Search

Abstract 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.

Purpose- In recent decades, several activities have been carried out in the form of development projects to develop rural settlements in Iran. One of the most important of these is the implementation of the guide plans. This plan, with its various actions, has caused widespread changes in various dimensions of rural life. The present study investigated the effects of this project on the changes in the lifestyle of the rural community in the central district of Darab county. Design/methodology/approach- The present research is descriptive in terms of describing the characteristics of the society studied and analytical in terms of investigating the relationship between the actions level of guide plans and the lifestyle. In this respect, the required field data are provided using observations, interviews, and questionnaires. To analyze the data, descriptive statistics, inferential statistics, spatial analysis and SAW model, and Expert Choice, SPSS and ArcGIS software are used. Findings- The results of the research confirmed that there are significant differences between the level of changes in different dimensions of lifestyle, and the greatest changes are in the style of construction. On the other hand, the results of a Pearson correlation showed a positive relationship between the actions level of all executive components of the guide plans with a modernization level of the villagers’ lifestyle. Based on the results of the linear regression test, it was found that approximately 41% of the total changes in modernization can be predicted through the action level of the guide plan. Research limitations / implications- Owing to the different effects of the guide plans on lifestyle changes in different age groups and genders, the attention of researchers to the needs of different villagers is necessary. Practical implications- It is imperative to pay more attention to the efficiency of the environment being built in order to respond appropriately to the lifestyles of the present and future generations and more attention is required on the part of designers and conductors of guide plans to create a suitable platform for the development of communication technology in the villages, which will create a variety of changes in the modernization of the lifestyle of the households residing in them. Originality/value- This research will be important to provide guidance for good feedback, and to make plans for problems. Because it can take positive steps in making future projects as good as possible and such an approach will be effective to recognize prior strategies and design future policies.

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.

This study evaluates the benefits that rural households in India derive from dedicated solar microgrid service systems. A case study was conducted in Lakshmipura-Jharla, Rajasthan, a village in western India with significant potential for producing solar energy. In 2013, a private investor set up a solar microgrid in the village and distributed energy-efficient appliances. Its goal was to give poor households access to modern energy services. The study data were collected through a survey conducted among randomly selected households in the village. The survey found that such an electricity provision service had multidimensional benefits: flexible use of the energy service, more effective time allocation among women, more study time for students, improved indoor air quality, and safer public places. Given the initial unmet demand for modern energy in the village, technological interventions supported by policy has helped to expand consumption possibilities and new demand for services has emerged. The household-level frontier rebound effect is estimated to be more than 100%, reflecting a one-and-a-half times increase in the demand for illumination services among rural households. Frontier rebound effect estimates help quantify the benefits of solar microgrids and energy-efficient appliances for households in rural areas...

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]

