Household Groups Research Articles

Homeownership Decisions in the Bust

AbstractWe study the transition in and out of homeownership during the 2008 housing market bust, using detailed micro-level data covering the entire Danish population. We document that homeownership decisions for certain groups of households are cyclical. Households which are affected more by falling house prices reduced their likelihood of acquiring a home during the bust more than other households. These households are characterized by lower levels of net worth, lower income, less education, are singles, and younger. Combined with younger households abandoning homeownership more during the bust, the bust contributed to a significant inter-generational shift in homeownership from younger to older households.

Public health unit funding per capita and seasonal influenza vaccination among youth and adults in Ontario, Canada in 2013/2014 and 2018/2019

BackgroundInfluenza vaccines are crucial in reducing the risk of influenza symptoms. We aimed to: (1) estimate the association between public health unit (PHU) funding per capita and influenza vaccination among...

Leftover love: Exploring the behavioural heterogeneity of household meal wasters

Meal leftovers are a major component of household food waste. However, there is a limited understanding of leftover food management behaviours, which can assist in reducing food waste in household settings. This study segments households with distinctive behaviours associated with meal leftover management. Principal component analysis and cluster analysis were used for consumer segmentation. Data on meal leftovers and food management behaviours were collected using a national-level survey of 1728 Australian households. We identified two heterogenous groups of households regarding leftover meal management, ‘Self-sufficient savers’ (59% of the sample) and ‘Naïve discarders’ (41% of the sample). The findings indicate that inefficient cooking and storing behaviours lead to cooked meals being discarded. ‘Naïve discarders’ dispose of leftover meals either immediately or after storing them because they do not have sufficient cooking skills to repurpose leftovers or judge the safety of the food after storing them. They also lack meal-planning skills. In contrast, the ‘Self-sufficient savers’ demonstrated efficient cooking skills and storing behaviours. They read and followed the storage and meal portioning instructions. Results highlight the need for customised interventions targeting consumers with low cooking and storing knowledge to contribute towards overall food waste minimisation.

Combining price and non-price interventions for water conservation

Abstract Marginal pricing has long been the instrument of choice to address water conservation challenges. More recently, non-price behavioral interventions have emerged as an alternative. However, there is limited data on the relative efficacies of price and non-price interventions. We report results from long-term field experiments studying unit-level water conservation responses to both price and non-price interventions in the same group of households (n = 64 186 household-days). Conservation habits, attitude-action gaps, principal-agent incongruities, and billing cycles help account for the heterogeneity in response between households, and across time. A non-price behavior modification intervention before the introduction of marginal pricing resulted in a large and significant effect on treated households (33%). The subsequent introduction of marginal volumetric pricing also reduced water use (8%, for previously untreated households). However, this average price effect masks how a large share (21%) of households increased water use, or how a mere 12% of the households accounted for all the aggregate reduction in water use. We investigated such heterogeneous responses as a systematic conservation maximization design question beyond statistical variance in individual responses. We used daily water consumption measurements across three years alongside a household survey to delineate structural and agentic barriers to conservation behavior. Our analysis reveals how combining price and non-price behavioral interventions could hold the key to achieving conservation effects that are both large and persistent.

Domesticating Human Capital

This article investigates the consumption of knowledge in early modern Amsterdam. A dataset of seventeenth- and eighteenth-century probate inventories is employed to examine the synergies and inequalities between the skilled and educated middle classes and the intellectual elites. A series of democratisation waves in the ownership of books, writing equipment, and measuring tools confirms the unprecedented levels of basic literacy and numeracy skills in the urban centres of the early modern Low Countries revealed by research on signature proficiency and age heaping. The concentration of secular books and advanced knowledge objects in the hands of a small but growing group of affluent households, on the other hand, corresponds to other research that has fixated instead on the role of upper-tail human capital in scientific, technological, and economic progress. Yet, the relatively low value estimates of libraries and scientific instruments, together with a more qualitative examination of two amateur scientists of middling background, dovetails with the hypothesis that the Dutch Scientific Revolution and Enlightenment were marked by a close interaction and mobility between craftsmen and scientists. An above-average income and enough leisure time to develop intellectual interests could be sufficient for inhabitants of Amsterdam to cross the Rubicon from consuming to (re)producing knowledge.

