Families In Rural Areas Research Articles

Expansion of a Financial Education and Family Asset Protection Program for Latinos in Rural Minnesota

The University of Minnesota Extension, in partnership with the Consulate of Mexico in Saint Paul, Minnesota, expanded the Ventanilla de Asesoría Financiera -Financial Education and Family Asset Protection Program to serve families in rural areas. The financial education services were expanded to 25 rural counties in Minnesota during 2017 and 2018. Participants were primarily low-income Latino families of Mexican ancestry. The program consisted of financial literacy education workshops and one-to-one meetings to build and protect participant assets. Participants reported an increase in their confidence in five financial core topics. Conditions for the success of this program were (a) the existing trusted and respectful relationships between the educators and participants and supportive community partners; (b) a family-based educational approach; (c) a team of bilingual, bicultural educators; and (d) culturally adapted and relevant Spanish language educational resources

A Qualitative Study on Socio-economic Impacts of Tuberculosis: A Case Study of District Multan, Pakistan

The study was executed to know the sociology-economic impacts of TB on patients and their families in rural areas of district Multan, Pakistan. It was a qualitative research conducted from February to September 2018. The data was collected through In-depth Interviews (IDIs) with 30 TB patients (aged ≥ 16 years) using an open-ended interview guide and five focus group discussions with the medical personnel who were dealing with TB. Thematic analysis was carried out to analyze data. The study resulted in the majority of TB patients and their family members being illiterate or less educated. Being unfamiliar with TB, its prevention, and treatment protocol, the majority of respondents were under great stress. They were facing various socioeconomic issues like deaths, denial in marriage proposals,divorce/separation, hatred, social isolation, social stigma, and increased economic burden due to long treatment duration. To resolve this life-threatening issue, awareness was found inevitable.

‘Eating well’ in Pacific Islands countries and territories: A qualitative and normative approach to food cultures in New Caledonia

In recent decades, the food cultures of the Pacific populations have undergone a profound transition, particularly because the increasing trade exchanges with Western countries have facilitated access to a wide range of processed foods. Essentially, a new normative model of eating is now taking the place of the traditional models. The aims of this qualitative study were to explore what ‘eating well’, ‘good food’ and ‘bad food’ now mean in the New Caledonian family context and, more broadly, to categorise the current food practices and representations in adolescents' families. A double qualitative methodology was applied: 59 face-to-face interviews with 30 parents and 29 adolescents in both rural and urban areas and 15 collective structured discussions with middle-school classes (11- to 16-year-olds) of almost 25 students each. The main results showed various normative frames for nutrition, food quantities, local provenance, and personal taste. Food practices were related to food availability (having a home garden or involvement in family farming), socioeconomic status and community. In addition, access to nutritional information, temporal and financial constraints mostly in the urban area, and the role of food socialisation between parents and children had an impact on food practices and perceptions. The permanence of food cultures, mainly observed in families in rural areas, and the social inequalities in urban areas regarding food availability are highlighted. The positive perception of ‘local food’ as ‘cultural’, ‘organic’ and ‘healthy’ may help policymakers communicate clear messages to reach a sustainable food system.

Optimalisasi Modal Sosial Keluarga Muda dalam Membangun Ketahanan Ekonomi di Era Covid-19: Studi Kasus di Perdesaan Jawa

The Covid-19 pandemic has caused acute non-health impacts for various levels of society, including young families in rural areas of Java. This study presents the results of research that focus on the experiences of young families who work in the informal sector in overcoming the economic impacts due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The young families in this study were those who got married less than 10 years and/or had the oldest child aged less than 10 years. By using an anthropological approach and applying data collection method through participatory observations and in-depth interviews, this study concluded that there were two factors that made them be the most vulnerable group, yet they could face economic emergencies at the same time, such as first, their ability to optimize social capital to increase their own capacity and their family’s capacity in the face of economic vulnerability. They did productive economic activities by optimizing very limited work networks to survive their life. Second, they carefully performed minimal income management so that they could survive and fulfill the minimum household needs as a household unit.

Optimalisasi Modal Sosial Keluarga Muda dalam Membangun Ketahanan Ekonomi di Era Covid-19: Studi Kasus di Perdesaan Jawa

The Covid-19 pandemic has caused acute non-health impacts for various levels of society, including young families in rural areas of Java. This study presents the results of research that focus on the experiences of young families who work in the informal sector in overcoming the economic impacts due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The young families in this study were those who got married less than 10 years and/or had the oldest child aged less than 10 years. By using an anthropological approach and applying data collection method through participatory observations and in-depth interviews, this study concluded that there were two factors that made them be the most vulnerable group, yet they could face economic emergencies at the same time, such as first, their ability to optimize social capital to increase their own capacity and their family’s capacity in the face of economic vulnerability. They did productive economic activities by optimizing very limited work networks to survive their life. Second, they carefully performed minimal income management so that they could survive and fulfill the minimum household needs as a household unit.

