Food Security in Developing Economies: An Empirical Analysis of Population Structure and Key Determinants

This study examines the relationship between foreign direct investment (FDI) inflow, trade openness, and the influence of FDI on economic growth. The threshold methodology and GMM estimation are employed to analyze panel data from 60 developing countries in the period between 1995 and 2019. This study demonstrates the positive impact of FDI on economic growth in developing countries. However, the study also finds a significant threshold of FDI inflow relative to GDP that changes the impact of inward FDI on GDP growth. Regarding the role of trade openness, a significant threshold is found, which also indicates the absorptive capacity of the host countries. Moving from below to above this threshold, an increase in FDI inflow leads to a lower increase in economic growth. An increase in FDI relative to GDP stimulates growth only when the host country has sufficient absorptive capacity with regard to trade openness above the threshold. We suggest developing countries tighten the coherence of trade liberalization and FDI attraction policies to obtain the benefits of FDI and make changes to attract new investors when they succeed in attracting massive FDI inflows.

Population Structure in Cartographic Representation

To assess the clinical and virological status in urban and rural populations. A cross-sectional study was conducted in a tertiary care hospital, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Rohtak for a period of six months. Upper respiratory tract (URT) specimens including nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swabs were collected from the patients and their contacts and processed by RT-PCR technique for COVID-19 detection. Further, clinical and virological response in both the population were assessed and compared. A total of 37,724 URT samples were tested, out of which 20,144 (53%) samples were from the rural population and 17,580 (47%) from the urban population. Out of the total samples from urban and rural population, COVID-19 positivity was 13.9% in urban population and 6.2% in rural population. Around 86% patients or contacts were asymptomatic in both the rural and urban population and rests were symptomatic 14%. Among the symptomatic patients, sore throat was seen as the most common presenting symptom (95-100%) followed by fever (80-83%), dry cough (55-61%), nasal discharge (18-23%), and breathlessness (3-5%) in both the rural and urban population. Our outcomes provide novel facts that the COVID-19 epidemic severely affected both rural and urban populations but with few differences. In our study, positivity rate in case of urban population was 13.9% as compared to 6.2% in rural population. There are two foremost facets that contributed variation in positivity in both the population. First, better immune response in rural population as compared to urban population which can be due to the fact that rural people in India are more exposed to various pathogens during their early lifetime thus, improving their immune status. Second, factor could be elevated population densities in urban areas which can contribute to increased infectiousness thus higher positivity rate. In addition, people living in urban population have to commute more for their work and are exposed to more people throughout the day thus, having more possibility to get infection of COVID-19 as compared to the rural population. To the best of our knowledge, there are no studies conducted on COVID-19, among rural population of Haryana. Hence, this study will allow us to fill the gap in knowledge about the variation in contagion spread and immune response in both rural and urban populations.

Who Eats, Where, What, and How? COVID-19, Food Security, and Canadian Foodscapes

The world economy has largely overcome the Malthusian challenge, but there are regions such as the Sahel where this challenge remains formidable and food insecurity is exacerbated by multiple threats of climate change, low agricultural productivity, and high population growth. While the interactions among these forces governing long-term food security are widely discussed for policy making in the Sahel, analysis of the comparative magnitude of the forces in the resulting food security outcomes is largely absent. In this paper, we identify the relative contribution of these long-term drivers of food security outcomes in rural and urban Niger into 2050. We then consider three policy scenarios to address food security issues: accelerated investments in agricultural R&D (supply side), reduction of fertility rates (demand side), and market integration. We use a historically validated partial equilibrium model tailored to Nigerien agriculture, with data inputs gleaned from various sources, including household and farm surveys and grid-cell level production data. Our study finds that among growth in population, income, and agricultural productivity and climate change impacts on yields and labor productivity, population growth in Niger will remain the single largest driver of crop output growth and undernourishment in the country. Three-fourths of the increase in undernourished population is projected to be among the urban population. Climate change impacts on agricultural productivity will have differential impacts on undernourishment prevalence among rural and urban population, pushing an additional 2 million people into undernourishment by 2050. The relative impacts of climate change are larger among the rural population offsetting revenue gains from increased crop prices. We emphasize that feasible advancements in agricultural productivity are likely to be outpaced by rapid population growth and climate change setbacks unless simultaneous actions are taken on the demand side. On the supply side, interventions are required in transforming R&D spending into higher farm productivity. Greater integration into regional markets will also aide in mitigating undernourishment prevalence.

