well as the profound impact of energy poverty on the population's health, the population's economic status, social equity, welfare of the population, the national economic development, etc. It finally landed on the government's countermeasures to govern energy poverty so as to provide references for solving the problem of energy poverty by systematically sorting out the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study analyzed food security status of rural households in North Eastern Nigeria. Secondary data were employed. The data were accessed from the General Household Survey (GHS) for years 2013 and 2016, waves 2 and 3. 451 households were considered in each wave. The objective of the study was to determine the food security status of rural households, analyze factors influencing their food security and compare the output of different methodologies used to measure food security during the periods. Frequency and Percentages were used to analyze the socioeconomic characteristics of respondents. Mean per Capita Food Expenditure (MPCE), Dietary Diversity Score (DDS), Foster, Greer and Thorbecke (FGT) index were used to analyze household food security status while Logit regression model was used to analyze factors influencing household food security status. Results from the descriptive statistics showed that male household heads, married household heads and literate household heads were food secure in both waves. Results from Mean per Capita Food Expenditure (MPCE), and Foster, Greer and Thorbecke (FGT) showed that more than half of the selected households were food secure in both waves but reverse was the case with Dietary Diversity Score (DDS). Age, level of education, and household size were found to be factors influencing food security in both waves and models. The results from the logistic regression showed that an increase in age of household head and household size will reduce the food security status of the North-Easterner’s rural households. Also, the result revealed that the food security status was higher in Borno, Gombe and Yobe compared to Taraba and tertiary education increased the level of food security status for MPCE but reduced the same for DDS. Based on these findings, the study recommends sensitizations on the importance of education and family planning for the rural household in North Eastern states of Nigeria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focuses on exploring the factors affecting on urban Earnings of household of Multan district. Cross-sectional data was collected through questionnaire from household of District Multan's belonging to rural areas. About 300 respondents belonging to rural areas were randomly engaged for an interview in 2021. Mincerian earning function was used for analysis and its extension form was also analyzed. In this study it was found that Experience and Education positively impact on earning whereas experience square had a negative impact while evaluating Mincerian Earing function. In the Extended Mincerian Earing function, Education, experience, age, spouse involvement, marital status, and migration positively impact on earnings while age squared, experience squared, and employment have a negative impact on earnings of rural household of Multan district. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Microcredits will remain crucial to rural households over a long period as they provide small loans to the needy, making it an essential aspect of rural finance. Due to the rural credit market's structure and financial inclusion problem, rural households often have trouble accessing microcredit. This paper analyzes the influence of financial literacy (FL) on microcredit accessibility in rural households in Tanzania. Methodology: Using a large dataset of Finscope households survey in Tanzania, a binary logit estimation technique was utilized to determine the influence of financial literacy on credit accessing decisions of rural households. In addition, a descriptive analysis was done from the selected sample. Findings: Generally, the analysis showed that financial literacy had a negative and significant effect on the micro-credit accessibility decision of rural households in Tanzania. Education level has a significant positive influence on micro-credit attaining decisions. Practical implication: The outcome of this research is helpful to policymakers and micro-credit institutions as they provide an insight into the influence of financial literacy on microcredit accessibility. The study recommends financial literacy programmes be established in rural areas to enlighten the citizens about the benefit and proper uses of borrowed money. Originality/Value: This paper used actual surveyed data from Tanzanians in all regions. The results are robust to different categories of households and control variables that can also affect micro-credit accessibility decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, the character of many households located in rural areas is closer to that of suburban households. The change in the characters of households located in rural areas results in changes in the size and irregularity of water demand, which should translate into a new approach at the stage of water supply systems designing. Therefore, in order to supplement the state of knowledge in this study area, this paper presents the results of the research on the structure of hourly water consumption in two households located in rural areas; the first household had a suburban character, whereas the second one was a typical rural household. The results showed differences in the amount and the distribution of hourly water consumption in the analyzed households. Except on weekends, the average hourly water consumption in rural household (RH) was higher than in suburban household (SH). In contrast, in the rural household, the distribution of hourly water consumption on all days of the week was very similar and the peak water consumption was clearly marking in the morning and in the evening. In the case of the suburban household, a tendency of increased water consumption in the evening was observed, but without clearly noticeable peak water consumption. Moreover, the structure of hourly water consumption in suburban household on Saturday and Sunday was different than on weekdays. The analyzed households were characterized by the highest share of hourly water consumption up to 20.0 dm³·h-1. In the rural household, both the amount and the distribution of hourly water consumption were determined by water use for additional purposes. In the case of the suburban household, it was shaped by the living needs of the inhabitants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to their functional nature, rural communities are closely related to their surrounding environment. Many features of their surrounding environment lead to the development of entrepreneurship and strengthen the rural economy, and some other features limit the development of entrepreneurship and delay economic progress. The aim of this research was to analyze the effects of physical and environmental constraints on entrepreneurial development in the villages Surrounding the border and Hamoon International Wetland in the villages of Ghorghori District of Hirmand County in Sistan and Baluchestan province. This research is of descriptive-analytical type in which the documentary method has been used to review the records and explain the problem and the survey method (with interview tools and completing a questionnaire) has been applied to collect the required data at the village level. The statistical population of the study includes the head of