Motives and determinants of remittance from rural-urban migration: evidence from Southern Ethiopia

ABSTRACT This study examined the determinants of the level of remittance from urban migrants to their families in rural areas using a sample of 665 rural-urban migrants and Tobit regression in Southern Ethiopia.Descriptive results revealed that most of rural-urban migrants were unmarried, better educated, and young. For instance, 84 percent of rural-urban migrants were unmarried, while 68 percent of rural-urban migrants aged between 15 and 25 years.The education level of 74 percent of rural-urban migrants was found between 5 and 10 years of schooling.The mean income, saving, and remittance of female migrants were lower than their male counterparts. Regression results of Tobit model indicated that age, gender, education level, frequency of visits, income, and saving of migrants positively and significantly related with the level of remittance from migrants. But family size of migrant-sending household and the intension to return back negatively and significantly related with the level of remittance. Provision of better education in origin areas and better-paying jobs in receiving areas would lead to higher remittance from migrants. The provision of off-farm employments in origin areas would reduce the current wave of rural-urban migration and this will lessen pressure on public services in receiving urban areas.

Dietary Patterns and Determinants of Pregnant and Lactating Women From Marginalized Communities in India: A Community-Based Cross-Sectional Study.

Objective: Dietary pattern analysis has emerged as a balanced and realistic approach that reflects how the food is consumed in real life. However, previous studies have overlooked the two important phases in women's life, pregnancy, and lactation. We aimed to explore dietary patterns and their determinants among pregnant and lactating women from marginalized families in rural areas and urban slums of India.Methods: It was a community-based cross-sectional study conducted across four districts of India, one from each region (North, West, East, and South). We used a structured questionnaire to collect data on socio-demographic characteristics and access to nutrition services. The dietary data were collected using a qualitative food frequency questionnaire having 204 food items, which were clubbed into 16 major food groups. The principal component analysis method was employed to identify dietary patterns (prefixed at 4). We used multinomial logistic regression to explore associations of socio-demographic and access to nutrition services' variables with identified dietary patterns.Results: The data of 476 pregnant and 446 lactating women were assessed. Four patterns explained for 54% of the variation in their food intake. The patterns identified were low-mixed vegetarian (19%), non-vegetarian (15%), high-mixed vegetarian (11%), and calorie-rich (9%). The low-mixed diet was rich in rice, roots and tubers, green leafy vegetables, and other vegetables. The non-vegetarian diet was characterized by high loadings for nuts or seeds, chicken, meat or fish, eggs, beverages (milk-based), and snacks. The high-mixed vegetarian diet was rich in cereals other than rice and wheat, pulses, and fruits. The calorie-rich diet had high factor loadings for wheat, butter and oil, sweets, and milk and milk products. Hindus and women who lived in rural areas had higher odds of consuming a low-mixed vegetarian diet and lower odds of a high-mixed vegetarian diet. Working women and those who received nutrition advice during pregnancy or lactation had 2–3 times higher odds of consuming a high-mixed vegetarian diet.Conclusions: A high prevalence of a low-mixed vegetarian diet among women can have adverse pregnancy and birth outcomes. Healthy dietary patterns during pregnancy and lactation are required to meet the increased micro- and macronutrient requirements for improved maternal and child health.

Self-Directed Female Migration in Ghana: Health and Wellness of Elderly Family Caregivers Left Behind. An Ethnographic Study.

Driven by the global economic crisis, families are developing strategies for survival, including self-directed female migration. Female migration has negative and positive impacts on families in rural areas. The purpose of the project was to explore the health and wellness experiences of elderly family caregivers who have female family members who have migrated to improve the status of their families. In this focused ethnographic study, we interviewed elderly family members who had a female family member who migrated outside their community for employment. Participants were enrolled from northern Ghanaian communities known to be economically disadvantaged in comparison to their southern counterparts. All interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and translated into English. Data were analyzed based on thematic content. Majors themes that emerged were reasons for children leaving their families; physical, emotional, and spiritual health; and social and economic struggles. Challenges of family care work undertaken by the elderly in families with emigrated female kin strongly also emerged as a theme. New contextual knowledge was developed about the impact of self-directed female migration on the health and wellness of elderly family caregivers. The information is valuable for the development of culturally appropriate social support and health practices for female migrants and their families.

