Economic Well-being Of Individuals Research Articles

Determinants of Financial Literacy

Determinants of Financial Literacy

Comparative study of poverty dynamics and income structure: Pre and post COVID-19 impact on households with and without disabilities in South Korea

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic, as an external shock, has affected the health and economic well-being of individuals. Vulnerable populations with limited resources have also been affected, exacerbating societal inequalities throughout the pandemic. ObjectiveThis study examined poverty dynamics in South Korea before and after the COVID-19 outbreak, focusing on changes in the poverty status and income structure of the population with and without disabilities. MethodsWe conducted a multinomial logistic regression analysis using data from the 14th and 16th waves of the Korea Welfare Panel Study. ResultsThe results show that the pandemic had a significant impact on income levels, particularly for individuals who experienced poverty, and notable differences were observed in income structures between groups with and without disabilities. While individuals without disabilities relied primarily on business income and regular as well as irregular income prior to experiencing poverty, those with disabilities experienced a decline in irregular and private transfer income. In addition, the poverty escape groups with and without disabilities showed increases in regular and irregular income. ConclusionThe results of this study show how current population groups with and without disabilities have experienced changes in the poverty structure due to COVID-19. These results highlight the need for a comprehensive social protection system to address the external shocks faced by vulnerable populations.

Disability, economic and work-role status of individuals with unilateral lower-limb amputation and their families in Bangladesh, post-amputation, and pre-rehabilitation: A cross-sectional study.

Amputation has significant negative impacts on physical, psychological, social and economic wellbeing of individuals and families. This is potentially compounded by significant delays to rehabilitation in Bangladesh. To quantify disability, occupation and socioeconomic status of people with unilateral lower-limb amputation (LLA) and their families in Bangladesh, post-amputation and pre-rehabilitation. Between November 2017 and February 2018, people with unilateral LLA attending two locations of Center for the Rehabilitation of the Paralyzed, Bangladesh, for prosthetic rehabilitation were surveyed pre-rehabilitation, using the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule (WHODAS-2.0) with additional socio-economic questions. Data were analysed descriptively, using cross-tabulation with Chi-square and Fisher's exact tests. Seventy-six individuals participated. The majority had traumatic (64.5%), transtibial amputation (61.8%), were young adults (37.92±12.35 years), in paid work prior to LLA (80%), married (63.2%), male (81.6%), from rural areas (78.9%), with primary/no education (72.4%). After LLA mobility (WHODAS score 74.61±13.19) was their most negatively affected domain. Most (60.5%) did not return to any occupation. Acute healthcare costs negatively impacted most families (89.5%), over 80% becoming impoverished. Nearly 70% of previous income-earners became economically dependent changing traditional family roles. Following LLA, most participants experienced significant mobility impairment and became economically dependent. The impact of LLA extends beyond the individual, to families who often face challenges to traditional primary earner gendered roles. Improved access to timely and affordable rehabilitation is required to reduce the significant personal and societal costs of disability after LLA.

Taking stock of COVID-19 policy measures to protect Europe’s elderly living in long-term care facilities

The current COVID-19 pandemic has come to impact all areas of life involving the health, psycho-social and economic wellbeing of individuals, as well as all stages of life from childhood to old age. Particularly, the frail elderly have had to face the gravest consequences of the disease; while reporting measures tend to differ between countries making direct comparisons difficult, national statistics worldwide point to a disproportionate and staggering share of COVID-19 related mortality coming from residential long-term care facilities (LTCFs). Still, the severity of the impact on the institutionalized elderly has not been uniform across countries. In an effort to better understand the disparities in impact on Europe’s elderly living in LTCFs, we review data on mortality outcomes seen during the first wave of the pandemic (months March to June 2020). We then set out to understand the role played by the following two factors: (1) the infection rate in the general population and (2) member state adherence to policy recommendations put forth by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) targeting the LTC sector. Regarding the latter, we compare the content of national policy measures in six countries – Austria, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Spain and Sweden – with those of the ECDC. Our findings establish that infection rates in the general population accounted for most of the variation in mortality among member states, however adherence to EU policy helped to explain the residual variation between cases. This suggests that in order to best protect the institutionalized elderly from infectious disease of this kind, countries need to adopt a two-pronged approach to developing measures: one that aims at reducing transmission within the general population and one that specifically targets LTCFs.

