Bivariate Probit Analysis Research Articles

Determinants of the Maize Milling Firms’ Decision to Import or Purchase Locally Produced Maize in Kenya; A Bivariate Probit Analysis

Determinants of the Maize Milling Firms’ Decision to Import or Purchase Locally Produced Maize in Kenya; A Bivariate Probit Analysis

Sociodemographic, Lifestyle and Media Factors Associated with Health Screening: Evidence from Timor-Leste

Preventive medicine plays an important role in combating the surge in non-communicable diseases (NCDs). By using health screening, individuals can prevent and monitor the development of NCDs. This study aims to examine sociodemographic, lifestyle and media factors associated with the use of health screening (blood pressure and blood glucose tests) among adults in Timor-Leste. Data used in this study were derived from the Timor-Leste Demographic and Health Survey 2016. A total of 4,264 adults aged between 30 and 59 years were included in the bivariate probit analysis. Results showed that the use of health screening remained low in Timor-Leste. Males, rural dwellers, less-educated individuals, individuals who were in the poorer and poorest wealth quintiles, and unmarried individuals were less likely to use blood pressure test compared with females, urban dwellers, well-educated individuals, individuals who were in the richest wealth quantile and married individuals. Adults less likely to use blood glucose tests were less educated and unmarried. However, the use of health screening was not correlated with a respondent’s lifestyle behaviour and mass media exposure. In short, sociodemographic factors were associated with the use of health screening in Timor-Leste. Policymakers should consider designing intervention measures based on different sociodemographic groups.

Explaining the Relationship Between Intimate Partner Violence Victimization and Human Immunodeficiency Virus Status in Transgender and Nonbinary Individuals.

Previous research has shown that human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) status and intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization are correlated. Furthermore, it has been consistently reported that transgender individuals are at an increased risk of experiencing IPV victimization and testing positive for HIV compared to cisgender individuals. However, past research examining the potential explanations for the correlation between HIV status and IPV victimization in transgender individuals using a large and inclusive sample is nonexistent. A total of 12,592 transgender and nonbinary individuals from across the United States were included in the analyses. Through a bivariate probit analysis of data from the 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey, this study examines potential explanations for the association between HIV and IPV victimization in a sample of transgender individuals. The results support previous research, which indicates that a transgender individual's HIV status is significantly correlated with their likelihood to experience IPV victimization. Additionally, a participant's involvement in sex work and other risk-taking behaviors, such as binge drinking, was found to, in part, explain this co-occurring relationship. Other variables, such as coercive control and prescription drug misuse, were found to correlate significantly with IPV victimization but not HIV status. The relationships between participants' demographic variables, such as their race, sexuality, sex assigned at birth, IPV victimization, and HIV status, were examined and discussed as well. We conclude that it is imperative for LGBTQ + organizations to provide services aimed at protecting transgender individuals suffering from IPV victimization who have also tested positive for HIV through increased accessibility of care and a deeper understanding of the potential relationships in which a person may be involved. This type of outreach would likely be an important first step in allowing transgender individuals to feel safer in their romantic relationships while simultaneously encouraging safe sex practices and a healthy lifestyle, which would increase overall quality of life.

Determinants of family cultural consumption: Evidence for Brazilian metropolitan regions from a bivariate probit analysis

Resumo O presente artigo visa avaliar os fatores que estão associados ao consumo de bens e serviços culturais diretos fora do domicílio, considerando tal consumo como interligado ao consumo de outros bens e serviços culturais. A metodologia empregada engloba a aplicação de um modelo probit bivariado. Para tanto, são utilizados os dados da Pesquisa de Orçamentos Familiares (POF) de 2017-2018. No geral, os resultados obtidos para o modelo indicam que o consumo de bens e serviços culturais diretos fora do domicílio e o consumo de outros bens e serviços culturais são positivamente correlacionados, destacando a questão da desigualdade no consumo cultural devido a certas barreiras sociais (educação, renda, acesso a crédito, entre outros).

