Family Investment Research Articles

Empowering Family Nurse Practitioners for Sustainable Community Health

<p>醫療自主權於現今醫療環境中日趨重要，以病人為中心照護的重要環節，就是鼓勵病患積極參與醫療決策，以提升照護品質與滿度度。台灣衛生福利部自2016年開始推行醫病共享決策（shared decision making, SDM），期望促使病人積極參與醫療決策，以提升醫病關係、醫療品質及病人安全。推動至今，共享決策已廣泛運用於臨床實務中。但是，偏鄉及高齡長者，其就醫習慣、喜好、價值觀和醫療新知取得與都市居民有極大的差異。傳統以「醫生」作決策的觀念深植，參與SDM之意願以及推廣策略，值得探討。因此，本文將從專科護理師之角色去探討共享決策於偏鄉醫院推動影響因素，推行過程所遇到困境與經驗，綜整考量偏鄉居民特質及觀念，因應出不同之SDM推行之道。</p> <p> </p><p>Various challenges, such as a nursing workforce shortage, an aging society, and health inequality,seriously affect the sustainable development of Taiwan. Although the specialized nursing system represents a significant milestone in nursing development in Taiwan, it is mainly focused on hospital training, neglecting community health needs. Community health care can be effectively enhanced by promoting the family nurse practitioner system, especially in rural areas. Family nurse practi-tioners provide medical care services, boost local economies, increase employment opportunities, and strengthen community cohesion. The cultivation and investment in family nurse practitioners are crucial for improving the efficiency and quality of medical services. With the adjustment of the med-ical training system in Taiwan, nurse practitioners could redefine their roles and responsibilities in a new environment, and eventually contribute to the sustainability of Taiwan’s primary health care and improve community health. Through the empowerment of family nurse practitioners, Taiwan will be better equipped to address challenges and achieve sustainable development goals</p> <p> </p>

Post occupancy evaluation of private open spaces in dwelling units in single family investment housing projects in Erbil city

Due to urbanization, it has been found that in many cases public open spaces in the city are not maintained, as new investments are trying to make use of the land to construct more buildings The shortage of public open spaces can be treated by providing a sufficient amount of private open spaces in housing estates. Furthermore, the designers need to consider the dwelling layout to provide the best environment for the residents; this will maintain a high level of household satisfaction. One main element of household satisfaction is open spaces. In this research paper, private open space assessments in 4 investment projects with 98 samples in Erbil were considered. To investigate and examine how the exterior environment of the dwellings affects the residents’ satisfaction, based on plot size and number of bedrooms, surveys were performed on selected projects through documentation surveys and questionnaires. Then the evaluation was performed through two stages, firstly the technical assessment stage according to Iraqi standards, and secondly the residents’ response stage regarding satisfaction levels. The research objectives were obtained using SPSS software, through the use of descriptive statistics, correlation, and regression analysis. The results of the research discovered that all the projects except Minara B were slightly above the minimum level, thus in the range of Iraqi standards. Moreover, the level of overall satisfaction with these projects ranged from neutral to slightly satisfied, with the residents’ responses stating that they needed more private open spaces.

Effects of a monthly unconditional cash transfer starting at birth on family investments among US families with low income.

How does unconditional income for families in poverty affect parental investments for their young children? Mothers in four US metropolitan areas were randomized to receive a monthly unconditional cash transfer of either $333 per month (high) or $20 per month (low) for the first several years after childbirth. During the first 3 years, high-cash gift households spent more money on child-specific goods and more time on child-specific early learning activities than the low-cash gift group. Few changes were evident in other core household expenditures. Compared with low-cash gift families, high-cash gift families reported lower rates of public benefit receipt and fewer were residing in poverty, although mean income and wealth remain low for the majority of families by year 3. No statistically significant differences were evident in mothers' participation in paid work, children's time in childcare or mothers' subjective wellbeing.