Exploring the Nexus Between Microfinance Activities and Economic Wellbeing at the Grassroots: Evidence From an Emerging Market Economy

This paper investigates the effect of microfinance activities on the economic wellbeing of individuals at the grassroots. It specifically investigated the effect of microfinance interest rates, microfinance products/services and microfinance social support on grassroots economic wellbeing. Furthermore, it examines how microfinance activities, such as social support and lending, interact to impact the economic wellbeing of beneficiaries at the grassroots. The study used a sequential exploratory mixed methods research design. First qualitative data was collected from ten purposively sampled participants to probe and confirm some constructs in the survey instrument. Quantitative data was then collected from 350 randomly sampled customers of the top five microfinance institutions in Ghana using structured survey instrument. Data was analysed using descriptive and multivariate analysis. The study results showed that microfinance cost (β = 0.312, t = 5.457, p < 0.001), interest rates (β = − 0.191, t = − 3.204, p < 0.01), products/services (β = 0.328, t = 7.136, p < 0.001) and social support (β = 0.312, t = 6.631, p < 0.001) all had a significant impact on grassroots economic wellbeing. It also highlighted the complexity of the interactions among microfinance activities, government policies and poverty alleviation interventions. These findings have structural implications for the operation of microfinance institutions in developing countries such as Ghana. To promote longevity and effectively exploit the inherent benefits of microfinance activities for grassroots beneficiaries, the current top-bottom approach used in the introduction of poverty alleviation-related interventions must be revised to a more sustainable participatory approach where the input of grassroots participants should be sought. The latter approach will help address the policy lapses common to the many failed government interventions on microfinance activities. The paper advocates the need to introduce government interventions that encourage a saving culture among individuals at the grassroots. It offers an unorthodox approach (bottom-up stakeholder participatory orientation in the formulation of policies) to addressing the many policy lapses undermining inclusiveness for informal sector participants with regard to accessing finance. Finally, it provides a blueprint towards the empowerment of minority groups at the grassroots to alleviate poverty.

A Holistic Approach to Beach Development in Badagry Local Government in Nigeria: A Case of Whispering Palm Beach Resort

The study was carried out to investigate the issues surrounding the planning and management strategies adopted in Badagry Local government Area for coastal tourism development, with a view to recommending appropriate sustainable measures that will facilitate effective coastal zone development. This work was based on primary data and supported by secondary data. The primary data were collected during field investigation in Badagry Local Government Area of Lagos State with the aid of questionnaire and interview methods. The secondary data were obtained from both official sources (government agencies) and non-official sources (libraries, the internet and newspapers), to include, population statistics, tourist inflow, etc. In this research, both in-depth interviews and informal interviews were conducted amidst staff of tourism related institutions, such as, hotels, beach development offices, tourism boards and agencies to investigate the different impacts of coastal tourism in Badagry, opinions of tourists and agencies (stakeholders) and the need for proper planning and management. As the sample size of this study is large, the questionnaires were specifically used to gather views from a large number of tourists regarding beaches and coastal zones in Badagry. In order to effectively assess the impact of tourism activity management on the stakeholders, the likert scale pre-coded responses were included in the questionnaire. A total of 100 copies of the survey questionnaire were administered within the Badagry community among host members, tourists, the hospitality related outfits, government and private agencies operating within the area. Data from the questionnaire were analysed by various statistical tools in the Statistical Package for the Social Science (SPSS Version 20.0, 2011). Data were further analysed using correlation analysis and the one-way ANOVA.The study found that, there is significant relationship between coastal tourism management and tourism planning at Whispering palm. It, also, found a positive correlation with all the independent variables. This reveals that any possible change in socioeconomic factors will lead to development of the local community. The study concluded that, any increase in the economic wellbeing of individuals in the community or any significant social change through tourism activities will directly have positive influence on local community development. The study recommended sustainable coastal zone management and planning; provision and implementation of policies and plans for sustainable tourism;effective governance structures and relationships;sustaining coastal tourism development through Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA); and supporting host community livelihood through coastal zone products.