Consumer vulnerability to dynamic pricing in online environments

ABSTRACT This article examines consumer vulnerability perceptions of dynamic pricing in online environments. Based on an online survey of 763 French web-users, we show that dynamic pricing generates a feeling of being vulnerable and a perceived loss of control over the transaction process. A bivariate probit analysis of these two dimensions of consumer vulnerability is performed, allowing to highlight their connection, but also their different nature. While consumer feeling of being vulnerable is triggered by unethicality and unfairness perceptions, loss of control relies on the perception of dynamic prices as illegal, unacceptable, and unpredictable. Consumer displeasure is identified as the only factor with an overall effect on consumer vulnerability. Our findings suggest that firms opting for dynamic pricing should adopt a careful and cautious approach given the potential of this pricing strategy to generate consumer vulnerability. Regulation appears as a promising tool to fight against consumer perception of loss of control, but not their feeling of being vulnerable.

Combined Agronomic and Economic Modeling in Farmers’ Determinants of Soil Fertility Management Practices: Case Study from the Semi-Arid Ethiopian Rift Valley

Studies on smallholders’ determinants of soil fertility management practices have become increasingly important for boosting agricultural productivity, particularly in cereal-based farming systems in sub-Saharan Africa. In these parts of Africa, farmers preferentially apply organic and inorganic fertilizers to the fields close to their housing compounds (infields). In addition, they prefer to use more fertilizers to grow cash crops rather than food crops. Many researchers suggested that farmers use limited nutrient resources in their hot-spot fields, e.g., infields and/or cash-crop fields. Recent econometric case studies have suggested using a model that considers a complementarity or substitutability between organic and inorganic fertilizers use. This study employed bivariate probit models to analyze 524 plot data collected from the northern semi-arid Ethiopian Rift Valley. A K-means cluster analysis divided the sample data into two subdatasets, representing food-crop-based cropping system (FCCS) and cash-crop-based cropping system (CCCS). Based on narrative inquiry interviews and the cluster analysis, this study considered reflecting the structure of the local farming system in modeling: a data segmentation approach and dummy variable method. Bivariate and univariate probit analyses showed that, first, the farmers’ determinants differed between the FCCS and CCCS. Second, the correlation between organic and inorganic fertilizers use was independent. Farmers’ determinants were primarily governed by the biophysical features of the plots (commuting distance to the plot, plot size, type of the plot, etc.), which narrowed down the feasible soil fertility management options in the plot to one or two; farmers’ more specific decisions on soil fertility management practices depend on individual farmers’ socioeconomic endowments (farm holding, livestock ownership, etc.).

Access to climate information services and climate-smart agriculture in Kenya: a gender-based analysis.

Climate change is a significant threat to agriculture-related livelihoods, and its impacts amplify prevailing gender inequalities. Climate information services (CIS) are crucial enablers in adapting to climate change and managing climate-related risks by smallholder farmers. Even though various gender groups have distinct preferences, understandings, and uses of CIS, which affect adaptation decisions differently, there is little research on gender perspectives of CIS. This study employs a novel intra-household survey of 156 married couples to evaluate the gender-differentiated effects of CIS access on the adoption of climate-smart agriculture (CSA) technologies in Kenya. The findings reveal gender differences in access to CIS, with husbands having significantly more access to early warning systems and advisory services on adaptation. In contrast, wives had better access to weather forecasts. About 38% of wives perceived that CIS meets their needs, compared to 30% of husbands. As for CIS dissemination pathways, husbands preferred extension officers, print media, television, and local leaders, whereas wives preferred radio and social groups. Recursive bivariate probit analysis shows that trust in CIS, a bundle of CIS dissemination pathways, access to credit, and membership in a mixed-gender social group, affected access to CIS for both genders. Access to early warning systems and advisory services positively affected decisions to adopt CSA by both genders. Still, access to seasonal forecasts influenced husbands’ decisions to adopt CSA but not wives. Besides, there were gender differences in how CIS affected each CSA technology based on gendered access to resources and roles and responsibilities in a household. It is necessary to disseminate CIS through gender-sensitive channels that can satisfy the needs and preferences of different gender groups to encourage the adoption of climate-smart technologies.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10584-022-03445-5.