Unveiling the Dynamics of Educational Equity: Exploring the Third Type of Digital Divide for Primary and Secondary Schools in China

The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the integration of online learning into primary and secondary education. However, gaps persist in academic research, particularly in understanding its impact on educational equity within the third-type digital divide. This study conducted an equity-focused review to assess online learning’s impact on primary and secondary education within this context. It developed a theoretical framework integrating elements from schooling and home environments to explore equity implications in online learning. Building on this, the study proposed and validated a conceptual model using structural equation modeling (SEM), analyzing data from 1236 students in Shenzhen, China. The study found that both school investment and family involvement indirectly influence students’ online learning outcomes through complete mediating effects on students’ online learning engagement. Family investment slightly outweighs school education in its influence on outcomes. Consequently, online education within the environmental divide potentially hinders educational equity, necessitating caution with large-scale online education initiatives. This study fills research gaps on the digital divide in the third environment, leveraging China’s pandemic experience with online education. It also integrates school education and family input to examine the impact of large-scale online learning and its associated strategies on educational equity, providing insights into the promotion of educational equity.

Protection or commodification of women? Discursive construction of bridewealth on Chinese social media

ABSTRACT Bridewealth, the long-standing practice of groom-to-bride monetary transfer, is now facing growing backlash in China. Researchers mostly approach bridewealth from the perspectives of anthropology and economics, highlighting its social impact yet leaving public opinions on it less heeded. To fill this niche, this study collected the most “liked” 5,000 posts from Sina Weibo, identified dominant themes of bridewealth supporters and detractors, and analyzed how these themes are (de)legitimatized. Drawing on feminist critical discourse analysis and van Leeuwen’s analytical toolkit, content analysis reveals that supporters mainly see bridewealth as a protection of women, an investment in the new families, and a worthy tradition to follow, whereas opponents associate it with the commodification of women, financial challenges to men’s natal families, and long-gone feudal shackles. These themes are enacted with strategies like rationalization, moralization, victimization, and authorization. This study stands out for situating bridewealth in media studies and illuminating the contested public discourse on it. More importantly, given that most supporters are women and they bear the brunt of the family-work balance, the study also gives voice to the much-silenced women’s marriage-related concerns in institutional media so that their welfare and self-actualization can be accommodated in future policy-making.

Coping Strategies for Financial Burden of Family for the Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Background: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopment disorder and an emerging public health issue globally which is associated with huge burden to the family, community and the nation. Study was conducted to find out the coping strategies for financial burden of the family with ASD children. Methods: A cross-sectional study on 154 children with ASD was carried out from July 2015 to June 2016 where data were collected from two special schools and two specialized hospitals of Dhaka city. Data were collected by face-to-face interview with semi-structured questionnaire following systematic random sampling technique. Informed written consent was taken from the parents. Results: Majority (73.4%) of the children were male and average monthly family income and total treatment cost was Tk. 41785.7 and Tk. 23076.62 respectively. However, coping strategies were adopted by the family “changing lifestyle” (96.8%), “accepting the reality” (100%), “minimizing family investment” (90.3%). Again, 52.5% families minimized family investment as coping strategies, 52.2% families had financial constraint as consequences of financial burden, which were significantly higher in comparison with others (p<0.05). Conclusion: ASD foist huge financial burden to the families of affected children. To compensate this financial burden, families adopted different coping strategies like changing lifestyle, taking social support, relying on religion, minimizing family investment, accepting reality etc. Appropriate early diagnostic facilities should be available to estimate the actual burden of the country. Bangladesh Armed Forces Med J Vol 56 No (2) December 2023, pp 38-44

A Study on the Effect on Education Investment in Family on the Academic Performance of Elementary School Students in China: The Mediating Effect on Approaches to Learning

A Study on the Effect on Education Investment in Family on the Academic Performance of Elementary School Students in China: The Mediating Effect on Approaches to Learning

Changes in family investment in children’s out-of-school education in China, 2010–2018

Despite the growing perception of and concern about the rising cost burden of out-of-school education on families in China, few studies to date have comprehensively examined how family investment in out-of-school education has changed over time. Capitalizing on longitudinal data from the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) for 2010–2018, this study analyzes the trend in family investment in children’s out-of-school education (measured by children’s rates of participation and families’ absolute and relative monetary expenditure) during that period. We also examine how this trend differs by family socioeconomic status (SES) and by children’s level of schooling (preschool, primary school, junior high school). Our results show a large and growing number of families invest in out-of-school education in their children’s preschool years, with a significant SES gradient. Furthermore, family investment in out-of-school education has increased significantly between 2010 and 2018, with SES disparities in investment persisting and even widening during the same period. These findings carry important implications for understanding educational inequality in contemporary China as well as for policy making to promote educational equality.