Probiyotik Ürünlerin Tüketim Alışkanlıklarının Belirlenmesi

Probiyotik gıdalar, sindirim sisteminin çalışmasına yardımcı olan canlı mikroorganizmaları içeren gıdalardır. Bu gıdaların tüketimi sağlığın korunmasına ve bağışıklık sisteminin güçlenmesine olumlu katkı sağlamaktadır. Yapılan bu çalışma, probiyotik ürünlerin tüketim durumu ile tüketicilerin probiyotik ürünler hakkındaki bilgi düzeyini saptamak amacıyla yapılmıştır. Araştırma sonucunda ankete katılan bireylerin %51,7‘si bayanlardan, %48,3‘ü erkeklerden oluşurken yaşları 18 ile 65 arasında tespit edilmiştir. Probiyotik ürünler hakkında bilgiye erkekler %31,4 oranında sahip iken bayanlar %61,1 oranında sahip olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Ayrıca öğrenim seviyelerinin ve ekonomik durumların artışına bağlı olarak probiyotik ürünler hakkında bilgi seviyesinin anlamlı derecede arttığı görülmüştür. Probiyotik ürünleri tüketenlerin oranı %26,0 iken tüketenlerden fayda gördüğünü düşünen bireyler %79,1 olarak belirlenmiştir. Ek olarak probiyotik ürünleri tüketenlerin %77,3‘ü bu ürünlerin doğal olduğunu düşünmektedir. Sonuç olarak probiyotik ürünlerin sağlığımıza olumlu katkısı olmasına rağmen tüketimi ve hakkındaki bilgi yeterli seviyede değildir. Kişilerin öğrenim seviyesi ve ekonomik refahı yükseldikçe probiyotik ürün tüketimi ve bilgi düzeyi artmaktadır. Bu nedenle buna benzer toplumun bilgisini ölçmeye dönük çalışmaların periyodik olarak yapılması önerilmektedir.

CROSS-BORDER TREATMENTS CONCEPT AND ITS HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT

Mobility of individuals, in certain cases also of patients, has reached the highest level in history and it is permissible for this mobility to continue to grow. The author believes that there are several important reasons for cross-border healthcare: economic well-being of individuals, free movement of services, consumer freedom. The author considers it important to study the concept of cross-border treatment and its historical development in order to understand why the need for cross-border treatment has historically arisen and patient mobility has developed.

Do education and urbanism really contribute to reduce xenophobia in African societies? evidence from Botswana

This paper examines the relationship between xenophobia and several social-economic factors, focusing on education, in Botswana. Education has moderating influence on discriminatory attitudes and behavior. The academia is vulnerable to discriminatory influences where existing ideas may be deemed threatened by some people. Education should improve the intellectual, social and economic wellbeing of individuals. The results of our study indicate that it has not been quite the case in Botswana. This study is based on primary data from Southern African Migration Project (SAMP), a nationally representative random sample survey of three urban areas (Gaborone, Francistown and Kanye) in June and July 2001. Our results support the theory that education moderates xenophobia. Adjusted odds ratios indicate that people with primary and secondary education were four and two times, respectively, as likely to be xenophobic than those with tertiary education [OR & 95% CI: 4.68(2.60, 8.43); 2.08(1.31, 3.32)]. There was no significant difference between the levels of xenophobia of city and rural dwellers. Policies to roll back xenophobia should include introduction of courses that focus on multicultural liberal democracy.