Optimal Residence: Does Air Quality Affect Settlement Decisions of Urban Floating Migrants?

There is a strong association between urban prosperity and human resources. Rapid urbanization and industrialization have caused severe air pollution to the urban cities over the past decades, and permanently moving to locations with clean air has been considered to be one of the most effective strategies to avoid air pollution. However, whether this is in fact still unclear. In order to fill the research gaps, this study combines individual-level data derived from a national survey and city-level data obtained from various sources to empirically exam the effect that air quality has on settlement decisions of urban floating migrants in China. We focus on the target floating migrants who have urban hukou in the origin city and housing in the destination city, and investigate the relationship between air quality and settlement decisions from the move-in and move-out city perspective. In addition, we exam not only the willingness of urban floating migrants to settling in the move-in city, but also their actual migration decision in the reality. The bivariate probit analysis and panel data regression are applied. Results show that poor air quality in the move-out cities has a significant positive impact on urban floating migrants’ willingness to settling in the move-in cities, while bad air quality in the move-in cities has a significant negative impact, indicating that poor air quality does act as a push force to drive floating migrants away but good air quality can be a pulling force for floating migrants to settling down. In addition, the robust tests show good agreement with the main regression results, with almost all relationships reported having the same direction as those indicated by the regression analysis. Our findings can help policy makers and urban planners assess and design interventions to improve the urban air quality aimed at attracting talent, with broader implications for urban sustainable development.

Mobile money: a gateway to achieving financial inclusion in Ghana

While emerging studies on mobile financial inclusion have focused on the factors driving the adoption of mobile money, little evidence exists on how the service is facilitating the use of formal financial services. Using the World Bank Findex data, we estimate the effect of mobile money adoption on the use of formal accounts, savings, and credit in Ghana. The results of the recursive bivariate probit analysis showed a significant symbiotic relationship between mobile money adoption and the probability of operating a formal account. Mobile money adoption has a positive effect on savings and access to credit but does not affect the avenues to savings and obtaining credit respectively. Mobile money users save in their wallet and obtain microcredit through the mobile money platform but not through formal channels. These findings reinforce the hypothesis that mobile money is the surest financial tool for achieving universal financial inclusion in developing countries.

Recycling, Norms, and Convenience: A Bivariate Probit Analysis of Household Data From a Swedish City

The purpose of this article is to investigate the role of norms and convenience for households' packaging waste sorting activities. The theoretical point of departure is a simple economic model that integrates norm-motivated behavior into neoclassical utility theory by assuming that the individual has a preference for maintaining a self-image as a morally responsible (norm-compliant) person. The empirical analysis rests on survey responses from 398 households in the city of Eskilstuna, Sweden. Self-reported information on recycling contributions and personal norms is analyzed in a bivariate probit model, which estimates the probability of pursuing high-performing recycling efforts as an endogenously determined decisions to the activation of a personal norm for waste sorting. The results suggest that norm activation is an important driver for households' recycling contributions, as is convenience in the form of access to property-close collection schemes. Personal norms are in turn primarily activated by the presence of social, legal, and descriptive norms. One important implication is that policy needs to build on well-aligned policy instrument mixes that combine references to the moral significance of households' recycling contributions with various infrastructural measures that facilitate such contributions.