The Nurture of Nature and the Nature of Nurture: How Genes and Investments Interact in the Formation of Skills

This paper studies the interplay between genetics and family investments in the process of skill formation. We model and estimate the joint evolution of skills and parental investments throughout early childhood. We document three genetic mechanisms: the direct effect of child genes on skills, the indirect effect of child genes via parental investments, and family genetic influences captured by parental genes. We show that genetic effects are dynamic, increase over time, and operate via environmental channels. Our paper highlights the value of integrating biological and social perspectives into a single unified framework. (JEL I24, I26, J12, J13, J24)

Strategies for social mobility through sports and/or school in working-class Moroccan families

ABSTRACT This article examines the social mobility strategies employed by working-class Moroccan families in the context of the complex relationship of elite sport and school. To better understand these strategies, a qualitative study, including semi-structured interviews and participant observations, was conducted in the city of Temara (on the outskirts of Rabat) with young people aged 14–20 years and parents. From the analysis of this data, I identified five themes that reflect the different investments families held in sport and/or schooling, as strategies for their children’s futures. One group of parents invested in an educational strategy that focused on academic success. In contrast, others adapted their strategies to encourage their children to pursue an athletic career if they failed academically or showed signs of potential athletic success, while another group of parents tried to protect their children from the possible adverse effects of sports commitment. Another group supported their children in their chosen paths of social mobility. Lastly, there were parents who due to precarious living conditions and family conflicts were indifferent to sports as a pathway to social mobility and instead urged their children to become more productive immediately through seeking work. These differing family strategies in relation to young people's investment in sports point to the diversity of working-class families’ responses to the tensions that emerge when school and sport come into conflict as pathways to social mobility. I acknowledge that these family strategies are not fixed but may change with changes in available resources and opportunities. However, I argue that both schools and sporting organizations need to be aware and understand the complex environments, including family investments and strategies in which students may be making choices about their futures in relation to education and sport.

Research on the well-off family education investment under the Policy of Double Reduction

Chinese education is like a large competitive game in the past time, with a lot of over-step learning and pre-emptive education increasing the extra —curricular pressure on primary and secondary school students day by day.In 2021, the national "double reduction" policy was implemented, and in 2022, the "Family Education Promotion Law of the People's Republic of China" was introduced. With the combined effect of "one government, one law", the status and role of family education have become more prominent, so it is of great practical significance to understand the education investment behavior of Chinese families. Therefore, this study is a case study of three students and their families from different schools in Weifang, Shandong Province in China. Through semi-structured interviews, this paper discusses the educational investment of well-off families after the implementation of the double reduction policy. The results show that art-related learning content dominates the education expenditure of well-off families after the implementation of the double-reducing policy, while cultural tutoring decreases. Becasue of (a)parents mainly want to cultivate their children's interests and hobbies or provide guidance for weak subjects; (b)the lack of understanding of the double reduction policy, leading to parents and students blindly follow the trend, increasing the pressure of students and parents' anxiety. This study focuses on the feelings of students and parents after the implementation of the double reduction policy, and attaches importance to the problems arising after the implementation of the policy. The findings are helpful to provide reference for future research on the educational investment of wealthy families after the implementation of the double reduction policy.

Social media and family investment behavior

This study delves into the intricate connections between family investment habits and social media. Through an analysis of social media use patterns, information exposure, family financial literacy, and the impact of social media on investment decisions, this research aims to shed light on the intricacies that characterize contemporary family investment plans. Using regression models to examine data from 75 countries between 2000 and 2022, this research aims to illuminate how social media users see financial risks and the relationship between exposure and risk tolerance. Furthermore, the study examines how social media plays a part in long-term budgeting, specifically whether families use it to set investment targets. This research also looks at how people in a family use technology and how social media affects people's openness to new financial tools. Additionally, it investigates the effects, both good and bad, of social media on family conversations on money and investing. The thorough examination of these factors in this research sheds light on how family investing habits have evolved in the digital era. The findings of this study reveal the impact of internet media on family financial dynamic cycles, which is of great importance to scholars, professionals, and lawmakers.