AD|ARC (Administrative Data | Agricultural Research Collection): Characteristics of farm households participating in agri-environment schemes in Wales, UK.

Objectives Describe the sociodemographic and farm business characteristics of farming households in Wales that have agri-environment contracts (voluntarily opting-in) without primary farm subsidies (voluntarily opting-out). Investigate the sociodemographic and farm business characteristics of farming households in Wales by the number and type of farming subsidies received. ApproachWe utilised the AD|ARC dataset comprising of Census 2011 variables, linked to agricultural and business variables for all farming households in Wales. We analysed variables relating to the individual (e.g. age, gender), household (e.g. household size, structure), farm business (e.g. farm type, diversification activities) and rural payments data (subsidy type, amount paid). We conducted comparative analyses between three groups of farming households: households engaged in agri-environmental schemes but not primary subsidies, households engaged with both subsidy types, and households claiming primary subsidies only. ResultsWe will present a detailed description of the sociodemographic and business characteristics of farming households by the number and type of subsidies claimed and engagement with agri-environmental schemes. Using business, personal, and household characteristics, we will discuss different farming household typologies in relation to participation in agri-environmental schemes, and outline the relationship between farming households and positive environmental action. Full findings will be presented at the conference but are currently subject to information governance restrictions. With an increasing interest in climate change and supporting the natural environment, our findings provide insight into the characteristics of farming households and their relationship to engagement with agri-environmental schemes. Our results will inform policy-makers seeking to support farming and the rural environment.

IMPLEMENTASI DIMENSI DAN TIPE “POLICY NETWORK” DALAM PENANGGULANGAN KEMISKINAN DI KABUPATEN LOMBOK TIMUR

In the study it’s described implementation of poverty alleviation by using new approach namely dimention and type of “policy network. The study method used is mixed method, integration of quantitative and qualitative. The result of study showed that poor household shoud be identified by Integrated Data Base (IDB) which focus on 40 percent of household group which have lowest welfare rate by using Decil (D) approach namely D1 to D4. Meanwhile, acceleration of poverty alleviation its connected with 7 dimentions of policy network namely actors, function, stucture, institutionalisation, power relations, rule of conduct, and actor strategies and each dimention is heterogen.

Empowering rural women: key factors driving participation in livelihood credit programs in Gubalafto woreda, North Wollo, Ethiopia

Background This study investigates the factors influencing rural women’s participation in credit programs in Gubalafto Wereda. Understanding these determinants is crucial for improving program effectiveness and supporting women’s economic empowerment in the region. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted with a sample of 364 rural women from four kebeles, selected through stratified random sampling based on agro-ecological characteristics. Data were collected via interviews and analyzed using descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, t-tests, and logit regression models to determine the significance of various factors affecting participation. Results Descriptive statistics revealed key associations between participation and factors such as household size, income level, educational status, perception of group collateral, skill training, and distance from lending offices. Chi-square tests showed significant relationships, while t-tests identified differences between participants and non-participants. Logit regression analysis indicated that household size, income level, educational status, group collateral, skill training, and proximity to lending offices significantly influenced credit participation at the 1% level (p<0.01). Experience with income-generating activities and perception of interest rates were significant at the 5% level (p<0.05). Market access was significant at the 10% level (p<0.10). Positive factors included household size and income level, while age, distance from lending offices, and perception of interest rates had negative effects. Conclusion The study highlights that specific factors significantly impact rural women’s participation in credit programs. To enhance program effectiveness, stakeholders should address these determinants and develop robust institutional frameworks with effective monitoring and evaluation systems.