Assessing the Victim–Offender Overlap in Prison Victimization and Misconduct Among Taiwanese Male Inmates

AbstractA substantial body of research supports the existence of the victim–offender overlap in the general population. However, few scholars have investigated this phenomenon in the prison context. Drawing on survey data collected from 2,065 male inmates residing in Taiwan’s nine prisons, this study tested the victim–offender overlap hypothesis and identified the most common characteristics of inmates assuming the dual role. Bivariate probit analyses revealed that the victim–offender overlap in the general population also applies to the incarcerated. Four common risk factors were found among inmates who were both victims and offenders. The findings have clear implications for researchers, practitioners and policymakers and shed light on the understudied topic of the victim–offender overlap phenomenon in prison.

Recursive Bivariate Probit Analysis of Injury Severity and Non-Truck Improper Actions in Large Truck-Related Crashes on Florida Suburban Roads

This study investigated the hierarchical connection among injury severity, non-truck improper actions, and contributing factors in large-truck-involved crashes. Data for 4 years (2011–2014) of crashes that involved a large truck (≥ 10,000 lb) and a non-truck vehicle were collected from suburban roads in Florida, U.S. A recursive bivariate probit model was fitted with collected data to identify the cause-effect chain, including contributing factors influenced by improper actions, the effects of improper actions on injury severity, and contributing factors indirectly affecting injury severity in large-truck-related crashes. Study results indicate that non-truck vehicle improper actions, such as excessive speed, careless driving, failure to yield right-of-way, and others, significantly increase the likelihood of fatal and severe injury in large-truck crashes, and factors such as crash month, darkness, intersection-related, surface and shoulder width, truck parking, truck driver age, non-truck driver age, and non-truck alcohol/drug impaired indirectly influence injury severity through their impacts on non-truck improper actions. Two factors—truck right-turn and non-truck driver physical defects—affect injury severity and non-truck improper actions simultaneously. Other factors, including crash year, annual average daily traffic, speed limit, crash type, truck type, truck speed, truck alcohol/drug-impaired, and motorcycle involvement, directly contribute to injury severity in large-truck crashes and have no influence on non-truck improper actions.

The relationship between driver and passenger’s seatbelt use: a bivariate probit analysis

Vehicle seatbelt has been shown to have a beneficial impact on occupants. However, some occupants do not use the seatbelt when inside a moving vehicle. Despite the numerous investigation on the risk factors associated with seatbelt use by occupants, little is known about the relationship between driver and passenger seatbelt use. This gap is analyzed with road side observational survey data on driver and front-right seat passenger’s seatbelt use behaviour using bivariate probit model. The use of the bivariate probit model is based on the premise that the front-right passenger’s seatbelt use is endogenously related to that of the driver. Out of the 5,433 vehicles observed, the prevalence rate of driver and front-right passengers’ seatbelt use were 81% and 33%, respectively. In addition, there is a positive relationship between driver and passenger’s seatbelt use with correlation coefficient of 0.53. Thus, the unobserved factors that influence the probability of a driver seatbelt use also influence their front-right passenger's seatbelt use propensity.

Suspended in context: School discipline, STEM course taking, and school racial/ethnic composition

STEM curricula and school disciplinary regimes are key foundations of the transition to adulthood, and they may be connected within school contexts in ways that reflect and exacerbate the intergenerational transmission of inequality. This study examines such connections with particular attention to student race/ethnicity and the racial/ethnic composition of high schools. Bivariate probit analyses of the High School Longitudinal Study of 2009 and the Civil Rights Data Collection of 2012 revealed that early suspension was associated with truncated trajectories of Calculus course taking later in high school while taking Algebra I in grade 9 was associated with avoiding suspension. The proportion of disciplinary cases of racial/ethnic peers was associated with the math coursework of boys and the proportion of Calculus enrollment moderated the association between Algebra I in 9th grade and suspension during high school for girls. These results confirm the value of studying the interplay of formal and informal processes of schooling.