A description of the culture of tambatinga (Colossoma macropomum x Piaractus brachypomus) in a South American tropical region and the interaction of farm size with value chains

Understanding the economic efficiency of pond-based fish culture in tropical developing countries is essential for defining development programs. This study was designed to describe the aquaculture of tambatinga in various farm sizes that is being performed in a region close to the equator in Brazil called the midnorth. The major focus was on the economic performance and the relationship between different farm sizes and downstream value chains. We also describe the attractiveness of investments in small farms. A purposive sample of commercial tambatinga farms was taken. Sixteen farms were selected which encompassed a representative sample of progressively increasing production areas, ranging from 0.1 ha to 220 ha. Complete enterprise budgets were developed for each farm based on standard budgeting techniques, and indicators of financial feasibility were computed. The farming of tambatinga in the midnorth is performed in semi-intensive levee or watershed pond systems in farms of various levels of complexity and different production strategies. All farms perform a monophase cycle, stock small fingerlings (3 to 6 g) and feed fish with a commercial diet. Yield, net income, economic profit, net present value, internal rate of return and benefit/cost ratio were found to decrease as farm size increased. Payback period and break-even point increased as farm size increased. Small aquaculture farms (≤ 1.5 ha) had a vertical business structure and presented a more effective economic performance. They are also attractive as family investments. This model of enterprise can boost rural economies and reduce poverty in developing countries. Large farms (≥ 17 ha) were not economically feasible because they do not operate in the market and sell their production at lower prices. Increasing farm size should go hand in hand with improvements in technology to be feasible.

Economic Analysis of High Density Cotton Farming Systems in Telangana

This study was taken up in three districts (Adilabad, Warangal and Nagarkurnool) from three different zones of Telangana (Northern, Central and Southern). It evaluated the economic benefit of HDPS cotton by comparing it with non HDPS cotton. For this study, multistage sampling was used. HDPS adopters and non-adopters were equally picked from each zone based on the proportionate level of technology adoption. In order to create a sample size of 180 farmers, a total of 90 HDPS adopters and 90 HDPS non-adopters from three agroclimatic zones of Telangana. Cost of cultivation of HDPS cotton for marginal, small and large farms was found to be ₹ 96,376.74, ₹ 98,607.71 and ₹ 1,00,355.77 and in non HDPS cotton, ₹ 91,229.89, ₹ 93,211.99 and ₹ 95,346.71 for marginal, small and large farms respectively. The cost of cultivation for pooled HDPS and non HDPS farms was ₹ 98,239.49 and ₹ 93,266.07 per hectare respectively. The cost difference between the HDPS and non HDPS cotton was ₹ 4,973.42 per hectare. Among the selected three districts of three zones of Telangana, cost of cultivation of pooled HDPS cotton farmers was high for Nagarkurnool with ₹ 97,802.37 per hectare followed by Adilabad and Warangal (Urban and Rural) with ₹ 96,320.62 and ₹ 96,121.03 per hectare respectively. The gross returns and net returns were more for Adilabad district with ₹ 1,32,452.47 and ₹ 33,231.24 per hectare followed by Nagarkurnool with ₹ 1,28,254.13 and ₹ 31,982.02 and Warangal with ₹ 1,27,452.45 and ₹ 32,252.21 per hectare, respectively. The farm business income for HDPS cotton farms was found to be ₹ 75,857.40 per hectare which is higher than non HDPS farms i.e., ₹ 61,241.23 per hectare. The family labour income of the HDPS farmer was also found to be more for HDPS cotton i.e., ₹ 45,784.11 per hectare compared to the non HDPS cotton farms i.e., ₹ 31,502.68 per hectare. Because of high farm business income, the family investment income was more for HDPS cotton i.e., ₹ 65,665.92 per hectare as compared to the non HDPS cotton i.e., ₹ 53,225.01 per hectare respectively. The average gross returns of HDPS cotton across the State on selected marginal, small and large farms were ₹ 1,17,750.00, ₹ 1,28,587.50 and ₹ 1,38,125.12 per hectare, respectively. Similarly, the net profits for HDPS cotton over cost C2 basis on marginal, small and large farms in the state were ₹ 21,373.26, ₹ 29,979.80 and ₹ 37,769.35 per hectare respectively. Average yield obtained in HDPS cotton farms was 20.25 quintal per hectare and for non HDPS cotton farms it was 17.95 quintal per hectare.