households living in the study area. According to the number of households living in the study area (3492 households) and the use of Cochran's formula, 348 samples were calculated to complete the research questionnaires. Data analysis was performed using descriptive and inferential statistical methods, ARAS model and SPSS, Choice Expert and ArcGIS software. The results of ARAS model in examining the severity of entrepreneurial constraints in the studied villages show that physical constraints in 58.6% of villages and environmental constraints in 68.9% of villages are severe or very severe. Also, according to the results of Friedman test, the constraints due to the existence of a boundary wall with a mean score of 0.487 and the constraints of access to water resources with a mean score of 0.393, respectively, have the highest physical and environmental constraints among various constraints in each dimension. In this regard, according to the results, the establishment of border crossings and bazaars for the legal trade of residents of villages Surrounding the border and the pursuit of water rights in the region from the Hirmand River through diplomacy are recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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

Food waste is a burden on society in terms of the money wasted. There is limited information on the determinants of food waste and the amount lost to food waste by households as most previous studies were on post-harvest losses. Hence, determinants of food waste among households in Kogi West Senatorial District, Kogi State Nigeria were investigated. A three-stage sampling technique was used to select the respondents, while a structured questionnaire was used for data collection. Data were analyzed using Tobit regression and an equality test. The study revealed that food waste was higher in male headed households. The average monthly food waste proportion among urban households was significantly higher than that of rural households. The estimated amounts lost to food waste per month were ₦2103 and ₦5530 for the rural and urban households, respectively. These represented 7.2% and 13.1% of the total expenditure on food per month for rural and urban households, respectively. Among rural households, leftovers of food and lack of proper storage were the main reasons for food waste, while leftovers of food and preparation of food more than needed were the reasons for food waste among urban households. The sex of respondents, work experience, and monthly income influenced the proportion of food waste among rural households, while the dependency ratio, monthly income, and monthly food expenditure were the determinants of proportion of food waste among the urban households. Non-Governmental Organization efforts through sensitization campaigns focused on the need to reduce food waste, especially among urban households, would help to reduce the financial burden of food waste on households. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The frequency of incomplete portfolios consisting of a few risk-free assets is an important issue in household portfolio selection, and its cause has not yet been satisfactorily identified. Using data from the Shaanxi Province survey of rural residents' financial assets in China, this paper validates the influence path model of household portfolios to understand the determinants of rural household's ownership of risky financial assets. The structural equation modelling method is used to illustrate the complex relationship between household portfolio allocation and influencing factors. The results show that holding risky financial assets is directly determined by total financial assets, risky investment intentions and financial market knowledge. Ability, desire and awareness are all indispensable for holding risky financial assets, which can explain most of the incomplete participant problem. Household wealth, financial literacy, age and education have indirect influences along different paths through these three mediation variables. In addition, a second house is separated from real estate that only includes the residential house and defined investments. A path analysis also shows that real estate (residential house, home appliances and vehicles) does not have a significant effect on holding risky financial assets, while an investment house will crowd out and substitute financial assets and have a negative influence on holding risky financial assets. The findings could help explain the fairly simple and safe structure of the typical household portfolio in rural China and other undeveloped regions and may also have important policy implications for developing risky financial markets in similar regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Saving is an important factor in households' welfare in developing countries. However, most studies have focused on urban areas and at the macroeconomic level. Consequently, such studies mask the reality of rural households, which constitute a large proportion in Ethiopia. Hence, this study aims at analyzing the factors that influence the probability of saving participation at the household level in the Libokemkem District. We employed a systematic random sampling technique to select a total of 157 household heads in three kebeles in Libokemkem District, Ethiopia. We used structured questionnaires to collect data from the sampled households. We then analyzed the data using a logistic regression model. The results of the study show that family size, farm land, education status, credit access and frequency of extension contact are the determinant factors for saving participation among rural households. We recommend that the Ethiopian Ministry of Economic and Finance should strengthen the existing credit services and create awareness campaigns for the communities to enhance rural saving participation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kenyan households, as in many rural areas in developing countries, suffer frequently from effects of shocks. Yet, they have limited access to effective coping strategies. Vulnerable households end up resorting to ineffective coping strategies such as distressed sales of farmland. Distress land sales limit household productive capacity and increase vulnerability to future shocks, thus entrenching poverty. Using a nationally representative data collected in two waves, we examine the circumstances under which rural households in Kenya sell farmland following shocks. We find that specific shock characteristics, household characteristics and the household social and physical environments are associated with distress sales of farmland. The likelihood of selling farmland was higher for idiosyncratic shocks and those that resulted in higher monetary and material losses. The likelihood of engaging in distress land sales was also higher in households with older heads, with more land holding, where land markets existed and in households that depended on social safety nets. The likelihood of distress sales was however lower in households with more educated heads, more livestock value and access to all-weather roads. These findings are thereafter discussed in the Kenyan context, and policy suggestions are offered for building rural households' resilience to shocks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In China, 30–40% of foodborne diseases occur in households. Furthermore, compared with those in urban households, foodborne diseases are more prevalent in rural Chinese households, as evidenced by epidemiological data. The mastery of food safety and handling knowledge is considered crucial to