Leisure Trips to the Natural Environment: Examining the Tradeoff between Economic and Environmental Impact

This study examines the economic impact (measured by visitor spending) and environmental impact (measured by carbon footprint) of leisure trips to the natural environment. It also investigates the tradeoff between them. This research uses survey data from England comprising information about randomly selected leisure trips to the natural environment (n = 15,535; 2012-2016). On average, each trip involves visitor spending of GBP 8.57 and a carbon footprint of 4.15 kg of carbon dioxide-equivalent emissions. The results of seemingly unrelated regression analysis and bivariate probit analysis show that trips involving eating, water activities, visiting attractions and the beach yield more expenditure, but also a higher carbon footprint. On the contrary, trips involving walking, land activities, and playing with children generate a lower carbon footprint, but also less visitor spending. These results and the significant correlation of residuals suggests that economic impact occurs at the expense of the natural environment.

Vaginal and Penile Microbiome Associations With Herpes Simplex Virus Type 2 in Women and Their Male Sex Partners

BackgroundWe determined how the vaginal and penile microbiomes contribute to herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) serostatus within sexual partnerships.MethodsMicrobiomes were characterized in cervicovaginal lavage and penile meatal swab specimens through high-throughput 16s ribosomal RNA gene amplicon sequencing. HSV-2 antibody was detected in serum specimens. We modeled vaginal and penile taxa and covariates contributing to HSV-2 status in women and men using bivariate probit analysis.ResultsAmong 231 couples, HSV-2 was detected in both partners in 78 couples (33.8%), in the woman only in 52 (22.5%),in the man only in 27 (11.7%), and in neither in 74 (32.0%). Among the women (median age, 22 years) 10.9% had human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and 21.4% had Bacterial vaginosis. Among men (median age, 26 years), 11.8% had HIV, and 55.0% circumcised. In an analysis with adjustment for sociodemographics and Bacterial vaginosis, enrichment of vaginal Gardnerella vaginalis and Lactobacillus iners was associated with increased likelihood of HSV-2 in both partners. Penile taxa (including Ureaplasma and Aerococcus) were associated with HSV-2 in women.ConclusionsWe demonstrate that penile taxa are associated with HSV-2 in female partners, and vaginal taxa are associated with HSV-2 in male partners. Our findings suggest that couples-level joint consideration of genital microbiome and sexually transmitted infection or related outcomes could lead to new avenues for prevention.

Modeling patients’ choice between a primary care physician or a diabetes specialist for the management of type-2 diabetes using a bivariate probit analysis

AimsTo determine the prevalence of type-2 diabetes patients that were initially and currently being treated by primary care physicians (PCPs) or diabetes specialists and assess predictors influencing their choice. MethodsThis cross-sectional study was conducted in nine Greek primary healthcare units. Patients’ choices were modeled using a bivariate probit analysis. ResultsA total of 225 patients participated (84% response rate). Only 15.9% and 11.9% of the respondents acknowledged having chosen a diabetes specialist for their initial or current treatment, respectively. The family history of diabetes in siblings and the screening for diabetic retinopathy during the past year were significantly positively associated with choosing a diabetes specialist (initially p=0.033 or currently p=0.007), and resulted in a statistically significant reduction of the joint probabilities of choosing a PCP by 15.6% and 13.6%, respectively. Younger age (p=0.040), female sex (p=0.017), higher HbA1c (p=0.004), experience of hypoglycemia (p=0.029) and low cardiovascular morbidity index (p=0.016) emerged as important predictors for choosing a diabetes specialist for their treatment. ConclusionsOur findings provide a better insight in diabetes patients’ choices regarding the category of their treating physicians and their predictors. More studies are required to replicate them and identify patient subpopulations that may favor diabetes specialists’ guidance.