Impact of the Financial Resources Allocated to Education in Each Region on Family Investment in Education at the Compulsory School Level

Compulsory education has a vital role in the process of national development, so financial education funding is a public expense that must be guaranteed and implemented by all regional governments. And family education investment also plays an important role in education as the supplementary funding for every school-age child to receive education. Due to data limitations, the number of studies on the relationship between the two is relatively small, so this paper, based on the micro-database of the China Education and Finance Household Survey (CIEFR-HS), examines in depth the impact of financial education funding on household education inputs during the compulsory education stage, and accordingly makes recommendations for policy targeting. The result reveals that the local financial expenditures on compulsory education have a significant crowding-in effect on families education investment. The present study provides novel evidence on the relationship between educational investment and household investment and accordingly makes recommendations for policy targeting.

Oral Health, Social and Emotional Well-Being, and Economic Costs: Protocol for the Second Australian National Child Oral Health Survey.

Given the significant investment of governments and families into the provision of child dental care services in Australia, continued population oral health surveillance through national oral health surveys is imperative. The aims of this study are to conduct a second National Child Oral Health Survey (NCOHS-2) to (1) describe the prevalence, extent, and impact of oral diseases in contemporary Australian children; (2) evaluate changes in the prevalence and extent of oral diseases in the Australian child population and socioeconomic subgroups since the first National Child Oral Health Study (NCOHS-1) in 2012-2013; and (3) use economic modeling to evaluate the burden of child oral disease from the NCOHS-1 and NCOHS-2 and to estimate the cost-effectiveness of targeted programs for high-risk child groups. The NCOHS-2 will closely mimic the NCOHS-1 in being a cross-sectional survey of a representative sample of Australian children aged 5-14 years. The survey will comprise oral epidemiological examinations and questionnaires to elucidate associations between dental disease in a range of outcomes, including social and emotional well-being. The information will be analyzed within the context of dental service organization and delivery at national and jurisdictional levels. Information from the NCOHS-1 and NCOHS-2 will be used to simulate oral disease and its economic burden using both health system and household costs of childhood oral health disease. Participant recruitment for the NCOHS-2 will commence in February 2024. The first results are expected to be submitted for publication 6 months after NCOHS-2 data collection has been completed. Thematic workshops with key partners and stakeholders will also occur at this time. Regular surveillance of child oral health at an Australian level facilitates timely policy and planning of each state and territory's dental public health sector. This is imperative to enable the most equitable distribution of scarce public monies, especially for socially disadvantaged children who bear the greatest dental disease burden. The last NCOHS was conducted in 2012-2014, meaning that these data need to be updated to better inform effective dental health policy and planning. The NCOHS-2 will enable more up-to-date estimates of dental disease prevalence and severity among Australian children, with cost-effective analysis being useful to determine the economic burden of poor child dental health on social and emotional well-being and other health indicators. PRR1-10.2196/52233.

Parental investment or parenting stress? Examining the links between poverty and child development in Ireland

ABSTRACT This study investigates the relationship between multidimensional household poverty and cognitive and behavioural development during the formative years of childhood (from 9 months to 9 years), using nationally representative longitudinal data from Ireland for the cohort of children born in 2007-2008. The results indicate substantial inequalities in Irish children’s cognitive and behavioural outcomes at age 9 by multidimensional poverty duration. Children with at least one spell in poverty (out of four interviews) have worse cognitive and behavioural outcomes. Dynamic structural equation models provide evidence in support of a hybrid family investment/family stress model. Although family investment processes account for some of the cumulative effects of childhood poverty on cognitive outcomes, family stress processes help explain the links between poverty and both cognitive and behaviour outcomes in early childhood. Overall, poverty is strongly related to child outcomes over time via the direct effects of current poverty on child outcomes and path dependency in both poverty and child outcomes over time. There are also indirect effects via the two child outcomes reinforcing each other as children grow older (with the effects of behaviour problems dominating those of cognitive ability), even as the parental investment and maternal stress pathways become less pronounced.