ensure food safety, and this study represents the first exploration of food safety educational interventions for food handlers in the Chinese context. Knowledge-based interventions on food safety and handling were conducted among food handlers from 139 rural households. Over a two-month period, each participant received ten consecutive knowledge-based interventions, resulting in a total of 1390 interventions. Among them, 74 participants underwent online interventions, while 65 participants received offline interventions. Throughout the two-month intervention period, a questionnaire was administered to assess participants' food safety and handling knowledge four times: before the intervention, after the fourth intervention, after the eighth intervention, and after the tenth intervention. A total of 556 valid questionnaires were collected. The results indicated that both the online and offline interventions significantly improved participants' knowledge levels. Knowledge scores increased from 13.54 to 20.93 points (out of 36 points) after 10 consecutive online interventions and from 13.89 to 22.00 points after 10 consecutive offline interventions. Furthermore, no significant difference in knowledge growth was observed between the online and offline intervention groups, although the growth rate decreased with increasing intervention time. These findings suggest that in the Chinese context, stakeholders can use the WeChat platform to design high-efficiency and comprehensive food safety knowledge-based interventions. Additionally, optimal intervention frequency and intensity can be determined through small-scale field experiments before launching large-scale campaigns. • We conducted 10 consecutive interventions on food handlers from 139 rural households. • Both online and offline interventions increased participants' food safety and handling knowledge. • Online and offline interventions had no significant difference in effectiveness. • Growth of the knowledge scores slowed down as intervention number increased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of this paper was to establish a causal relationship between the socio-economic modernization level and the development level of the Romanian rural area, as main point of modernization of the rural household. The starting point in establishing this causal relationship was the development of a theoretical model for the assessment of the modernization and socio-economic development level of the rural area in terms of rural household modernization potential. The output of these models was 3 composite indices that were analysed both as independent indices, in dynamics, and in relation to the other indices, as well as to the dimensions and indicators related to each index. The main hypothesis of the research was the existence of an intrinsic link between the modernization degree and the socio-economic development of the rural area, thus the integration of modernization elements entailing development and implicitly, at rural household level, the continuous improvement of the quality of life and welfare of the rural population. The rural household was considered an important component of the Romanian rural space, being the driving engine that makes all the subsystems of the rural space work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Floods are natural events with negative economic and social consequences. This study assessed the effects of flood on rural household livelihood activities in Fagge Local Government Area (LGA) of Kano State. The objectives were to describe the socio-economic characteristics, find out the livelihood activities, assess the causes and effects of flood and describe the coping strategies of flood by rural dwellers. Multi-stage sampling procedure was used. Out of ten (10) districts in Fagge LGA, three districts were purposively selected, forty (40) household heads were randomly sampled from each district to give a total of one hundred and twenty (120) respondents. Structured questionnaire was used for data collection. Data were analyzed using simple descriptive statistics. Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC) and Chi-square (χ²) were used to test the hypotheses. The mean age was 35.7 years. PPMC result showed that age (r= 0.227, p= 0.013) was significant to livelihood activities while Chi-square (χ²) test revealed that sex (= 26.286, p = 0.002) was significant to livelihood activities. Chi-square (χ²) test also revealed that deforestation (= 22.44, p = 0.002), overgrazing (= 28.459, p = 0.004) were significant to farming activities. The study concludes that livelihood activities that increase deforestation like overgrazing and poor drainage maintenance should be discouraged. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research generates specific, contextualized identification of existing poverty status and poverty causing factors in Enda-mohoni woreda in Tigray Region, Ethiopia. Agroecology based cluster sampling technique was employed to select 154 household heads. Logit model was used to analyze household poverty status and FGT poverty index estimation model for poverty incidence analysis. The poverty analysis found a 30.9% headcount ratio, 4.4% poverty gap ratio, and 1% poverty severity. Furthermore, the result of the logistic regression revealed that among the explanatory variables used in the model, family size and agroecological location of the household head were found to positively influence HHs' poverty status at (P<0.01) and (P<0.05) respectively. Whereas, owning livestock and marital status of the HHH were found to negatively influence HHs' poverty status at (P<0.05) and (P<0.1) respectively. It is with appropriate policies that recognize the importance of poverty features and trends would it be possible for more people to make positive exits from poverty risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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

The rural households engaged in the primary sector are vulnerable to climate shocks. The adaptation strategies are supposed to be locale specific, determined by biophysical and socio-economic factors and adoption is contingent on the results from vulnerability assessments. This study is an assessment of local level vulnerability of three heterogeneous groups of selected rural households in South Gondar zone in Ethiopia's Amhara region. The study analyses the effects of climate change induced shocks on livelihoods using the LVI-IPCC framework along with an econometric technique to determine factors responsible for variations across households. The study corroborates earlier results that rural households are adversely impacted by climate shocks. The poor non-off-farm diversified rural households are highly vulnerable in comparison to those households adopting an off-farm diversification strategy. Irrigation, improvements in access to water, health and other rural infrastructure are also factors reducing vulnerability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assessment of the disaster resilience index (DRI) is an effective decision support tool for managing natural disasters. This study holds that disaster resilience is a dynamic process accompanied by coping capacity, adaptive capacity, and transformative capacity in different phases; therefore, we develop a three-dimensional capacity-based framework using seven indicators (including 38 subindicators) to map the multigoals for measuring resilience at the household level. Our data were acquired through questionnaire responses by 516 representative rural households in mountainous hazard-prone areas in Chongqing, China. The results reveal that more households are deemed "low resilience" and that geographical spatial differences exist in the DRI across the case regions. Several factors affecting the ability to survive, bounce back, and bounce forward from mountain hazards for rural households were found in China. The framework constructed in this paper offers a new perspective for a holistic understanding of disaster resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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

