Examining gender differences in employment: the impact of COVID-19 lockdown policy in the Philippines

Although many studies have examined employment outcomes of those with criminal convictions, no study to date has examined gender differences in employment outcomes of individuals with criminal convictions using a nationally representative sample of individuals from the United States. In this study, we use data from the 1997 National Longitudinal Survey of Youth to examine differences in employment after a criminal conviction for females and males. Results reveal that for women with a conviction, a drug offense and having dependent children limit the number of weeks of employment. For males, race, education, age at first conviction, and a subsequent conviction predict the number of weeks employed. Implications for policy and future research are discussed.

The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in significant reductions in the immunization rate of routine pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCV) worldwide due to disruptions in vaccine supply chains, shortages of healthcare workers, facility closure or overcrowding, and parents’ concerns that their children would become infected with COVID-19 (SeyedAlinaghi et al., 2022; Basu et al., 2023; Lan et al., 2023; Hora et al., 2023). Our research utilizes a longitudinal difference-in-difference approach, to quantify the immediate impact that the COVID-19 pandemic and country-specific pandemic response measures had on routine PCV vaccine coverage, and the relative speed at which routine PCV coverage rebounded toward pre-pandemic levels in the post-2020 period between countries that adopted specific types of lockdown measures and those that did not. We also examine whether immunization catch-up campaign capacity and preparedness mitigate the impact of COVID-19 and pandemic response policies or resulted in faster recovery of PCV vaccination to pre-pandemic levels. We utilize data from the World Health Organization (2023) on PCV coverage from 2014 to 2023 and Hale et al. (2021) on country-specific lockdown policy enactment during the COVID-19 pandemic for 106 countries. Across all countries, the pandemic had a detrimental impact on PCV coverage. Pandemic lockdown policies, however, had a mixed impact on PCV coverage. Countries that enacted school closures and strict stay-at-home orders saw no significant differences in the effect of COVID-19 on PCV coverage compared with countries that did enact school closures, and these countries did not experience any differences in the speed of PCV vaccination coverage recovery post-pandemic than countries that did not enact school closures. Likewise, countries that enacted workplace closures showed no differences in the immediate effect of COVID-19 on PCV coverage compared with countries that did not enact workplace closures. However, countries that enacted workplace closures recovered PCV coverage in the post-period slightly faster than countries that did not enact workplace closures (0.893 percentage points per year, 95% CI = [0.078, 1.709]), even after controlling for the severity of the pandemic, indicating that workplace closure had the lowest longer-term disruptive impact on PCV coverage among all the lockdown policies employed. While catch-up campaigns resulted in significant coverage gains in the pre-pandemic period (1.50 percentage points per year 95% CI= [0.202, 2.979]), experience with implementing successful catchup campaigns did not mitigate the impact of COVID-19 or lockdown policy on PCV coverage. These findings suggest that capacity and training alone is insufficient for health systems preparedness, and pandemic response plans need to ensure adequate healthcare workforce, supply chain security, and health financing for impact mitigation in order to protect routine vaccination rates from decreasing during future pandemics and other public health disasters.

Objectives. This article examines the effects of economic globalization on gender inequalities in urban China. It argues that the significance of economic globalization on gender inequality depends on its impact on job queues in the labor market of a country.Methods. Using both individual‐ and city‐level data, and a series of multilevel linear and logistic models, we analyze the effects of three city‐level variables on the gender gap in income: foreign direct investment (FDI) per capita, growth rate of FDI, and opening up to overseas investment early on. We also examine gender differences in employment in high‐paying foreign‐invested firms, and in lower‐paying export‐oriented manufacturing.Results. We find no variation in gender gap in income among cities of varying levels of FDI, growth rates of FDI, or whether they were among the earliest to open up to international investment. Women are more likely to be employed in export‐oriented manufacturing industries that offer lower wages and are less likely to work in high‐paying foreign firms and joint ventures.Conclusions. These results suggest that economic globalization profoundly influences gender inequalities by changing the nature of job queues, and men and women are sorted and matched into jobs accordingly. Economic globalization contributed to and perpetuated a gendered distribution of male and female workers in the Chinese urban labor market in the late 1990s.