Community-Based Resilience Analysis (CoBRA) to Hazard Disruption: Case Study of a Peri-Urban Agricultural Community in Thailand

The expansion of cities and land use changes have led to the emergence of peri-urban areas representing a transition between fully urbanized and agricultural regions in Southeast Asia. Peri-urban communities provide essential ecosystem services but are vulnerable to climate-related disruptions and socioeconomic challenges. Utilizing their unique characteristics, peri-urban communities can contribute to sustainable development and resilience. This study assesses the potential of peri-urban areas to meet future challenges for sustainable development in a changing world, focusing on the local pandan farming community of Pathum Thani, approximately 53 km north of Bangkok, using the Community-Based Resilience Analysis (CoBRA) approach. A formally established group of peri-urban farming households identified COVID-19, water quality, and solid waste as their primary disruptive challenges. The community identified economic stability and resources (land ownership, financial security, and government support), community and social support (collaborative community, and healthcare facilities), an environmental dimension (sufficient food and clean water), and an information dimension (news and knowledge update) as key community resilience characteristics, which highlight their comprehensive approach to hazard resilience. The study concludes that the community was moderately resilient to hazards and COVID-19 was the primary disrupting event over the past 10 years. To address future challenges in peri-urban agriculture, it is suggested to focus on enhancing economic diversification, strengthening social networks and support systems, implementing sustainable land management practices, and promoting access to timely and accurate information. Additionally, investing in infrastructure for water management and waste recycling, supporting small-scale farming initiatives, and fostering collaboration between farmers and local authorities can contribute to building resilience in peri-urban agricultural communities.

Subsidizing Inclusive Insurance to Reduce Poverty

In this article, we assess the benefits of coordination and partnerships between governments and private insurers and provide further evidence for microinsurance products as powerful and cost-effective tools for achieving poverty reduction. To explore these ideas, we model the capital of a household from a ruin-theoretic perspective to measure the impact of microinsurance on poverty dynamics and the governmental cost of social protection. We analyze the model under four frameworks: uninsured, insured (without subsidies), insured with subsidized constant premiums, and insured with subsidized flexible premiums. Although insurance alone (without subsidies) may not be sufficient to reduce the likelihood of falling into the area of poverty for specific groups of households, because premium payments constrain their capital growth, our analysis suggests that subsidized schemes can provide maximum social benefits while reducing governmental costs.

Regional features of sensitization to various allergens in children with allergic diseases, taking into account the formed exposome.

Background. According to statistical data from the WHO and a number of researchers, up to 40% of the world's population. Assessing the impact of the exposome in the population of the Russian Federation is a crucial issue of national public health care, the solution of which will provide a personalised approach to the treatment and prevention of allergic diseases in the local population. The aim of this study was to evaluate the sensitisation profile in children with allergic diseases from different regions of Russia. Methods. The study included sick children with allergic manifestations from different regions of the Russian Federation. A separate group consisted of children from the Far North regions from 2 to 12 years of age. The concentration of total IgE and allergen-specific immunoglobulins in blood was determined retrospectively on the basis of analyses of results obtained in CDCs performing immunoblotting tests using the Allergy-Q test system. Results. It was found that in more than 60% of cases allergic reactions are represented by combined manifestations. Allergic rhinitis took the second place, up to 65.32% of cases. Atopic dermatitis in the structure of allergic diseases took the third place, which was about 22,06%. The diagnosis of allergic conjunctivitis in our study was established in 15.38% of cases. Less than 5% in the structure of allergies was occupied by urticaria. In the group of household allergens the first place is occupied by cat, then dog and already then house dust. Among respiratory allergens, birch and/or other trees, weeds and mugwort are the leaders. Food sensitisation in children is mainly to milk, egg, fish and seafood. Conclusion. The peculiarities of sensitisation revealed in different regions are easily explained by the formed exposomes. The obtained data can be used to develop measures of prevention, diagnosis and treatment of allergic diseases.

Analyzing the Household Income and Consumption Expenditure: Reality of Rising Cost of Living in Malaysia

Malaysia has been experiencing rapid socioeconomic transition over many years and achieved remarkable socioeconomic development and economic growth in the last few decades. Basically, such growth and development brought significant improvements in the level of income of low- and middle-income households. However, the cost of living in Malaysia has increasingly become a serious economic issue due to the increase in inflation. This paper addresses the question of how the cost of living can affect household income and expenditure. The finding of this research is threefold. Firstly, the income gap between households is increasing every year. This implies that the program to increase the income of the lower-income group should be given priority so that national development can be felt by all levels of society to achieve the goal of inclusive national development. Secondly, the monthly income average of households shows a steady increase. However, B40 earnings growth needs to be improving greater as an effort to reduce the income gap between the highest with low- and medium-income groups. Thirdly, income growth for each household group is still greater than inflation. This shows that on average households can still cope with the burden of rising costs and thus deal with the cost of living depending on how they model their spending patterns. This study highlights that to address the cost of living problem, the policy or program planned by the government should touch three important elements of income, price, and spending patterns. Also, this study highlights that to address the cost of living problem, a holistic approach is essential. This study also proposes that each of the economic agents, the government, the private sector, and the households have their roles in economics to develop better economic welfare among society. Keywords: cost of living, income, low-income, middle income, living standard, spending patterns