Financial Capability and Asset Building: A Transformational Practice Framework

The promotion of financial capability and asset building (FCAB) is an important and fitting professional activity for social work, which has long been concerned with the economic well-being of individuals and families. Financial capability is attainable only if we assist clients by helping them to build new skills while simultaneously helping them to connect to economic opportunity structures such as savings, job training, or credit repair programs. We propose a person-environment-centered process model for use in FCAB endeavors, using case vignettes to illustrate the application of the process. By drawing upon several theoretical perspectives such as humanistic social work, cognitive behavioral theory, motivational interviewing, solution-focused brief therapy, and diffusion of innovations theory, practitioners may increase clients’ likelihood of successfully connecting to opportunity structures. Attention to behavioral, cognitive, emotional, and policy feedback processes may help to provide the “missing link” between individual financial behavior and the institutional opportunities offered by FCAB programs.

Adult and adolescent livestock productive asset transfer programmes to improve mental health, economic stability and family and community relationships in rural South Kivu Province, Democratic Republic of Congo: a protocol of a randomised controlled trial

IntroductionPeople living in poverty have limited access to traditional financial institutions. Microfinance programmes are designed to meet this gap and show promise in improving income, economic productivity and health. Our...

Religion and Financial Economy of the World: How the Present Reflect True Godliness

Religion has been found to have a significant impact on the economic well-being of individuals, families and by extension financial economy the world. One's level of income and wealth has been found to be significant in determining a person's financial literacy. This paper therefore seeks to review the history and present on how Religion has help shape financial economy of the world and how the present possibly can be improved upon to reflect true Godliness. The study adopted content analysis and desk review method. The study found that the contribution of religion is enormous and the economy of the world has been impacted positively with the flow of income and wealth of the nations. In Nigeria, all sectors of the economy has witness positive religion contributions and has brought about sustained growth in most especially educational sector where most private universities ae faith–based. This study concluded that the place of religion in financial economy cannot be underestimated in functionality of all sectors of the economy of throughout the world.

Asset-based Welfare and Social Investment: Competing, Compatible, or Complementary Social Policy Strategies for the New Welfare State?

More recently, two key developments have been observed in the comparative social policy literature: on the one hand, the implementation of a proactive “social investment strategy”, either alongside or in replacement of their established social security programs, and on the other hand, a concomitant shift towards the increased macroeconomic and political importance of private property assets – and homeownership in particular – in defining the economic well-being of individuals. At first glance, it seems that we are dealing with two conflicting policy paradigms here; after all, social investment relies on stable or even expansive welfare states, while the accumulation of private property wealth as a welfare resource seems to realign better with the notion of welfare state retrenchment. This contribution aims to illustrate that the fault lines between the two policy paradigms are, however, not that clear-cut. Based on comparative national-level statistics for all OECD member states in the 1995–2007 pre-crisis period and theoretical reasoning the paper argues that the two approaches may be understood as compatible welfare readjustment strategies, which have opened out into a more radical form of productive welfare capitalism, particularly in the liberal and social-democratic welfare states in North-Western Europe.