Due to limited systematic research on gender differences in health and quality of life outcomes following traumatic brain injury (TBI), the present study sought to contribute to the growing literature on gender differences in postinjury employment while also adding an examination of postinjury economic quality of life, an emerging area in disability research. Independent variables included demographic and injury characteristics. Outcome variables included postinjury employment and economic quality of life, measured by the Participation Assessment With Recombined Tools-Objective and the Economic QOL, respectively. Hypotheses that women would experience poorer outcomes in postinjury employment and economic quality of life were tested with logistic and linear regression models. Postinjury employment was associated with gender, higher educational attainment, and preinjury employment. Those with greater injury severity and those identifying as Black or African American were less likely to be employed postinjury. For men and women who were unemployed prior to injury, the odds of postinjury employment for men were 184% higher than for women. Men reported significantly greater economic quality of life. Contrary to hypotheses, postinjury employment was inversely related to economic quality of life in the final model. The results suggest that if unemployed prior to injury, women with TBI are less likely to be employed postinjury and also experience decreased economic quality of life postinjury, regardless of employment status. Although further research is needed to determine which strategies will improve economic quality of life for women with TBI, clinicians may utilize these preliminary findings to guide treatment and advocacy efforts. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

11 - Impact of COVID-19 and lockdown policies on farming, food security, and agribusiness in West Africa

IntroductionThe onset of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic alerted the Philippine government to impose the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) as a means to hamper human mobility and interaction and eventually diminish transmission. Due to severe limitations in accessibility to basic needs due to ECQ, the government devised amelioration programs. A year after the declaration of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, variants of concern were detected locally. Consequently, there is a necessity to prepare reinstatement of strict non-pharmaceutical interventions while meeting the food-related basic needs of the population. Studies related to food distribution during a strict community quarantine have been lacking. The importance of allocating provisions during extreme pandemic measures should be properly analyzed, especially when attempts had been made by local government units.MethodsThis study devised an agent-based model (ABM) to observe the effects of the food relief system in mitigating the disease during Davao City ECQ when two variants are present in two adjacent villages. These relief distribution types are as follows: “regular and sufficient,” “regular but insufficient,” and “irregular” relief type. In total, three barangay scenarios were considered.Results and discussionFor the worst-case scenario, wherein a lot of infections are anticipated, the results show that the “irregular” relief type peaked at the highest number of cases, while the “regular and sufficient” relief type showed little to almost no new cases. The compromise-case scenario showed almost no difference between “regular but insufficient” and “regular and sufficient.” For the best-case scenario, the three relief types showed low average infected cases with almost small variance. The model was then compared, situationally, with Davao City barangays during ECQ and recommended which food relief type applies to the barangays. This could serve as a baseline on how food reliefs could be optimally distributed in cases where barangay conditions differently affect and transmit the SARS-CoV-2 virus of different variants with varying transmission rates within a community. Further development of the model should potentially be useful for decision support not only during pandemics but also in contexts where resource allocation to a community is involved.

The heterogeneous age-mixing model of estimating the covid cases of different local government units in the National Capital Region, Philippines