Prenatal testosterone synchrony in first-time parents predicts fathers' postpartum relationship quality

There is evidence that men's testosterone levels decline across the transition to fatherhood and that this decline may reflect fathers' investment in the new family. There is also emerging evidence that cohabiting couples show synchrony or within-couple associations in testosterone levels during the perinatal period. Hormonal synchrony may act as a mechanism that supports fathers' biological preparation for parenthood, perhaps by facilitating perinatal declines in paternal testosterone. However, few studies have examined testosterone synchrony and change within couples. A sample of 97 U.S. couples expecting their first child provided testosterone samples during pregnancy, and of those couples, 78 couples also provided testosterone at seven months postpartum. Couples reported on relationship satisfaction both at prenatal and postpartum visits. Bayesian multilevel modeling revealed within-couple testosterone synchrony both during pregnancy and postpartum. Testosterone synchrony during pregnancy predicted a greater drop in fathers' testosterone levels from prenatal to postpartum and higher paternal postpartum relationship quality. Fathers' lower prenatal testosterone levels also subsequently predicted higher self-reported postpartum relationship quality for both parents. In sum, this study finds that couples' testosterone levels show synchrony across the transition to parenthood in ways that are associated with couple relationship quality and men's neuroendocrine preparation for fatherhood.

Self-reported abortion experiences in Ethiopia and Uganda, new evidence from cross-sectional community-based surveys.

Unsafe abortion is a major contributor to maternal morbidity and mortality. To gain insight into the ways in which abortion restrictions and stigma may shape reproductive health outcomes, we present self-reported data on abortions in Ethiopia and Uganda and compare these findings across the two varying legal contexts. W investigate differences in sociodemographic characteristics by whether or not a woman self-reported an abortion, and we describe the characteristics of women's most recent self-reported abortion. In Ethiopia only, we classified abortions as being either safe, less safe, or least safe. Finally, we estimate minimum one-year induced abortion incidence rates using the Network Scale-Up Method (NSUM). We find that women who self-reported abortions were more commonly older, formerly married, or had any children compared to women who did not report an abortion. While three-quarters of women in both settings accessed their abortion in a health facility, women in Ethiopia more commonly used public facilities as compared to in Uganda (23.0% vs 12.6%). In Ethiopia, 62.4% of self-reported abortions were classified as safe, and treated complications were more commonly reported among least and less safe abortions compared to safe abortions (21.4% and 23.1% vs. 12.4%, respectively). Self-reported postabortion complications were more common in Uganda (37.2% vs 16.0%). The NSUM estimate for the minimum one-year abortion incidence rate was 4.7 per 1000 in Ethiopia (95% CI 3.9-5.6) and 19.4 per 1000 in Uganda (95% C 16.2-22.8). The frequency of abortions and low levels of contraception use at the time women became pregnant suggest a need for increased investments in family planning services in both settings. Further, it is likely that the broadly accessible nature of abortion in Ethiopia has made abortions safer and less likely to result in complications in Ethiopia as compared to Uganda.

Pathways to social well-being of children with intellectual disability: testing the Family Investment Model.

Social well-being, including prosocial and peer relationship skills, independence and co-operation, is a particularly important developmental outcome in intellectual disability (ID). The present study investigated pathways to social well-being through the early years' family environment, particularly the role of parental investments in mediating the path from family poverty to child social well-being. In line with the Family Investment Model (FIM), we tested whether parental investments between 3 and 5years of age mediate the impact of family poverty at 9months of age on children's social well-being at 7years. Structural equation models were fitted to data from 555 children with ID identified from a UK population-based cohort. Findings indicated that home learning investments and the structural home environment (though not play) significantly mediated the effect of family poverty on children's social skills, albeit in different directions. While all parental investments reduced in the presence of poverty, the home learning environment appeared to promote social well-being, whereas the structural home environment did not. Sensitivity analyses controlling for co-occurring autism confirmed the pattern of findings. Child gender, ethnicity and parental educational qualifications did not moderate the mediational relationships, suggesting that FIM pathways to social well-being were relevant to all families. The FIM provides a helpful framework to map developmental pathways for children with an ID. Parental investments related to home learning, the structural home environment and play are reduced in the presence of poverty although their impact on child social well-being appears to differ.