The role of striking and struck vehicles in side crashes between vehicles: Bayesian bivariate probit analysis in China

ObjectiveSide crashes between vehicles which usually lead to high casualties and property loss, rank first among total crashes in China. This paper aims to identify the factors associated with injury severity of side crashes at intersections and to provide suggestions for developing countermeasures to mitigate the levels of injuries. MethodIn order to investigate the role of striking and struck vehicles in side crashes simultaneously, bivariate probit model was proposed and Bayesian approach was employed to evaluate the model, compared to the corresponding univariate probit model. DataCrash data from Beijing, China for the period 2009–2012 were used to carry out the statistical analysis. Based on the investigation with vehicles and data analysis on events, 130 intersection side crash cases were selected to form a specific dataset. Then, the influence of human, vehicles, roadway and environmental variables on crash severity was examined by means of bivariate probit regression within Bayesian framework. ResultsThe effects of the factors on striking vehicle drivers and struck vehicle drivers were considered separately and simultaneously to find more targeted conclusions. The statistical analysis revealed vehicle type, lane number, no non-motorized lane and speeding have the corresponding influence on the injury severity of striking vehicles, while time of day and vehicle type of struck vehicles increased the likelihood of being injured. ConclusionsFrom the results it can be concluded that there indeed exists correlation between striking and struck vehicles in side crashes, although the correlation is not so strong. Importantly, Bayesian bivariate probit model can address the role of striking and struck vehicles in side crashes simultaneously and can accommodate the correlation clearly, which extends the range of univariate probit analysis. The general and empirical countermeasures are presented to improve the safety at intersections.

Health outcome measures and determinants of using indigenous medicine in a pluralistic healthcare in Nagaland, Northeast India

IntroductionTraditional medicines have been used for different ailments in the dominant modern healthcare, and also as a complement to it. Though it serves as an important healthcare services but is often underestimated. Therefore, the potential contribution of traditional medicine in healthcare needs to be explored, harnessed and promoted. ObjectivesFirst, this paper attempts to assess users’ outcome measures of Euroquol 5 Dimension of traditional medicine using paretian classification of health change. Second, to analyze the determinants and interdependence of disease and type of healthcare. MethodsPrimary data was collected from Dimapur district, Nagaland during March–July 2014 from 540 households and statistical techniques like Bivariate probit analysis was used. ResultsParetian classification of health change found 27% of the respondents has ‘improved’ their health status after using traditional medicine, but 45% had also ‘mix change’ in health status. Bivariate probit analysis shows significant result among older age groups that are more likely to suffer from non-communicable diseases. The longer the duration of disease, the more likely to use traditional medicine and for non-communicable diseases the probability of using traditional medicine was higher as compared to allopathic medicine. ConclusionDemand for traditional medicine is evident and it does contribute in providing healthcare. Thus, from the stakeholders, efforts for proper conservation, validation and documentation is necessary for promotion and development of indigenous medicine. Hence reducing the burden of healthcare expenditure among the communities and also sustain the rich cultural practices of traditional medicine.

A bivariate probit analysis of child passenger’s sitting behaviour and restraint use in motor vehicle

Motor vehicle injuries are a leading cause of death among children worldwide, though many of these deaths are preventable. Buckling young children in age- and size-appropriate car seats, booster seats, or seat belts and also seating them in appropriate position can lead to a significant reduction of serious and fatal injuries. This study investigated sitting behaviour and restraint use among child passengers through cross-sectional observational surveys conducted in Kumasi, Ghana. A bivariate probit model was developed for simultaneous determination of the contributing factors influencing child passenger’s sitting behaviour and restraint use. The results showed that 26% of the child passengers observed were occupying the front seat and the prevalence rate of restraint use was 4.5%. The developed bivariate probit model clearly highlights the existence of interrelationship between child passenger’s sitting position and restraint use. The key factors simultaneously influencing child passenger’s sitting position and restraint use include vehicle type, driver’s gender, driver’s belt use, child’s age, and the presence of other child or adult passenger. Furthermore, time of day and day of week also influence child passenger sitting behaviour but not their restraint use. These findings provide insight for better understanding of child transporting practices and the contributing factors influencing their sitting behaviour and restraint use. The findings also highlight the need for policy makers to design effective countermeasures to promote rear sitting and restraint use among child passengers.