Consumption Feedback and Water Saving: A Field Intervention Evaluation in the Metropolitan Area of Milan

This paper investigates whether informative feedback on consumption can nudge water saving. We launched a five-month online information campaign which involved around 1,000 households located in the province of Milan (Italy) with a smart meter. A group of households received monthly reports via email on their per capita daily average water consumption, including a social comparison component. The Intention to Treat (ITT) analysis shows that, compared to a benchmark group, the units exposed to the intervention reduced their per capita water consumption by around 6% (25.8 liters per day or 6.8 gallons). Being able to observe the email opening rate, we find that the ITT effect is mainly driven by complying units. Through an Instrumental Variable approach, we estimated a Local Average Treatment Effect equal to 54.9 liters per day of water saving. A further Regression Discontinuity Design analysis shows that different feedback on consumption class size differentially affected water saving at the margin. We also found that the additional water saving increased with the number of monthly reports, though it did not persist two months after the campaign expired.

A Bibliometric Review of The B40 Households Group in Malaysia

To give a comprehensive assessment of the B40 household groups research sector, a bibliometric analysis of 246 papers from the Scopus database between 2019 and 2023 is being conducted by this project. The study aims to learn about the latest research topics being worked on by researchers, examine Malaysia's contribution to the field, highlight author, university, and country collaborations in the field, and identify the most influential authors, universities, nations, and citations. Based on the study, Malaysia, the US, and the UK are the top three countries that have looked at B40 household groups. Focusing on B40 family groups most of the researchers at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Universiti Teknologi MARA, and Universiti Malaya. On this subject, Sani, N.S. is the most well-known author. Due to its unique demographic of B40 people, Malaysia is the only country in the world that carries out extensive research on B40 household groupings.

Analysis of the Elasticity of Rice Demand for Poor Households in Sirimau District, Ambon City in 2024

This study aims to analyze the elasticity of rice demand among poor households in Sirimau District, Ambon City. The main focus of this study is the influence of household income, number of family members, the price of Bulog rice, and the price of premium rice on rice consumption among poor households. The analytical method used involves linear regression to identify the relationships between these variables. The results of the study indicate that household income, number of family members, and the price of Bulog rice have a significant positive effect on rice consumption among poor households. Conversely, the price of premium rice does not show a significant effect on rice consumption in this household group. These findings suggest that Bulog rice pricing policies and increasing the income of poor households can be important factors in boosting their rice consumption. This research provides valuable insights for the formulation of more effective food policies to support the welfare of poor households in Sirimau District, Ambon City.

Impact of tobacco spending on intrahousehold resource allocation in Montenegro

BackgroundThe main goal of this study is to estimate the crowding out impact of tobacco expenditures on the household budget allocation to other mutually exclusive commodity groups in Montenegro.MethodologyThe analysis...

Multi-disciplinary seismic resilience modeling for developing mitigation policies and recovery planning

The multi-disciplinary data and information available at a community level comprise the foundation of natural hazard resilience modeling. These data enable and inform mitigation and recovery planning decisions prior to and following damaging events such as earthquakes. This paper presents a multi-disciplinary seismic resilience modeling methodology to assess the vulnerability of the built environment and economic systems. This methodology can assist decision-makers with developing effective mitigation policies to improve the seismic resilience of communities. Two complementary modeling strategies are designed to examine the impacts of scenario earthquakes from a combined engineering and economic perspective. The engineering model is developed using a probabilistic fragility-based modeling approach and is analyzed using Monte Carlo (MC) simulations subject to seismic multi-hazard, including simulated ground shaking and resulting liquefaction of the soil, to quantify the physical damage to buildings and electric power substations (EPS). The outcome of the analysis is subsequently used as input to repair and recovery models to quantify repair cost and recovery time metrics for buildings and as input to functionality models to estimate the functionality of individual buildings and substations by accounting for their interdependency. The economic model consists of a spatial computable general equilibrium (SCGE) model that aggregates commercial buildings into sectors for retail, manufacturing, services, etc., and aggregates residential buildings into a wide range of household groups. The SCGE model employs building functionality estimates to quantify the economic losses. The outcomes of this integrated modeling consist of engineering and economic impact metrics, which are used to investigate mitigation actions to help inform a community on approaches to achieve its resilience goals. An illustrative case study of Salt Lake County (SLC), Utah, developed through an extensive collaborative partnership and engagement with SLC officials, is presented. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed methodology in quantifying the loss and functional recovery of infrastructure systems, the impacts on capital stock, employment, and household income and the effect of various mitigation strategies in reducing the losses and functional recovery time subject to earthquakes with varying intensities.