This research extended the theory of resilience of the social-ecological system to the study of rural households’ livelihood system. Based on the survey data of over 900 samples obtained in the poverty alleviation relocation areas of Shaanxi Province, this study used the space vector method of System Engineering to measure livelihood resilience from the two dimensions of general resilience and specific resilience. This research also used the A-F method to measure the multidimensional poverty of rural households from the three dimensions of education, health and living standards, and finally applied the threshold regression model to analyze the impact of livelihood resilience on rural households’ multidimensional poverty. The research found that:（1） The livelihood resilience of relocated households（0.207 5） was significantly lower than that of local households（0.255 9）, and thus relocated households in the process of livelihood reconstruction had the risk of returning to poverty to a certain degree.（2） Increasing the diversification of livelihoods had become an important strategy for rural households to resist risks, but there were risks of livelihood transformation simultaneously.（3） The livelihood resilience significantly reduced the multidimensional poverty of rural households, but its marginal effect would enter the ‘bottleneck period’ as the livelihood resilience crossed the threshold: the marginal effect of general resilience to multidimensional poverty levels diminished, while the specific resilience weakened the effect of poverty reduction before crossing the threshold, presenting a positive impact on multi-dimensional poverty. So effective policies should be implemented to make them avoid multidimensional poverty.（4）Although the assistance measures played a positive role in the process of livelihood resilience, the threshold（0.247 6） for relocated households to fall into the multidimensional poverty trap was lower than that of local households（0.321 5）. Based on the above conclusions, this paper puts forward some suggestions: firstly, we should fully understand the implications of poverty, and make more explorations in eliminating social injustice, improving social security, and solving the lack of endogenous power of the poor. Secondly, we should develop industries according to local conditions, and create multiple employment opportunities. Thirdly, we should strengthen infrastructure construction and improve the level of public services. Finally, new-type urbanization and rural vitalization strategies should be vigorously promoted so as to break the ‘curse’ of households’ livelihood involution, and fundamentally enhance the ability of the poor to resist risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research extended the theory of resilience of the social-ecological system to the study of rural households’ livelihood system. Based on the survey data of over 900 samples obtained in the poverty alleviation relocation areas of Shaanxi Province, this study used the space vector method of System Engineering to measure livelihood resilience from the two dimensions of general resilience and specific resilience. This research also used the A-F method to measure the multidimensional poverty of rural households from the three dimensions of education, health and living standards, and finally applied the threshold regression model to analyze the impact of livelihood resilience on rural households’ multidimensional poverty. The research found that:（1） The livelihood resilience of relocated households（0.207 5） was significantly lower than that of local households（0.255 9）, and thus relocated households in the process of livelihood reconstruction had the risk of returning to poverty to a certain degree.（2） Increasing the diversification of livelihoods had become an important strategy for rural households to resist risks, but there were risks of livelihood transformation simultaneously.（3） The livelihood resilience significantly reduced the multidimensional poverty of rural households, but its marginal effect would enter the ‘bottleneck period’ as the livelihood resilience crossed the threshold: the marginal effect of general resilience to multidimensional poverty levels diminished, while the specific resilience weakened the effect of poverty reduction before crossing the threshold, presenting a positive impact on multi-dimensional poverty. So effective policies should be implemented to make them avoid multidimensional poverty.（4）Although the assistance measures played a positive role in the process of livelihood resilience, the threshold（0.247 6） for relocated households to fall into the multidimensional poverty trap was lower than that of local households（0.321 5）. Based on the above conclusions, this paper puts forward some suggestions: firstly, we should fully understand the implications of poverty, and make more explorations in eliminating social injustice, improving social security, and solving the lack of endogenous power of the poor. Secondly, we should develop industries according to local conditions, and create multiple employment opportunities. Thirdly, we should strengthen infrastructure construction and improve the level of public services. Finally, new-type urbanization and rural vitalization strategies should be vigorously promoted so as to break the ‘curse’ of households’ livelihood involution, and fundamentally enhance the ability of the poor to resist risks. [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]

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]

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.)

Background: The health effects of heavy solid fuel use in winter in rural China are of concern. The effects of air pollution resulting from domestic solid fuel combustion in rural households on rural homemakers’ biomarkers were revealed in this study. Methods: In total, 75 female homemakers from rural areas of Guanzhong Basin, the Fenwei Plain, People’s Republic of China, were randomly selected and divided into three groups (biomass users, coal users, and nonusers of solid fuel user [control group]). The differences in biological indicators, including 8-hydrox-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), interlukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) in urine samples as well as blood pressure (BP, including systolic BP [SBP] and diastolic BP [DBP]) and heart rate (HR) among the groups in winter and summer were investigated using statistical analysis. Results: IL-6, 8-OHdG, HR, SBP, and DBP were significantly higher in winter than in summer (P