Strategies aimed towards poverty alleviation need to identify factors that are strongly associated with poverty. The objective of the study was to analyse the determinants of rural absolute and relative poverty in Shouning County, Fujian Province, Southeast China. Two binary logistic regressions were estimated based on household survey data in which the dependent variables were whether the residents were living in poverty, and the explanatory variables included a set of socioeconomic and demographic variables. The results showed that the age of the household head, dependency ratio, number of chronic patients, pressure of educational expenses, and culture of poverty were significantly and positively associated with the likelihood of being in absolute poverty. However, a greater household size and better accessibility to information decreased the probability of being in this state. The strongest four predictors of absolute poverty in descending order were information accessibility, number of chronic patients, pressure of educational expenses, and culture of poverty. In terms of relative poverty, our results demonstrated that elevation, cropland per capita, age of household head, number of chronic patients, pressure of educational expenses, and distance to the county seat had significant positive relationships with the probability of being trapped in relative poverty, whereas information accessibility was negatively associated with being in relative poverty. The strongest four predictors of relative poverty in descending order were information accessibility, pressure of educational expenses, cropland per capita, and number of chronic patients. Generally, the results confirmed three important determinants of rural poverty hypothesised in previous studies: chronic illness-induced poverty, educational expenses-induced poverty, and culture of poverty. We expect that the results of this study will provide useful insight for future research of rural poverty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Food insecurity is a pressing social and public health issue that varies in degree and impact on individuals and social groups, requiring immediate attention for policymakers and decision-makers. This study was conducted to identify the prevalence and associated factors of food insecurity of rural households particularly in the Shebel Berenta and Machakel districts of East Gojjam zone.Methods: A cross-sectional study design was conducted, in the fall of March 2017 among 504 households. Households are selected using a systematic sampling technique through multistage cluster sampling technique (two stage cluster sampling). The data were collected using a structured interviewer-administered questionnaire covering a range of topics including 18 core food security modules (CFSM) question series, socioeconomic, demographic and related variables. Multivariable Partial proportional odds model (PPOM) was employed to identify the factors associated with food insecurity in rural households.Result: Of a total of 504 households considered in the study, 54 (10.71%) were highly food secure, 75 (14.88%) were marginally food secure, 157 (31.15%) were low food secure, and 218 (43.25%) were severely food insecure. District (Machakel) (AOR = 3.28 95% CI: 1.73, 6.24), household head education status, illiterate (AOR = 113.4, 95% CI:7.02,1832.02), read and write (AOR = 169.29, 95%CI:11.64, 2461.39), and elementary completed (AOR = 119.75,95%CI:8.43,1700.74), agro-ecological zone, Woina Dega (AOR = 0.0021,95% CI: 0.00009,0.0514), Dega (AOR = 0.0323, 95%CI: 0.002, 0.5209), family size (AOR = 1.18, 95%CI: 1.01, 1.36), landholding (AOR = 0.767, 95% CI: 0.605, 0.972), TLU (AOR = 0.151, 95% CI: 0.0716, 0.3189), access to toilet (no) (AOR = 7.63, 95% CI: 1.459, 39.78), practicing irrigation (yes) (AOR = 0.121, 95% CI: 0.037, 0.38), loan (no) (AOR = 2.83, 95% CI:1.36, 5.89), access to energy, government electric (AOR = 0.468, 95% CI: 0.23, 0.94), solar panels (AOR = 0.45, 95% CI: 0.25, 0.79), soil fertility, moderate (AOR = 0.28, 95% CI: 0.12, 0.87), fertile (AOR = 0.15, 95% CI: 0.032, 0.72) were significant associated food insecurity factors in the study area.Conclusion: In this study, a high prevalence of food insecurity and various associated food insecurity factors have been identified in the study area. Thus, the concerned stockholders should intervene in food insecure households via different irrigation practices and by considering household size, community-based household head education, and landholding in hectare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The often-cited means to reduce poverty in rural areas is to push the sustainable intensification of the agricultural sector or to favor a livelihood diversification strategy. However, rural households that invest their resources in multiple domains can achieve contrasting livelihood returns and benefits. The present paper explores the contribution of livestock activities, especially dairy, in the various livelihood strategies of rural households, based on an evaluation of revenue repartition, poverty level, and nutrient input in the diverse households, using a simulation tool at the farm household level. Our research was carried out in a case study on the viability of rural households in the governorate of Beni Suef (Middle Egypt). The results show that the diversification of activities towards cropping activities and off-farm jobs in the household contributed more to poverty reduction than dairy activities. Householders with small herds and land access benefited weakly from milk price increases and more generally, from a specialization of dairy activities due to structural constraints. This calls for identifying new rural policies for smallscale (less than 2.5ha) units that represent more than 90 percent of family farms in Egypt. Notably, new job opportunities and diversification should be developed along the agrofood value chain process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food waste has emerged as a critical global concern, with households identified as major contributors to this pressing issue. As the world grapples with sustainability challenges, addressing food waste in the context of rural labor migration is crucial for achieving broader sustainable development goals. However, there is still limited research regarding the relationship between labor migration and food waste. We utilized propensity score matching to analyze cross-sectional data collected from 1270 rural households in China. Labor migration led to significant increases of 37% in overall food waste and 35% in plant-based food waste, respectively. Furthermore, households with labor migration exhibited 29%, 31%, and 30 % higher energy, protein, and carbohydrate waste, respectively, compared to non-migration households. Regarding micronutrients, migration led to a 39% increase in iron waste, a 42% increase in zinc waste, and a 47% increase in selenium waste. The results of the categorical analysis indicate variations in the impact of labor migration on food wastage within rural households. Food wastage in rural households with chronic illness patients responds differently to labor migration. Moreover, labor migration predominantly affects households without courier services in villages, where dietary diversity plays a significant role. Understanding these variations is essential for crafting targeted interventions and policies to address food waste in different rural contexts. The policy implications of our study are crucial for addressing food waste and advancing sustainable development in rural China, where labor migration plays a significant role. • This investigation conducted 1270 rural households food waste survey across 5 provinces from different areas of China considering regional diversity and dietary variation. • Analyzed the impact of labor migration on food waste in rural households using propensity score matching method. • Labor migration significantly increases food waste in rural households, primarily affecting the waste of plant-based foods. • Labor migration exhibits heterogeneity in its impact on food waste across different rural households. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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