Background. To respond to the pandemic, many societies, including the American Society for Radiation Therapy (ASTRO), the United Kingdom’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), and the Philippine Radiation Oncology Society (PROS), recommended guidelines to allow for continued safe delivery of oncologic services. Yet, the delivery of radiotherapy during the COVID-19 pandemic remains a challenge. Objective. To describe the situation of radiotherapy delivery in Metro Manila (NCR) during the COVID-19-related quarantine. Specifically, the objectives were to determine: (1) how the radiotherapy providers implemented the recommended changes, (2) if these implemented changes allowed the hospitals to operate with pre-COVID capacities, and (3) the causative factors of treatment interruptions if these were present. Additionally, in the face of treatment interruptions, the authors sought to put forth recommendations to decrease treatment interruptions. Methods. Investigators gathered data on the prevailing situation of RT services in their respective institutions during the strictest period of quarantine — Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ). Patients aged 18-70 years old who missed at least one fraction during the ECQ from March 16 – April 15, 2020, were invited to participate in a phone survey to determine factors contributing to treatment interruptions. Results. All the institutions implemented global recommendations to adapt to the pandemic, including infection control measures, telemedicine, and modification of RT plans. Despite this, most institutions had increased treatment interruptions during ECQ. The percentage of patients with interruptions was also much higher during the ECQ (66.37%) than during the pre-COVID month (30.56%). Among 142 patients unable to continue treatment, there were no significant differences in demographic variable and oncologic profile rates. The majority were more worried about getting COVID-19 than missing RT. The most common factor for treatment interruptions was transportation, followed by fear of getting COVID-19. Conclusion. Compliance with global recommendations is not enough to ensure that the patients who require radiotherapy will receive it. Based on institutional and patient results, the causative factors of interruptions included suspension of services, lack of transportation, and anxiety of patients and staff. Especially in low-resource settings, recommendations are to use available resources as efficiently as possible by having an organized referral system, providing transportation or nearby accommodation for patients and staff, and communicating effectively to reassure patients that radiotherapy can be continued safely.

In contrast to less-skilled men, less-skilled women have experienced growing labor force involvement and moderate wage increases. Compared to more-skilled women, less-skilled women have fallen behind. We investigated the reasons behind these trends in labor force participation and wages for male and female workers of different skill levels over the past 25 years, from 1979-2004. We find that less-skilled women have found themselves in an 'intermediate' place in the labor market. Like less-skilled men, they experienced deteriorating returns to education but, unlike the men, they benefited from a growing positive impact of accumulated experience on labor market outcomes. More-skilled women experienced both growing returns to education and greater accumulation of experience, leading to faster wage growth. In addition, at the same time that experience levels have grown, the returns to experience on wages and labor force participation have also risen among less-skilled women, while the returns to experience have declined among less-skilled men. The negative effect of children and marital status on wages and labor force participation has also declined markedly among women of all skill levels.

The gender-specific pattern in employment among people with disabilities in China is unclear. This study examines gender differences among people with disabilities in China’s job market using multilevel models. The findings suggest that there are statistically significant gender differences in employment among people with disabilities. It is more likely for men with disabilities to be employed than for women with disabilities. Other individual- and household-level factors including disability type, severity of disability, and household income are also significantly related to the employment of people with disabilities. Effects of these factors on employment are similar among men and women with disabilities, except that household income and being married show stronger relationships with employment among men with disabilities than women. Policy effort should be made not only to advance the employment opportunities of people with disabilities but also to promote gender equality in employment.

The relationship between occupational physical activity (OPA) and mortality has mainly been studied among males and shows conflicting results. This study examines this relationship in a cohort of both male and female workers. OPA was determined by 4 self-reported questions in a representative sample of 5,839 Danish workers aged 18-59 years at baseline. A 19-year follow-up on mortality was assessed by linkage with the national death registry. Gender-stratified Cox regression models were used to determine the effect of high OPA on all-cause mortality while controlling for age, BMI, smoking, alcohol consumption, doctor-diagnosed disease, influence at work, and social class. Two hundred and sixty-two males (8.6%) and 174 females (6.2%) died during follow-up. Being in the highest quartile of OPA predicted an increased risk for all-cause mortality among male workers (HR: 1.79, CI: 1.19-2.70), but not among female workers (HR: 0.99, CI: 0.65-1.49) compared with workers in the lowest quartile of OPA. Among females, indications of a u-shaped relationship between occupational physical activity and all-cause mortality were found. The findings indicate that high occupational physical activity increases the risk for all-cause mortality among male workers. Future studies need to further examine gender differences in the effects of OPA on mortality.