Fish Diversity and Abundance Using Statistical Modelling in Hadejia-Nguru Wetlands (HNWs), Nigeria: An Adaptive Environmental Assessment

Fisheries and aquaculture plays a significant role in the Nigerian economy by providing employment, diversifying livelihoods, providing animal nutrition, and earning returns on foreign exchange. Fish is an important economic factor for many nations, as serves as a staple diet in many countries. As evident, in many developed nations, fishing is a crucial source of livelihood, particularly for low-income families in rural areas, where it offer local jobs in many communities and is a key source of food for millions. Over the past few decades, fish populations have deteriorated dramatically, and species at risk have experienced growing environmental challenges. Dams, overfishing, pollution, erosion, soil loss and other human activities are main threats to fisheries ecology. The presents study aimed to analyze the decline in diversity of the fish, adaptive management of artisanal fishermen in the wetlands of Hadejia-Nguru, Guri local government area of Jigawa State and to explore the correlation of environmental factors for the decline in fish diversity. In this study the data were collected through questionnaire interview (QI), focus group conversation (FGD), and field data collection (FDC), and the test objectives were accomplished via the analysis workflow. Geostatistical software was used to analyze the information obtained from QI, FGD and other sources while other auxiliary data and field data were collected using GPS receiver. The research findings can be considered as a tools for decision-making, policy-making, management plan development, fish conservation strategies plan and ultimately help to achieve the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 1, 2, 8, 14 and 15 of the 2030 agenda.

Exploring care from extended family through rural women's accounts of perinatal mental illness - a qualitative study with implications for policy and practice.

Extended family often have an important role in caring for women experiencing perinatal mental illness; but rural women's perspectives are under-researched. We explored women's experiences of living in rural northern England and receiving care from extended family during periods of perinatal mental illness through 21 qualitative interviews. Key findings were that companionship, practical support - informal childcare and transport, and emotional support were important forms of care - filling gaps in formal service provision. Findings highlight women's needs for support from extended families in rural areas. The rural infrastructure and inequity in formal services can create vulnerability for women.

Small-scale surface mining of gold placers: Detection, mapping, and temporal analysis through the use of free satellite imagery

Informal small-scale mining is spread in many countries and provides livelihood to numerous families in rural areas yet often with devastating social and environmental impacts. The alluvial gold mining process in Colombia, also known as placer mining, involves excavations using heavy machinery and creates large footprints of bare soil and mining ponds. The very dynamic nature of this extractive activity and its spread in rural and remote areas make its mapping and monitoring very challenging. The use of freely available satellite data of the Copernicus programme provides great new possibilities to study these activities and provides stakeholders integrated data to better understand the spatial and temporal extent of the activities and mitigate affected areas. The objective of this work is to assess the potential of Sentinel-2 data to identify mining areas and to understand the dynamics in landcover change over a study area located at the border of the municipalities of El Bagre and Zaragoza in Bajo Cauca, Colombia. The study utilizes a classification approach followed by post-processing using field knowledge on a set of images from 2016 to 2019. Sequential pattern mining of classified images shows the likelihood of certain annual and seasonal changes in mining-impacted landcover and in the natural vegetation. The results show a slight reduction in the detected mining areas from 2016 to 2019. On the other hand, there are more mining activities in the dry season than in the wet season. Excavated areas of bare soil have a 50% chance to remain in excavation over the considered period or they transition to non-vegetated areas or mining ponds. Vegetation loss due to the extractive activities corresponds to about 35% while recovered vegetated areas are 7% of the total excavated areas in June 2019. An analysis of abandoned sites using NDVI shows that it takes a much longer period than the one considered in this paper for potential natural recovery of vegetation. Finally, the work was disseminated among stakeholders and the public on MapX (https://mapx.org), an online open platform for mapping and visualizing geospatial data on natural resources. It is a pilot study the will be the basis of the analysis of more regions in the department of Antioquia.