Temporal Trends in Rural vs Urban Sepsis-Related Mortality in the United States, 2010-2019

The Need for Investment in Rigorous Interventions to Improve Child Food Security

Nonfarm Employment and Food Security: Rural Households in Bangladesh

The aim of this study is to examine the possible effects that the UK’s decision to leave the European Union will have on its economy due to a change in the country’s attractiveness to foreign direct investment (FDI). The study focuses on openness to trade as a channel through which Brexit will impact inward FDI activity in the UK. After establishing the benefits of being an FDI host and the role of trade openness as one of the key determinants of inward FDI, the study finds that the relative attractiveness of the UK as a host of FDI has decreased as less of the world’s inward FDI is being directed at the UK. With a set of econometric tests, the study shows that the relationship between trade openness and inward FDI for the UK is positive and strong, and that the causality runs from trade openness to inward FDI, with no feedback. Therefore, the UK leaving the EU, through a fall in trade openness and therefore a fall in inward FDI, would have a significant negative impact on the UK’s economy.

Background: The incidence of diabetes is rapidly increasing worldwide and it involves both rural and urban population. Majority of diabetes consequences occur due to its complication that brought a significant burden to pts as well as health care system. Aim: To assess the prevalence of diabetic complications in urban and rural population. Study design: Cross-section descriptive study. Methodology: Present study enrolled 1000 diabetic patients visiting urban and rural health facilities. The type-2 diabetic patients aged 18-70 years were included. Data was collected through questionnaire; data was entered and analyzed in SPSS Vr 24.0 Results: Among 600 patients of urban area, 62.6% were males while among 600 patients of rural area, 82.2% were male. From urban area, 51.2% patients and from rural area, 57.8% patients were above 50 years old. In urban area, 52% patients had infected wounds, 43.8% had cataract, 38.8% had heart problems and 36.1% had stroke. Among rural patients, 48.5% had infected wounds, 38% had diabetic foot, 47.5% had cataract, 33.5% had renal failure and 52.3% had heart problems. In urban population, non-compliance of medication (69%) while in rural population, lack of routine investigations (90.1%) were main factors associated with diabetic complications. Conclusion: Study concluded that diabetic complications were prevalent in both urban and rural areas but rural population was more effected than urban population. Keywords: Prevalence, Diabetes, Complications, Urban and Rural Population.

The purpose of the work was to determine the distribution of various ecto- and endoparasites of the gastrointestinal tract that infect cats of the urban and rural populations of the Kharkiv region for the first time. Studies on ecto- and endoparasites were conducted in 177 cats of the urban population, of which 112 were domestic cats and 65 homeless animals and 98 cats of the rural population of the Kharkiv region in the period from March to July 2023. Data were collected on the location, age and sex of the animals and additionally (in the case of private animals) on anti-parasitic treatment. In 275 examined cats, 5 different ecto- and endoparasites were detected with prevalence ranging from 7.1% to 32.3%. Ctenocephalides felis was registered in 7.1% of domestic cats, 29.2% of homeless cats of the urban populations and 18.4% of cats of the rural populations. Infestation with Otodectes cynotis ear mites was highest in stray cats (32.3%), while cats from the rural populations had a lower infestation rate of 9.9% and pets from the urban populations — 14.4%. In homeless cats of the urban populations, eggs of helminths Toxascaris leonina (29.2%) and Uncinaria stenocephala (18.5%) were recorded the most. The prevalence of Toxascaris leonina in domestic cats of urban and rural populations was almost at the same level — 18.8% and 19.4%, respectively. Taenia taeniaeformis was recorded in stray cats from urban (3.1%) and rural (6.1%) populations. Taenia eggs were not detected in domestic cats of the urban populations. The total infestation endo- and ectoparasites of domestic cats in the urban populations was 52.7%, in the rural populations — 77.6%, while the infestation of homeless cats was 100%

Introduction:Developing country, like India intestinal parasitic infections are still remaining as the most important health problem in public of concern. The infection remains the most leading cause of morbidity and mortality especially among the childrens. It is presumed that the prevalence is high in developing countries probably due to poor sanitary conditions and improper personal hygiene practice.Aim:The main aim of this study was carried to find out the prevalence of intestinal parasitic infection among rural and urban population of Puducherry, India.Materials and Methods:This is a cross-sectional descriptive study carried out between the period September 2016 to December 2018. Random sampling was adopted to collect stool samples from urban and rural population in Puducherry. A door to door survey was done. Stool samples were collected from rural setting (n = 500) and urban setting (n = 506) and transport to the parasitology section, Dept. of Microbiology, JIPMER were subjected to routine stool investigations. The results were recorded, and data were presented in the form of frequency and distribution. Data entry was done in MS Excel and analysis was carried out in SPSS software version 22.Results:Among the rural and urban population, 500 stool samples from the rural population showed nearly 40.4% intestinal parasites Giardia intestinalis (21.2%), Blastocystis spp (8.8%), Entamoeba spp (6.6%), hookworm (2.8%), Ascaris lumbricoides (1%), Hymenolepis nana (0%) and 506 stool samples from urban population showed 20.3% of intestinal parasites (Giardia intestinalis (10.4%), Blastocystis spp (3.7%), Entamoeba spp (3.3%), hookworm (1.7%), Hymenolepis nana (0.9%), Ascaris lumbricoides (0%). There was a noticeable male predominance pattern (31.4%) compared to female showing 29.1% positivity. The increase in the prevalence of intestinal parasites among rural population than the urban population was statistically significant.Conclusion:The stool samples collected from rural population showed high prevalence of intestinal parasite infestation when compared to urban population, hence necessary interventions like health education, awareness creation and medical intervention should be undertaken particularly among the rural population. In our study population, age group between 1-10 years are predominantly infected with these parasites.