Malaria has been found to be a significant contributor to the poor health problem in Nigeria and in Africa. It kills people more than any other infectious disease and about 80% of Nigerian population is exposed to malaria. Several factors influence the choices of households' treatment provider. This study examines the choices and determinants of malaria treatment seeking behaviour given the demographic characteristics of rural households. Household data were collected through a structured interviewer-administered questionnaire on 600 households selected from the three senatorial zones of Enugu state and analysed using frequencies and regression analysis. It was found that 43% of farmers, 44% of traders, 44% of skilled labourers and 30% of civil servants sourced treatment from 'chemists' while 12% of farmers, 20% of traders, 23% of skilled labourers and 40% of civil servants sourced treatment from hospital. Education level of household head, cost of treatment, severity and nearness to facility were found to statistically determine the choice of treatment provider (P < 0.005). The study concluded that educational attainment, distance to health facility, severity of illness and financial status of household head majorly determined the choice of malaria treatment and 'chemist' appeared the most-visited treatment provider. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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]

The aim of this research is to identify factors affecting the propensity of rural households to save, on the example of 100 entities in Central Pomerania, based on pilot studies (direct questionnaire technique) using the logistic regression model. The study assumes that the dependent variable is the occurrence of savings in the household in 2018. The selection of independent variables for the logistic regression model was made on the basis of literature studies. The results of the analysis confirmed that statistically significant parameters for the variables were: average monthly net income per one person in the household, diversification of the income sources and the share of expenses on food and non-alcoholic beverages in total household consumption expenditure. The first two parameters increase the probability of saving by rural households of Central Pomerania. The last of these parameters reduces the chance of deferring consumption through savings.

The study examined the effects of households' livelihood diversification strategies on food insecurity in rural Northeastern Nigeria. In order to realise the objectives of the study, primary data were obtained from 444 farmers with the aid of structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, Tobit regression model, Cost of Calorie Function and ANOVA were used to analyse the data. The findings showed that farmers adopted five livelihood strategies of which Cropping, Poultry and Livestock Keeping (CPL) was predominant, accounting for 37.39% of respondents. However, 7.43% of the households practising Cropping, Fishing, Livestock keeping and Off-farm (CFLO) had the highest surplus and least shortfall indices of 0.75 and 0.20 respectively; implying that food secure households in this category exceeded daily RDA of 2250kcal of energy/adult equivalent/day by 75%; but food insecure households fell short of same by 20%. Head count ratio indicated that 58% and 42% of individuals in this category are food secure and food insecure respectively. Thus, a significant relationship between households' food insecurity and livelihood diversification strategies is established.

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.

Electricity is one of the basic necessity for people. The provision of micro-scale solar electricity is needed to increase public access to electricity that can improve capacity of household members. The aim of community engagement program is to increase farmers' household access to electricity are carried out to provide financial, economic and socio-cultural benefits. Based on the theory, the community engagement tailored to the population interest, and community-based organizations must be involved in any engagement initiative. There are six major components of a community engagement are collaboration, accessibility, accountability, education, principles, and organizational capacity. This community service through participatory methods (need assessment by Group Interview, independent interview and Participatory Rapid Group Interview). Community preparation methods were carried out through village consultation approaches, and participatory education. While the transfer of knowledge to mobilize and organize the community was done through adult education, learning by doing, and on site training. This program was carried out in Kampung Baru Village, Katingan Kuala District, Katingan Regency, Central Kalimantan. This village was chosen considering that it has the potential to be developed as a food crop producing region. The beneficiaries were selected from families with poor criteria, the physical condition of the house was almost uninhabitable and had school-age children. Successful activities are carried out: 1) training in solar electricity management 2) Establishing an Agent of Change, with diverse expertise to reach the achievement of the program's ultimate goals. 3) Networking, with various parties for ease of implementation, and program sustainability. 4) Participation of Stakeholders: knowing and accepting development programs; involved in all socialization, training and guidance activities; 5) There is awareness to optimize the utilization of local resources. 7) Installing solar electricity in 40 farmer households. Almost all community included in the program said that they received the benefit from the lighting provided. By the empowerment program in the form of micro-scale solar electricity lighting, 96% of children are increasingly diligent in learning because there is more time at night.