Evaluation of poverty-stricken families in rural areas using a novel case-based reasoning method for probabilistic linguistic term sets

Through specific efforts to eliminate poverty over several decades, a large number of poverty-stricken families in China have been lifted out of poverty although, in some rural areas, there still exist a large number of very poor people. In 2013, to realize the aim of eliminating poverty in the whole of China by 2020, a specific, targeted poverty alleviation policy was proposed. A suitable evaluation mechanism is vital to measure the effect of this important policy. Because there are intrinsic uncertainties related to the reliability of information about poverty-stricken families, we use linguistic term sets (LTS) to express experts’ opinions. Thus, aggregated information from all relevant experts can be described as probabilistic linguistic term sets (PLTSs). We propose a novel case-based reasoning method to rank and cluster poverty-stricken families considering both the decision data and experts’ experiences. We first propose a new preference value function for PLTS considering the experts’ bounded rationality. Additionally, we propose a DEMATEL (decision making trial and evaluation laboratory) method for PLTSs to analyze relations of criteria and find key factors in the evaluation system. To illustrate our process, we apply our method to a real case of a village from Inner Mongolia. Based on this case study, we rank and cluster 21 poverty-stricken families, and present an analysis of the key factors that influence the evaluation system.

Do cash transfers have impacts on student Academic, cognitive, and enrollment outcomes? Evidence from rural China

Poverty has significant and lasting adverse impacts on child development. In recent decades, Cash transfer (CT) programs are widely used to address child poverty, and have become one of the most important social-protection programs for improving welfare outcomes of children. This study evaluates the effects of the rural-China School Subsidy Program (SSP) on compulsory student academic, cognitive achievement, and enrollment outcomes. Instituted in 2006, the program targets students from poor families in rural areas, who receive cash transfers of about 1000 yuan (US$150) per year, or 15% of the average per capita disposable rural income. Our sample is drawn from the China Education Panel Survey (CEPS), and includes 3552 compulsory students in rural China. In the data analysis, we employed the difference-in-differences model with propensity score matching (PSM-DID), and the logit model. Our results show that the program significantly increases student enrollment, but has no effect on academic performance or cognitive achievement. Further, the positive enrollment effects of the program are greater for students with less-educated fathers. The results are robust across alternative matching methods. Our findings suggest that the program results in partial improvement to student enrollment in rural areas, but that more support is needed for improving overall student welfare. One concern in implementing the SSP is that due to the lack of effective supervision, teachers are more likely to offer subsidies to students with high academic standing. This will reduce the welfare improvement effect of SSP.

Experience working with dysfunctional families on the example of a municipal district — Abzelilovsky district of the Republic of Bashkortostan

The author of the article presents the experience of working with disadvantaged families on the example of the municipal district — Abzelilovsky district of the Republic of Bashkortostan. It presents the main directions, forms and methods of working with disadvantaged families in rural areas. This material will be of interest to specialists of rural administration, a specialist in social work.

Mineral and Phytochemical Composition of Cleome Gynandra Methanolic Extract

The study was done to evaluate the mineral and phytochemical composition of the methanolic extract of Cleome gynandra (spider plant). The plant is used as a traditional vegetable in some communities in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. The plant has also been reported to have some medicinal effect due to presence of phytochemicals but its pharmacological and phytochemical profile has not been fully established. Collection and authentication of the plant was done followed by extraction using methanol as a solvent. The phytochemical investigation was done using both chemical analysis and chromatography method by use of a Gas chromatography mass spectroscopy (GCMS) system as per standard protocol. Cleome gynandra was found to contain some mineral compounds of nutritional importance and phytochemicals with potential medicinal importance. The phytochemicals analyzed include saponins, flavonoids, tannins, alkaloids, cardiac glycosides, terpanoids and polyphenols. These different phytochemicals can be further studied and their potential medicinal importance analyzed. The study concluded that Cleome gynandra contains phytochemicals with potentially important medicinal value. The plant (Cleome gynandra) can also be used as an important nutritional source of some essential nutrients like Vitamin C and beta carotene. It can also be a good source of some mineral elements like iron, selenium, cobalt, copper, zinc and manganese. This can be important for families in rural areas and for the low-income households in both rural and urban areas as a source of nutrients.

The key issues of rural multi-child families (on the example of Vilyuysky District of the Sakha Republic)

The subject of this research is the problems of multi-child families in rural areas of Vilyuysky District of the Sakha Republic (Yakutia). The article explores the definition of multi-child family, as well as federal and regional measures of their social support. The authors describe in detail the key problems currently faced by multi-child families. Assessment is given to the state support of such families. The main research method is the interview with multi-child families residing in Vilyuysky District of the Sakha Republic (Yakutia). The selection of families for participation in the interview was based on the following criteria: number of children, age, level of education, and parents’ employment status. The main conclusions of the conducted research lie in the description of multi-child parenting from the perspective of rural multi-child families, and determination of trends of multi-child parenting in the region. The results of the research allow speaking of the fact that the dominant reproductive preference of the majority of women living in the Sakha Republic (Yakutia) became the family model with three children. The percentage of children born in multi-child families among all children of the republic us 52.8%. The novelty consists in identification of the key problems experienced by multi-child families in the remote northern region. The authors thoroughly describe the financial, housing, pedagogical problems of such families.