HIV estimation has become a standard tool for understanding the epidemic. Although the majority of India’s population lives in rural areas, to date, an exploration of the urban and rural HIV epidemic has not been undertaken. The objective of this study is to develop HIV estimation based on urban and rural adult populations in selected states of India to understand the difference in HIV related indices geographically. Ten states were selected based on HIV prevalence levels-Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Manipur, and Nagaland, Mizoram, Punjab, Odisha and Jharkhand. Spectrum, version 4.53 beta 19, was used. Data files of Indian national estimation, 2010-11 which included population, HIV Sentinel Surveillance, Integrated Bio Behavioral Assessment and program coverage data, were used and alterations made wherever necessary. The urban and rural sub epidemic structures and their subpopulations were separately configured in the Estimation projection package and curve fitting done. Outputs for each state were separately analyzed. Findings show that HIV prevalence is lower in urban than rural areas in Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra; in Karnataka there is no difference in HIV prevalence in the urban and rural populations; and in the remaining seven states urban HIV prevalence is higher as compared to rural HIV prevalence. In the states of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Odisha and Punjab, the number of people living with HIV, new HIV infections and deaths among people living with HIV is higher in the rural than in the urban population. An early and lower peak in HIV prevalence and incidence in the urban population was seen in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Naga-land, while in Maharashtra the rural peak was earlier and higher. Mizoram shows an earlier and lower peak in the rural population while Manipur shows an earlier and higher urban peak. In Odisha, the epidemic peaked earlier and was lower in the rural than the urban population. HIV prevalence in the urban population in Punjab was still peaking while HIV incidence was earlier and lower in the rural population. In Jharkhand, both urban and rural HIV prevalence and incidence are still increasing. Our findings indicate lower levels of HIV prevalence and incidence in the urban population as compared to the rural populations in Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu. In the remaining eight states, urban prevalence and incidence are higher than their rural counterparts. Future estimations of the HIV epidemic in the country need to adopt a similar approach to inform the design of appropriate state-level strategies for HIV prevention in urban and rural areas.

Significance. Over the past decades, the Arctic zone has become one of the most important regions in the country and in the world, the importance of preserving the health of its population in conditions of severe shortage of labor resources is defined in the “Strategy for Developing the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation and ensuring national security until 2035”. The purpose of the study is to analyze disease prevalence among urban and rural population in the constituent entities of the Russian Arctic zone in 2019 – 2023. Material and methods. The research used methods such as statistical, analytical, experience review and generalization. The research materials included Rosstat data, data of the Unified interdepartmental information and statistical system, collections of statistical indicators of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation. Results. Disease prevalence among urban population is characterized by an increase across all constituent entities of the Arctic zone, while among rural population there are multidirectional trends: a decrease by 7.8% - 25.7% in the constituent entities of the Arctic zone with the lowest population density – the Nenets Autonomous Okrug, the Chukotka Autonomous Okrug, the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), as well as the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug. The minimum values of disease prevalence both among rural and urban population of the Arctic zone were registered in the Krasnoyarsk Territory, the maximum - among citizens of the Republic of Karelia for most classes of diseases, exceeding 1.3 – 3.0 times those in the country, among rural dwellers in the Nenets, Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrugs, the Komi Republic. The structure of disease prevalence among urban and rural population of the Arctic zone didn’t statistically significantly differ: organ diseases top the structure, followed by diseases of the circulatory system, while diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue rank third. In urban population in all constituent entities of the Arctic zone disease prevalence is statistically significantly higher than in rural population across all classes of diseases, with the exception of pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum period - the maximum differences were recorded in women in the Nenets and Chukotka Autonomous Okrugs - 5.6 and 4.3 times higher in rural females compared to their urban peers, respectively. Conclusion. Differentiation of indicators of disease prevalence among urban and rural population of the constituent entities of the Russian Arctic zone necessitates a further study of the health status of the Arctic population, factors affecting it, accessibility, organization and effectiveness of medical care to develop and implement effective health development programs in the Arctic zone in order to increase “long and active life” of its residents. Keywords: Arctic zone of the Russian Federation; disease prevalence; urban and rural population; Arctic regions

Comparing Food Security Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Considerations When Choosing Measures