Public infrastructures: roads, agricultural extension services, electricity, ICT, protected water sources, irrigation, formal education centers, and formal health centers are essential for human-being in diversifying their livelihood strategies. The general objective of this study is to examine the possible effect of rural public infrastructures on the rural households’ livelihood strategies. The empirical assessments elsewhere in Ethiopia and the circumstances on the rural livelihood in association with public infrastructures have conferred the paucity of sociological research. This study used the pragmatist research philosophy that advocates ontological and epistemological mixes in an effort to minimize the gaps noted on the empirical knowledge. Accordingly, the research strategy employs the triangulation of quantitative and qualitative approaches. As mirror to the methodological triangulation, the analysis has followed a mixed design that combines descriptive and inferential techniques with the themes emerging through qualitative explorations. Cross-tabulation descriptive statistics and binary and multinomial logistic regression were employed. Consequently, the findings of the research revealed that public infrastructures have a significant influence on livelihood diversification strategies. Specifically, there were significant associations whereby households who have access to assume infrastructures did more likely engage in mixed livelihood diversification strategies than households who don’t have access to respective rural public infrastructures. The findings from qualitative data also emphasize indispensability of given public infrastructures for diversification of livelihood strategies. Thus, by including cultural elements of local people, responsible bodies should increase the required resources for the purpose of upgrading and managing public infrastructures particularly on all-weather roads.

Abstract This study evaluated determinants of food insecurity in the rural farm households of the Teleyayen sub-watershed in Ethiopia. The study used a multistage sampling procedure to select 215 sample households involving a combination of purposive and random sampling. Data were collected using structured survey questionnaire, focus group discussion (FGD), and key informant interviews. Independent sample t test, chi-square, percentage, mean, and standard deviation were employed to analyze the data. It was found that 20.9 and 79.1% of the sample households are food secure and food insecure, respectively. The majority of the food insecure households were younger household heads, who own less than 1 ha of farmlands. On average, male-headed households were more food secure than female-headed households. The result of the binary logistic regression revealed that shortage of farmland, poverty, recurrent drought and climate change, shortage of rainfall, and land degradation are determining factors for such food insecurity. However, the gender of household head, policy support, land redistribution, farmland topography, soil fertility, and erosion do not show any significant influence.

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]

Biogas is an energy-efficient and environmentally beneficial technology used as an alternative to biomass energy sources. The objective of this study was to evaluate the traditional biomass energy system in Ethiopia and the National Biogas Program of Ethiopia (NBPE) as an alternative energy system. The study involved key informants, government legislation documents and strategy papers, bio-digester operating households and extensive literature reviews. The article provides a review of relevant literature in terms of both biogas technology and policy documents and related strategies in the Ethiopian context that support the NBPE. The literature review touches on both the technology itself and the policy aspects from within the country, sub-Saharan Africa and Asian countries. Furthermore, the article provides effective use and assessment of the findings for theory and policy of traditional biomass energy systems and biogas technology programmes. We argue that biogas technology is crucial as alternative sources of energy in Ethiopia, specifically for rural areas as it negates the disproportionate use of available traditional energy sources of firewood, cow dung, agricultural residues and charcoal. [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]