Rural household energy consumption is an important component of national energy consumption. This paper explores the rural household energy consumption status and influencing factors on different sources of rural household energy consumption in western China. Using data from a survey of 240 households conducted in 2017, this study finds that rural households' energy consumption structure in the study area is a combination of traditional biomass energy and commercial energy sources. Fuelwood is the most commonly used fuel in the study area, while modern energy sources only occupy a low proportion. Rural household energy consumption is influenced by various factors. Individual perceptions of climate change, social trust and networks, and households' socio-economic and demographic factors (gender, age, education, income per capita, household size, household location, and number of household appliances) are identified as having significant effects on rural households' consumption of biomass and commercial energies. The research results provide implications for policy makers to formulate related rural energy policies to improve the rural energy consumption structure and future energy policy design in China and other developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the study of rural household's financial literacy. Financial literacy is understood as the set of knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors, which has assumed a fundamental role in allowing and enabling people to make responsible decisions as they strive to attain financial wellbeing. In this research, the researcher throws a descriptive research design to explore the relationship between variables. Respondents were obtained from 126 households in rural areas of Tamil Nadu and data was collected using the stratified sampling method. The current study found that education, marital status, type of family and banks relationship were positively related to financial literacy. However, age, gender, occupation, and No.of dependents are not significantly correlated with financial literacy. There is a positive association between financial literacy and banks, banks must actively involve in re-designing educational programs, workshops, training methods on financial issues for all the levels of people in rural areas. It is believed that such a step taken forward will help banks in helping people reach a better financial condition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim/purpose - The prevalence of poverty among Nigerian households and limited social safety nets predispose the country to health shock. Health shocks are associated with adverse economic consequences: they raise medical expenditure and reduce household consumption. The household responds with informal coping mechanism to smoothen consumption. The coping strategies are limited to household asset endowment and access to credit facility. This study examines the effect of health shock on changes in household consumption and investigates the coping strategies employed in the face of health shock. Design/methodology/approach - The study is anchored on the full-insurance theory. Data were obtained from two waves of the General Household Survey (GHS) panel, 2011 and 2013. The GHS covered 5,000 households across the six geopolitical zones. Three measures of HS, death of a household member, disability and severe illness, were used. The household consumption was divided into food and non-food. A fixed effect model was estimated to examine the impact of health shock on change in consumption. Multinomial Logit Model was used to determine the coping strategies used by households. Findings - Disability and death had a negative effect on food consumption. Death decreased non-food consumption of households, while disability was not statistically significant. Severe illness had significant positive impact on consumption. Borrowing significantly affected the ability of households to maintain consumption. Death reduced rural household consumption in Nigeria. Borrowing was the most prominent coping strategy. Research implications/limitations - Provision of financial protection against health shocks such as payment of disability benefits and assistance to households that report death should be encouraged by the government. The sample was limited to those that reported illness in the four weeks preceding the GHS, thereby excluding those whose illness preceded 28 days before the survey. Originality/value/contribution - Rural-urban dichotomy among households in Nigeria was acknowledged in examining the relationship between health shocks and variation in consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poverty is viewed in different ways owing to its multidimensional concepts. A common view of poverty is that when one is unable to satisfy their certain basic requirements but it has been generalized that poverty is not only the lack of food and hunger, rather the low access towards other facilities by the government and inability to take part in the social or local decisions by community are also considered among the constituents of poverty. Therefore, the key aim of the current study is to investigate the effect of household empowerment on the participatory poverty of rural households. Primary data was used in the current study which was collected through multi-stage random sampling from the rural household of twenty-four villages in southern Punjab. For this purpose, a face-to-face interview of 600 households was conducted by authors. The household empowerment was measured through an index which was adopted from Abrar-ul-haq (An assessment of the role of household empowerment in alleviating poverty in southern Punjab, Pakistan (Ph.D. Dissertation), School of Economics, Finance and Banking, Universiti Utara Malaysia, 2017). The ordered logit model was used to analyze the impact of household empowerment on participatory poverty. The results of current study indicate that the household empowerment, remittances, agriculture occupation, agriculture experience, secondary occupation, household size and female-male ratio have a negative impact on participatory poverty. Therefore, based on the findings, the study suggested that participatory poverty may be reduced by improving household empowerment in the said area of southern Punjab, Pakistan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The key objective of this study is to develop a household Empowerment Index for a quick description of household empowerment. Household