A call to action: Invest in biomedical research now to secure a healthier future

Thepromise andpotential for biomedical research to improve lives has never been greater. Scientists and clinicians have achieved tremendous breakthroughs in conquering disease and advancing health. The sequencing of the human genome laid the foundation for the development of targeted and personalized chemotherapy. New imaging technologies facilitate diagnosis and monitoring of tumors, making earlier interventions possible. “Big data” is being harnessed to understand the epidemiology of cancer and define risky exposures and behaviors for which public health measures like anti-smoking campaigns can be designed to reduce incidence of malignancies. And vaccines are now available that can prevent cancers from ever even developing. Yet, at this moment of unprecedented opportunity, dark clouds have been steadily forming overhead that threaten to weaken the momentum of this research and stall the trajectory of progress in the development of life-saving advances. This tragic irony underscores an ominous imbalance between the research community’s commitment to the nation and the nation’s commitment to support the prioritization and funding of its research enterprise. The dedication of scientists to their research and the altruistic service of clinicians to their patients must now be matched with a resolute energy to ensure that a cure is found for the ills that threaten biomedical research. The call to action is clear: we must step out of the laboratory and the clinic to raise our voices to convey the transformational importance of research to the health, social and economic wellbeing of individuals, communities, and our nation. It is time for the biomedical research community to embrace the challenges we face and create opportunities to replace the good old days with new and better days ahead.

Road Traffic Injuries in Kenya: The Health Burden and Risk Factors in Two Districts

Background: Road traffic injuries (RTIs) contribute to a significant proportion of the burden of disease in Kenya. They also have a significant impact on the social and economic well-being of individuals, their families, and society. However, though estimates quantifying the burden of RTIs in Kenya do exist, most of these studies date back to the early 2000s—more than one decade ago. Objective: This article aims to present the current status of road safety in Kenya. Using data from the police and vital registration systems in Kenya, we present the current epidemiology of RTIs in the nation. We also sought to assess the status of 3 well-known risk factors for RTIs—speeding and the use of helmets and reflective clothing. Methods: Data for this study were collected in 2 steps. The first step involved the collection of secondary data from the Kenya traffic police as well as the National Vital Registration System to assess the current trends of RTIs in Kenya. Following this, observational studies were conducted in the Thika and Naivasha districts in Kenya to assess the current status of speeding among all vehicles and the use of helmets and reflective clothing among motorcyclists. Results: The overall RTI rate in Kenya was 59.96 per 100,000 population in 2009, with vehicle passengers being the most affected. Notably, injuries to motorcyclists increased at an annual rate of approximately 29 percent (95% confidence interval [CI]: 27–32; P < .001). The mean age of death due to road traffic crashes was 35 years. Fatalities due to RTIs increased at an annual rate of 7 percent (95% CI: 6–8; P < .001) for the period 2004 to 2009. Observational studies revealed that 69.45 percent of vehicles in Thika and 34.32 percent of vehicles in Naivasha were speeding. Helmets were used by less than one third of motorcycle drivers in both study districts, with prevalence rates ranging between 3 and 4 percent among passengers. Conclusions: This study highlights the significant burden of RTIs in Kenya. A renewed focus on addressing this burden is necessary. Focusing on increasing helmet and reflective clothing use and enforcement of speed limits has the potential to prevent a large number of road traffic crashes, injuries, and fatalities. However, it is difficult to demonstrate the magnitude of the injury problem to policymakers with minimal or inaccurate data, and this study illustrates the need for national continuous, systematic, and sustainable data collection efforts, echoing similar calls for action throughout the injury literature.

A United Nations General Assembly Special Session for Mental, Neurological, and Substance Use Disorders: The Time Has Come

Mental, neurological, and substance use (MNS) disorders are leading causes of the global burden of disease and profoundly impact the social and economic well-being of individuals and communities. The majority of people affected by MNS disorders globally do not have access to evidence-based interventions and many experience discrimination and abuses of their human rights. A United Nations General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS) is needed to focus global attention on MNS disorders as a core development issue requiring commitments to improve access to care, promote human rights, and strengthen the evidence on effective prevention and treatment.