Intergenerational Mobility in Educational Attainments

This paper investigates intergenerational educational mobility, a non-monetary measure of socioeconomic status in Pakistan. Data from the Pakistan Social and Living Standards Measurements (PSLM-2012-13) are used for empirical analysis. Contingency tables and multinomial logit model are utilised. Results indicate strong evidence of intergenerational linkages in educational attainments between fathers and their sons. Although findings reveal some degree of upward mobility, opportunities are not equal for all. Chances for attainment of higher education for sons of fathers with education up to the secondary level only, are not as prevalent as for sons of highly educated fathers. Further, urban areas show higher mobility as compared to rural areas. Results also reveal that the affluent are more likely to attain higher levels of education than the financially disadvantaged. In addition, sons of affluent families in rural areas are less likely to attain higher levels of education compared to the sons of the affluent in urban areas. Our findings also support evidence in favour of the child quality- quantity trade-off as shown by negative impacts of family size on attainment of higher levels of education. JEL Classification: C24, J24, L86, O43, O47 Keywords: Inequality of Opportunity, Education, Intergenerational Mobility

Nurse home visitation with vulnerable families in rural areas: A qualitative case file review.

Nurse home visiting may address challenges and resource disparities that threaten maternal and infant well-being in rural areas, but little is known about United States' program implementation. This qualitative study explored how family and community characteristics affected rural nurse home visiting. The sample for content analysis included families beginning services in 2010-2011 living in the rural counties with the highest caseloads (433 families). Electronic nurse home visiting case files from three rural counties were analyzed using a content analysis approach. The partner agency provided input on key constructs of interest but independent coding was also done to capture additional themes. Quantitative county level data and comments from member checking informed interpretation. Member checking included individual nurses serving the selected counties (n=3) and input from an agency level supervisory meeting for validation. Concerns of families served (e.g., mental health) may not be unique to rural areas, but challenges to accessing resources and constellation of needs were. Nurses adapted engagement and service strategies to meet these needs. Agencies serving rural areas should allocate resources and adapt training to support nurses based on unique community profiles. More research on rural nurse home visiting practice and outcomes is needed.

The Effectiveness of a Home-Based Delivery of Triple P in High-Risk Families in Rural Areas

Triple P is a positive parenting intervention designed to improve parenting practices and enhance childhood outcomes. Triple P has shown positive effects in various prior studies; however, to date, no studies have examined the potential benefits of home-based Triple P when conducted with rural families with parents at high risk for child abuse. The aim of this study was to use archival data to examine the effects of Triple P on dysfunctional discipline and parental anger as well as child emotional/behavioral difficulties. In addition, the study sought to investigate the potential moderating effect of race/ethnicity in these outcomes. Archival data were analyzed in this study. Data were originally collected using a pre- and post-treatment design. A racially and ethnically diverse sample of 171 caregivers was assessed using various self-report instruments before and immediately after receiving the manualized intervention. A repeated-measures design, with ethnicity examined as a moderating variable, was used to assess the differences in dysfunctional discipline, parental anger, and child emotional/behavioral difficulties prior to and immediately following Triple P services. Overall, participants evidenced significant decreases in scores following treatment. Additionally, some effects were moderated by race/ethnicity. This study demonstrates the potential benefits of a home-based format of Triple P for decreasing dysfunctional parenting behaviors and problematic child behaviors in high-risk, rural families.

Convergence Analysis of Capacities for Photovoltaics and Energy Storage System Considering Energy Self-Sufficiency Rates and Load Patterns of Rural Areas

This work is a case study of 905 households, to present methods for optimizing the capacity of photovoltaic sytems (PVs)/energy storage systems (ESSs) for household to reach a desired energy self-sufficiency (70% to 90%). In order to calculate the capacity of PV and ESSs that would enhance the energy self-sufficiency of families in rural areas, the solar radiance data of the target area for the last five years and the average monthly power usage in the previous year were collected. Then, households with an average energy consumption of 250 kWh per month were chosen for this research. According to the simulation done using Solar Pro, the optimized capacities of PVs and ESSs are 2.67 kW and 7.15 kW, respectively, in order to achieve 90% energy self-sufficiency. We visualized the change in the optimum capacity of PVs and ESSs for the desired energy self-sufficiency. This study would be the base work for forming a grid-distributed energy network system by expanding the system to a national scale.