empowerment was gauged through the first-hand data gathered through face-to-face interview of household head form the rural households of Pakistan. In the process of data collection, multi-stage cluster sampling method was employed which involved twenty-four villages of southern Punjab and 600 heads of the household who were interviewed. With a view to assigning a weight of indicator variables, Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was applied. The findings indicate that there are three pillars of the household empowerment: economic empowerment, social empowerment and above all political empowerment. The said three pillars are based upon the ten sub-pillars which further contain 42 indicators that contribute significantly to household empowerment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clean energy is essential for households to overcome poverty and maintain a reasonable standard of living. Many households throughout the world lack access to electricity and clean cooking fuel and risk their lives by cooking with traditional biomass. This study aimed to investigate energy choices for cooking and fuel stacking among rural households in Southern Ethiopia. A multi-stage sampling design was used to collect primary data from 568 households from six randomly selected woredas of the Southern Nations Nationalities Peoples Region (SNNPR). As a data collecting tool, a structured interview schedule and FGD were employed. Descriptive statistics and a Multinomial Logit model were used to analyze the data. The results show that >66.73 % of the households choose traditional biomass, 22.71 % report choosing transitional fuel, and 10.56 % use modern fuel dominantly for cooking. In the study area, households use more than one type of fuel simultaneously for cooking, indicating a fuel stacking problem. The Multinomial Logit model revealed that income, family size, household's off-farm activities, mass media exposure, tropical livestock unit (TLU), having farmland, and having a bank or microfinance account contributed to the choice of energy in the household significantly. The government should raise public awareness about the risks of using traditional biomass with unimproved cookstoves. Furthermore, incentive-based policies should be created to facilitate public access to modern energy sources at a lower cost. • Traditional biomass is the most important source of cooking in rural Ethiopia, with more than 66.73% of households using it. • Fuel stacking is common among households, and there are various reasons for it, such as cost, access, and affordability. • Women and girls are disproportionately affected by energy collection and transportation job burdens. • Enhancing household income through poverty reduction strategies can encourage clean energy consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the paper is to highlight, from the point of view of the specialized literature, the role of the Romanian rural household in rural economy, while taking into consideration the opportunities and constraints of the new rural development paradigm. The basic activity of the Romanian rural household is agriculture, with subsistence as main characteristic; yet it should not be neglected that agriculture must ensure food security, ensure the rural population's stability through job opportunities and decent incomes, contribute to environment protection, hence the need to increase the competitiveness and efficiency of farming activities on the subsistence household farm. The rural household (which partially overlaps with the small peasant farm) has a recognized role in maintaining the rural settlements, being responsible for the preservation of natural, social and cultural resources. The present generation of farmers, according to the European Commission, has the multiple role of farmer, custodian of rural areas and entrepreneur. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From a dynamic process perspective, this study examined households’ adaptive choice of livelihood patterns in the context of changing rural China based on a 12-year continuous household survey in Jungar Banner. By referring to households’ diversified income and vocation, we classified rural livelihood patterns into planting oriented, stockbreeding oriented, half labour and half peasant, non-agriculture oriented, and labour-losing. Results show that different livelihood patterns exhibit distinctive disparities and geographical regularities. Stockbreeding oriented and non-agriculture oriented livelihood patterns are relatively more lucrative. The former was traditionally widely adopted by rural households and the latter has become the most popular in recent years, while the other three patterns are emerging or transitional ones. Then we explored the internal mechanisms of households’ livelihood choices using a multinomial logit model. Results indicate that human capital and physical capital were key factors affecting the differentiation of livelihood patterns, and natural capital was the premise for livelihood pattern transformation. Based on a series of policy interventions, the overall trends in livelihood transitions revealed that the proportion of stockbreeding oriented households and half labour and half peasant households sharply decreased, while the proportion of non-agriculture oriented households and labour-losing households largely increased, and the proportion of planting oriented households increased slightly with their management style transforming from extensive to intensive and specialized. Therefore, government interventions must conform to the transition trends and be tailored to fit different livelihood patterns by adjusting and enforcing each type of capital. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Romanian rural area is stimulated by the activities of rural households as the main demographic, social, economic and cultural resources holder. The households are able to dispose of these resources as they see, based on the the conditions generated by social-economic-cultural environment of the community to which they belong. For an overview of the socio-economic development level at national and regional level, composite indicators are useful, without omitting, thou, individual indicators. This territorial profile analysis can highlight the particularities of each area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the study was to determine the structure of tap water consumption in rural households. The structure was analyzed based on direct measurements of water consumption carried out in the years 2011–2014 in 70 households in Rybna (Czernichów commune, Małopolska region). Thanks to two metering points (water supply connection and water supply point outside a residential building), it was possible to determine water consumption for the household and other purposes. The collected data indicated significant discrepancies between actual water consumption and those recommended in various guidelines. The analysis of water consumption structure showed that these discrepancies were also found for the amount of domestic sewage discharged from the rural households. This fact has significant practical implications, as the calculated metrics of unit water consumption are used during design and technical renovation of individual elements of water supply systems and for billing the inhabitants for water consumption in the households without a water meter (lump sum). The study also demonstrated inadequacy of the rule assuming that sewage amount is equal to the amount of water consumed in rural households, which is commonly used in design of sewerage networks