GDP and Beyond: An Implementation of Welfare Considerations to the Distribution of Earnings in Italy

The aim of this paper is to implement distributional considerations in comparing the economic well-being of individuals over time and living in different regions in Italy. In this sense, the purpose is to implement the recommendations of the Stiglitz’s (2009) report concerning augmenting national accounts by distributional considerations in an easy to implement environment. In order to explore this topic we have made recourse to multiple tools. In the first part of the paper we have looked for second-degree necessary and sufficient conditions for welfare dominance using Absolute Lorenz Curves (ALC) from both a national and regional perspective. In the second part of the paper, we have made recourse to a standard Lorenz Curve (LC) analysis to neutralize differences in average incomes. The third part of the paper introduces the analysis of Gini (ANOGI). We found that differences among subpopulation distributions accentuates over time and that when South and Islands are used as a reference group, North-West and North-East form two relatively more distinct groups.

Cohort Profile: Survey of Families, Income and Employment (SoFIE) and Health Extension (SoFIE-health)

Panel studies in Western countries have transformed and greatly improved understanding of many social, economic and health trends, such as the British Panel Household Survey and the Whitehall study in the UK, and the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey. In New Zealand (NZ) there are a number of birth cohort and population-specific longitudinal studies: the Dunedin multidisciplinary health and development study, the Christchurch health and development study, the Pacific Islands Family Study and the Health Work and Retirement longitudinal study. However, there was a need for a longitudinal study that covered all age ranges which could provide an understanding of the dynamics of the NZ economy and its interrelationship between the social and economic well-being of individuals, families and households and the factors affecting this well-being. Statistics New Zealand was granted funding from the Foundation for Research, Science and Technology (Government organization) in 1997 to conduct a feasibility study for a longitudinal survey of income, employment and family dynamics. Following the feasibility study, the Survey of Families, Income and Employment (SoFIE) study was developed and first went into the field in October 2002. SoFIE is a single fixed panel longitudinal survey with duration of 8 years. Information is collected once a year from the same individuals on income levels, sources and changes; and on the major influences on income such as employment and education experiences, household and family status and changes, demographic factors and health status. Every 2 years (Waves 2, 4, 6 and 8) information on assets and liabilities is collected to monitor net worth and savings. A successful bid was made to the Health Research Council of NZ by health researchers to have a battery of health questions in Waves 3, 5 and 7—giving rise to the SoFIE-Health sub-study.

Poverty and Violent Conflict: A Micro-Level Perspective on the Causes and Duration of Warfare

This article discusses how endogenous mechanisms linking processes of violent conflict and the economic well-being of individuals and households in combat areas provide valuable micro foundations to the ongoing debate on the causes and duration of armed conflict. Notably, the endogenous relationship between conflict processes and household economic status leads to the emergence of symbiotic associations between armed groups and households living in areas they control that affect substantially the probability of a conflict starting and its effectiveness thereafter. Households in conflict areas draw on local armed groups to protect their economic status when anticipating violence and during the conflict, while armed groups make use of different levels of (either reluctant or voluntary) participation, support and cooperation from local populations to advance their strategic objectives at the onset and throughout the conflict. The level of household participation at the start and during the conflict is a function of two interdependent variables, namely household vulnerability to poverty and household vulnerability to violence. The poorer the household is at the start of the conflict, the higher is the probability of the household participating and supporting an armed group. The higher the risk of violence, the higher is the probability of the household participating and supporting armed groups. The interaction between these two variables varies with the conflict itself and is defined by the direct and indirect effects of conflict-induced violence on the economic behaviour and decisions of households in combat areas.

Perceived threat and exclusionary attitudes towards foreign workers in Israel

The present article focuses on determinants of attitudes towards granting social rights to overseas labour migrants in Israeli society. The analysis is based on a national representative sample of the adult population in Israel. The findings reveal that a substantial number of respondents (both Jews and Arabs) oppose granting equal social rights (i.e. education, welfare, health, housing) to foreign workers. These attitudes can partially be explained as resulting from perceived threat to social and economic well-being of individuals as well as threat to national identity and Jewish character of the state. Part of the exclusionary attitudes that cannot be attributed to threats, are explained by individuals’ socio-economic characteristics, ethnicity and political orientation. The findings are discussed within the context of Israel as an ethno-national state.