Decentralization Of Vietnam'S forestlands: The policy process and impact

The decentralization of land is crucial for effective production, welfare improvement, and social development. However, the formulation, outcome, and impact of land decentralization policies are influenced by political regimes, policy processes, geographical areas, and socio-economic settings. This study focuses on Vietnam's forest and forestland allocation program over the past 30 years to investigate its impact on poverty dynamics. Retrospective policy analysis and an extended random effect treatment model with longitudinal panel data collected from 53,568 plots in 12 provinces across Vietnam from 2008 to 2018 were used. The findings suggest that while the forestland allocation policy has a positive effect on poverty alleviation, it has minimal impact on the poorest household groups. Additionally, actual tree planting is more beneficial to the non-poor group, indicating a lack of incentivized policies for tree planting and inadequate consideration of the genuine livelihood needs and investment capacities of land recipients, especially poor households. Policy improvements are recommended to better align with the rationale, aims, and social expectations.

Factors affecting customers’ perception towards payment banks: An analytical study

Payments Banks (PBs) are new model of banks, conceptualised by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to widen the spread of payment and financial services to small businessmen, low-income household groups, migrant and labourers in secured technology-driven environment. The article attempts to explore the factors affecting customers’ perceptions towards Payment Banks. Data has been collected through a questionnaire from 285 respondents who are customers of payment banks in Amritsar. Factor analysis is employed to analyse the responses given by the customers of payment banks. The findings of the study demonstrated that four factors affect customer perceptions towards payment banks namely, ‘User awareness’, ‘Accessibility and Ease of Use’, ‘Technological Support’ and ‘Complaint & Customer Service Management’

Statistical Analysis of Ineqality and Poverty with Under-Reporting Incomes of Russian Households

The subject of the article is the study of inequality and poverty, taking into account under-reporting household income. The purpose of the research was to estimate the under-reporting incomes of households and their impact on the smoothing income inequality and poverty based on representative data of the All-Russian Survey of Consumer Finance (2013, 2015, 2018, 2020 and 2022). It is relevant to analyze changes in inequality for individual population groups, as well as the contribution to inequality of individual sources of income, including those hidden from statistical observation. The novelty of the study is the obtained estimates of under-reporting household income, as well as the results of an analysis of their impact on smoothing income inequality and poverty based on the specified dataThe methodology included the use of econometric modeling according to the Pissarides – Weber approach, as well as decomposition of the Gini elasticity by income sources based on the Lerman – Yitzhaki algorithm. The results of estimations differ from those previously obtained according to the data of the Russia Longitudinal Monitoring Survey – Higher School of Economics. The resulting share of under- reporting income in the disposable resources of households averaged about 20% for 2013 to 2022 and decreased by 2,3% on average per year. Decomposition of the Gini index by income sources led to the conclusion that the main contribution to inequality was made by the non-poor population. Calculation of Gini income elasticities by income sources for poor and non-poor households (taking into account the imputed component of under-reporting income) revealed their differently directed impact on inequality. Wages and social transfers increase inequality among the poor and do not increase inequality among non-poor households. Estimating under-reporting income was higher for the group of poor households. At the same time, this component increased inequality in the post-crisis year 2015 and in the pandemic year 2020 for the group of non-poor households. The obtained results will provide important information to social policy makers, taking into account the influence of under-reporting income` on the poverty reduction and equalization of the standard of living of the Russian population