Study of Uncertainty and Inaccuracies of the Income for Inequality Paradox through Fuzzy Logic for Sustainable Development

BackgroundAlthough more and more attention has been paid to the psychological consequences of the lockdown policy amongst pregnant women, the underlying mechanism linking the lockdown policy to maternal depression has not been studied in the context of China. This study aimed to explore the association between the lockdown policy and maternal depressive symptoms, and whether such association was mediated by internet use and/or family support.MethodsThis cross-sectional study used multi-stage sampling techniques in central and western China. Data were collected from 1266 pregnant women using a structtured questionnaire that measured internet use, family support, and depressive symptoms. The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) was used to measure depressive symptoms. Internet use was measured by length of usage and varierity of purpose for internet use. Family support was measureed by spousal support and parental support. The structural equation modelling was employed to conduct mediation analysis to test the specificity of the hypothetical paths.ResultsOverall, 527 respondents (41.63%) presented depressive symptoms. The lockdown policy was negatively associated with depressive symptoms in pregnant women (β = − 0.925, 95% CI = −1.510, − 0.360). The impact of the lockdown policy on depressive symptoms was partially mediated by internet use (β = 1.589, 95% CI = 0.730, 2.807) and family support (β = − 0.162, 95% CI = − 0.341, − 0.017), accounting for 42.67% of the total effect.ConclusionsThe lockdown policy was generally associated with fewer depressive symptoms in pregnant women. The lockdown policy increased maternal depressive symptoms through increased internet use, but decreased maternal depressive symptoms through enhanced family support. The findings suggest that the psychological consequence of the lockdown policy may vary across different populations, and warrant the need to take into consideration the features of subgroups.

This study analyses the relative impact of the 1990–91 recession on the employment status of Mexican-American, other Hispanic, and non-Hispanic black and white workers in the US. Recession-induced job losses and changes in shares of parttime and fulltime employment significantly varied across demographic groups and gender. From 1989 to 1991 males experienced a larger decline than females in the relative shares of fulltime employment with Mexican-American and other Hispanic females actually increasing their shares. Utilizing 1990 and 1992 CPS data, we estimate bivariate probit models of employment and fulltime/parttime employment status for each group. These employment and work status probabilities are then decomposed to analyse the factors that led to the changes. Our study suggests that the 1990-91 recession-induced labour market changes had the most detrimental impact on black male and non-Hispanic white female workers. As such, public policies implemented to mitigate the impact of economic downturns should take into account the differential impact of economic recessions on demographic groups.

CoVID-19 pandemic forced a countrywide lockdown in the Philippines from March 16, 2020 to May 15, 2020 and extended to May 31, 2020 in Metro Manila and some parts of Central Luzon. Because of these forced restrictions, the air pollution level in Metro Manila drastically slowed down just a few weeks upon the implementation of the lockdown. Therefore, this study aimed to establish a preliminary case review on the implications of the lockdown to the air quality in the country’s capital with the aid of data from the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) and Airtoday.ph station. The empirical analysis revealed that when Metro Manila was under Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ), tropospheric nitrogen oxide (NO2) dropped by approximately 52% compared to the 2019 levels in the same period. The city also registered the lowest PM 2.5 air pollution levels during the first 30 days of the lockdown with an average of 11.59 ug/m3. Moreover, the satellite image from the Institute of Environmental Science and Meteorology (IESM), UP Diliman showed a lower Atmospheric Optical Depth (AOD) of 0.01, which means that the air is clean during the lockdown period when compared with the AOD value during the same period in 2018 and 2019. At the Lung Center of the Philippines, a comparison of pre-ECQ and ECQ air quality levels showed that PM2.5 is reduced from 80% to 180%, particularly during evenings and early mornings. A similar trend along EDSA Munoz, where 70-90% reduction of PM 2.5 was observed since the ECQ. Overall, the study revealed that lockdown measures, fortunately, have brought the opportunity to rationalize human impact on the environment. Although we could say those travel restrictions or lockdown is an unconventional measure to air pollution prevention and control, it is possible to improve air quality by reducing nonessential individual movements by highlighting the importance of fuel-free activities or implementing short-term lockdowns (3-5 days).