and for calculating charges for sewage discharge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents an analysis of daily water consumption for household purposes carried out within one year in a selected rural household. The study was undertaken because so far the guidelines for designing rural water supply systems have not been updated for a very long time and needed verification. It involved a comprehensive system for measuring water consumption equipped with automatic readers and data recorders. The research clearly showed that actual water consumption was much lower than that provided in the current guidelines, and confirmed significant variability in water consumption for household purposes depending on the day of the week. Moreover, variability of water consumption within a year, determined by daily variation coefficient, was found to be much higher than that provided in the guidelines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on data from 412 households, this study used the sustainable livelihoods approach to analyse changes in livelihood strategies and the relationship between those changes and rural household attitudes in an eastern coastal region of China. Focussing on household off-farm employment decisions and land transfer decisions, we classified the households into six types based on their livelihood strategies, namely, off-farm employment-oriented, balanced, off-farm, idle, professional, and conventional. The survey results indicate that two capital factors, age and education, and two mediating factors, wage and crop prices, are important influences of off-farm employment decisions, whereas factors such as policies and subsidies, machinery, activities organized by local agricultural cooperatives, and land rent substantially influence land transfer decisions. By analysing the characteristics, trends and driving factors of livelihood transitions, i.e., changes in rural household livelihood strategies, from 1993 to 2013, we explored the mechanisms of livelihood transitions. The results indicate that the proportion of conventional households decreased and the proportion of off-farm employment-oriented households and off-farm households increased. Agricultural production transformed from a system of scattered households (conventional and off-farm employment-oriented households) into broad-scale management households (professional and balanced households). These changes were the main characteristics of livelihood transitions under rapid industrialization combined with rapid urbanization in the Qingpu district. Rural livelihood transitions exhibited a stepped pattern, going through an initial stage, a self-organizing stage, and a government-led stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The in-use material stocks (MS) of durable household goods provide various functions or services, reflecting society's well-being. However, research on rural households is scarce. This study attempts to bridge this gap by analyzing rural households' long-term in-use stock dynamics using follow-up survey data of more than 2000 rural households in five provinces in China from 2007 to 2018. Results reveal that by 2018, the MS of durable goods in rural China households reached 230.8 t per household, with an average annual growth rate of 5.3%, with residential buildings accounting for the largest proportion. From 2007 to 2015, the MS of buildings and home appliances revealed a trend of rapid growth initially, and then witnessed a slowdown. However, the MS of transportation tools is still growing rapidly. The east-west gap has been replaced by the north–south gap of MS. Moreover, high inequality exists between different rural household groups. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Higher food expenditures disturb the delicate balance of allocated decisions of household monthly expenditures. Several past studies in Pakistan have been committed on determining household consumer's characteristics on requirement for specific kinds of food; however less consideration has been devoted to the parameters of household food expenditures. Present study aimed to analyze the socioeconomic factors effecting total food expenditures of households in rural area of Rawalpindi tehsil. Respondents were selected randomly and data were collected through questionnaire. A multiple double log regression model was used because it has an advantage that estimated parameter can easily be explained as expendi-tures elasticity. This model is used to give details of responses in socioeconomic factors to monthly household food expenditures. Regression analysis showed that 23 % of the changes in the food expenditures were due to explanatory variables. Household incomes, marital status of household head and number of earners variables have significant impact on households' food expenditures. The qualification of household head, age and gender were insignificant regarding impacts on households' food expenditures. All the socioeconomic factors were positively elastic regarding food expenditures except marital status variable. Engels law analysis regarding necessities such as food items was confirmed by the food expenditures value of 0.20. The study provides important food policy tools reducing negative impacts of higher food expenditures on rural households. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, energy consumption of rural household in China has been changing. Thus, it is necessary to explore the direct and indirect energy consumption of rural households, which may present an overview of rural households' energy consumption. In this paper, the consumer lifestyle approach method is utilized to estimate the indirect energy consumption of rural household during 1998-2011. Over the study period, the direct energy consumption gradually increased, while the indirect energy consumption decreased. In 2008, the direct energy consumption exceeded the indirect one. In 2011, per capita indirect energy consumption of rural resident decreased 36 % compared to 1998. The reduction in per capita indirect energy consumption for high-income resident was the fastest. Per capita indirect energy consumption of eastern rural resident was higher than that of other regions. Per capita indirect energy consumption of Shanghai rural resident was the biggest in 1998. However, per capita indirect energy consumption of Beijing rural resident became the biggest in 2011. The center of gravity for per capita indirect energy consumption is an overall movement toward the northwest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rural families and households make a basic framework for understanding the rural way of life. This relation is especially interesting under the recent and difficult post-socialist transition in places such as Serbia. Previous research has shown that the transition and its benefits are not distributed equally. This has induced social and economic disparities, at the expense of the social attractiveness of rural areas. These disparities have influenced characteristics of Serbian rural families and households, their survival strategies and their roles in the reproduction of the rural way of life. We started research with three assumptions: a) depopulation of Serbian rural areas continues under the post-socialist transition, b) transitional risks produce partial retraditionalization of Serbian rural family relationships, and c) characteristics of Serbian regions affect characteristics of rural families and households. The analysis confirmed rural depopulation. In the decade 2002-2011, there was the most significant decline ever in the number of Serbian rural families. This signified the negative impact of transition on rural areas. Besides this, the research confirmed that contemporary Serbian rural families and households still have some traditional features (multiple generations, relics of the role of head of the traditional rural family) which enable them to cope with transitional risks. A third finding proved that characteristics of Serbian rural families and households depend on regional characteristics. Within the regions that are more socially attractive and where the risks of social exclusion are lower, retraditionalization of rural families is less noticeable. It can be concluded that contemporary Serbian rural families and households survive throughout transition periods depending on their characteristics, but also characteristics of their social environment. Stronger social magnetism of a region is manifested in stronger rural social vitality. That is reflected in stronger modernization of rural families and households. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding public knowledge, attitude, and perception towards energy and environmental issues is indispensible for achieving renewable energy targets. The main objective of this study is to investigate the level of knowledge and perception of renewables (especially biomass fuels) among rural households, and to analyze commonly held beliefs on environmental issues related to the development of bioenergy resources. A multi-stage stratified random sampling technique was applied in selecting 240 households from four upazilas of Bangladesh. Door to door questionnaire survey was carried out for this study. The results revealed that the majority of rural households had a high level of knowledge on traditional biomass fuels such as wood fuel, crop residues and cow dung. However, they possessed a relatively low level of knowledge regarding improved biomass fuels such as briquette, biogas and biodiesel. The analysis showed that the household’s socio-economic status and their level of education plays a significant role in the promotion of knowledge on various renewable and adoption on renewable energy technologies. The rural households expressed negative perceptions towards sustainability aspects of current biomass fuel consumption. Perceptions of various interventions which may have influence on promotion of knowledge on renewables and promotion of sustainable use of bioenergy resource were discussed. The results of this study provide noteworthy information on renewable energy dynamics, which is useful in the development of microplans for forestry and energy sectors at a regional or national level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rural women in the developing and transition countries play a fundamental role in producing, purchasing, processing, providing, storing and utilizing food to their families and thereby contribute to the household food and nutrition security. This paper investigates the women?s dynamic role in the agricultural activities and intra household food/nutrition security in rural areas of the Faisalabad district, Punjab province of Pakistan. More specifically it analyzes the association between demographic characters of the respondents and their role in household food security. Multistage random sampling technique was used for the purpose of data collection. One Tehsil (sub-district) from District Faisalabad was selected through simple random sampling technique. One union council from this Tehsil was selected randomly. Three villages out of five villages and 40 respondents from each selected villages were selected randomly. Thus in total 120 women were interviewed from the selected households. Significantly positive relationship was found between women age and education with intra-household food and nutrition security. Though rural women have an active role in food utilization which is one of the main pillars of food security, yet majority of the women were facing problems in household food and nutrition security particularly affordability and access to food. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Encouraging efficient use of clean energy by farmers is central to promoting energy transformation in ecologically fragile regions of western China. However, existing research has not yet characterized the influencing factors and internal mechanism of farmers' clean energy adoption intention, which lead to the problem of misalignment in clean energy-promotion policies. In this study, 72 typical villages in three ecologically fragile loess, alpine, and karst areas in western China were targeted for research. Combining the theory of planned behavior with social cognition, a research model was constructed from the perspective of "external factors-internal psychology-adoption intention." Then, 645 valid questionnaires were empirically analyzed by structural equation and hierarchical regression. The results show that psychological factors create multiple parallel mediating effects between energy attribute factors and adoption intention, and herd mentality is a crucial factor of farmers' clean energy adoption intention. Command-and-control policy instruments have a partial reverse moderating effect, while economic incentives and publicity and guidance policy instruments have positive moderating effects on the relationship between psychological factors and adoption intention. The results are helpful for policymakers seeking to implement effective measures to guide farmers in ecologically fragile regions of western China toward large scale use of clean energy. [Display omitted] • Achieving energy transition remains a challenge in western ecologically fragile areas. • Herd mentality is a crucial factor of farmers' clean energy adoption intention. • Psychological factors create multiple parallel mediating effects. • Command-and-control policy instruments has a partial reverse moderating effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was carried out in Ijebu North East Local Government Area of Ogun State, Nigeria, to determine the effects of climate change on health of rural households. One hundred and twenty respondents were selected using multistage and random sampling techniques. Primary and secondary data were collected. The data collected were subjected to descriptive and inferential analyses. The results showed that 67% of respondents were males and the majority (54%) were above 40 years with a mean age of 43. The results also revealed that 60% of the respondents have been residing in the area for more than 6 years, which implied that a greater percentage of them witnessed the changes in the climatic pattern of the area. The major health problems reported included common cold, cough, malaria, and fever due to climate change. Many of the respondents patronized medicine hawkers (78%) and local chemists (46%) to treat the problematic changes in their health. Data analysis revealed that climatic change has significant effects on respondents’ health status (p < 0.05). The study concluded that there have been changes in the climatic pattern in the area and the health status of the people were affected. The study recommended that health, environment, and rural development agencies should coordinate efforts to assist rural households on preventing and mitigating the effects of climate change. Sustainable use of all resources, sustainable development, preventive health methods such as clean environment and proper hygiene, and reduction in activities contributing to the increase in climate change (deforestation, bush burning, environmental, and e-pollution) were advocated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]