Respiratory diseases' mortality and morbidity have been a major public health burden primarily attributed to widespread exposure to indoor and outdoor pollutants in the environment. The study conducted among 510 Bangladeshi women residing in the northeastern zone of the Sylhet division from semi-urban and rural settings to compare the biomass fuel users (N = 255) with the non-biomass users (N = 255). It has been observed that all the symptoms had a higher prevalence among the women who were exposed to biomass fuel compared with those exposed to clean gas fuel. Women exposed to biomass group reported frequent cough and phlegm production episodes during a 3-month timeline before the survey period which was found statistically higher (p < 0.001) compared with that of the clean gas fuel group. Moreover, the use of biomass fuel has been associated with a significant decrease in forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC), and peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR). Appropriate strategies from stakeholders and government authorities in disseminating health hazards from biomass fuel along with supporting the community by providing alternative energy sources for cooking can largely impact people's lives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comparative analysis of organic farming practices among farmers in South-South, Nigeria, was carried out. A review of previous studies on organic farming practices showed that little effort has been made by researchers to capture South-South agricultural zone. There is scarcely any empirical data on organic farming practices used by crop, livestock, and fish farmers in the study area. This has created a gap in knowledge which the outcome of this study intends to bring out. This study did not only determine whether there is difference in organic farming practices among farmers in the different states under study but assessed the farmers level of awareness and use of organic farming practices, and relationship between the level of use of organic farming practices and the farmers' socio-economic characteristics. Multistage random selection technique was used to select rural household farmers engaged in fish, livestock, and crop production. A sample of four hundred and eighty farmers was used. Organic farming practices among crop farmers included the use of farmyard manure ( x ¯ = 2.79), inter cropping ( x ¯ = 2.58), mulching ( x ¯ = 2.50), and spot bush burning ( x ¯ = 2.50). The organic farming practices among livestock farmers were access to fresh drinking water ( x ¯ = 2.77) and adequate feeding ( x ¯ = 2.65). Fish farmers engaged in the use of three organic practices: eco-friendly design ( x ¯ = 2.56), site being far from polluting substances ( x ¯ = 2.57) and pond protection from predators ( x ¯ = 2.70). There were significant differences in the farmers' level of use of organic farming practices based on their states of origin (Akwa-Ibom, Bayelsa, and Delta). Education, age, and income were the socio-economic determinants of the level of use of organic farming practices. It was concluded that farmers' in Akwa Ibom state engaged more in the use of organic farming practices, followed by Bayelsa state and the least is Delta state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding dynamics within rural households' socio-economic behaviour is a prerequisite for effective design of intervention programmes targeting rural communities. This article seeks to understand how rural households' lifestyles and livelihood strategies have changed over time regarding four key factors: income sources, food preferences, daily activities and investment strategies. A case study of Ndabakazi—a cluster of villages in Butterworth—is explored using a representative sample of 20 households in each village, drawn randomly from the four selected villages of the study. A questionnaire administered face-to-face using a local language was supplemented with focus group discussions. To achieve the study objectives, we took a retrospective and circumspective approach combined with thematic and descriptive analyses. The results show a change in rural households' lifestyles, and this change can be linked to the rural development policies. First, we observed a change in income sources confirming the existing literature. Second, regarding food preference, traditional food is still preferred by household heads, although it is not consumed much. Due to improved basic services, daily activities have changed, implying less drudgery for women and children. We also observed a change in investment strategies away from farming to building decent homesteads and buying luxury furniture. Besides the change in income sources, the other key factors discussed in this article have received less attention in the literature, so this article extends the literature in this respect. Finally, the herein identified changes have implications for initiatives concerned with improving rural sociological aspects. [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]

Ensuring food and nutrition security (FNS) is a formidable challenge under increasing population pressure. Governments around the globe have been striving to achieve this goal, but a major impact is attainable once the masses opt for measures at the household level. We conducted this study to explore household-level practices aimed at ensuring FNS and their association with FNS in rural Pakistan. Using cluster analysis, we divided a sample of 200 randomly selected rural households into high and low FNS groups, the majority of which belonged to the low FNS group. Logistic regression was applied to explore the association between household-level measures with the FNS of rural households. The households in the high FNS group adopted a greater number of measures for ensuring FNS. Households headed jointly by a male and female showed to have a higher likelihood of FNS. Similarly, households adopting diversification strategies on their farms were more likely to have high FNS. Moreover, households with working women exhibited a greater probability of experiencing high FNS. Similarly, households’ adoption of value addition in dairy products decreases the probability of food and nutrition insecurity. This study concludes with an emphasis on women’s empowerment, off-farm income diversification, and on-farm enterprise diversification to address FNS challenges.