Home Values Research Articles

A mixed-method study of parents’ views of food and nutrition in Australian primary schools

PurposeSchools have long been perceived as an ideal setting to support the healthy eating behaviours of children. The aim of the study was to examine the views of Australian primary school parents regarding school food and nutrition, including education, practices and policy.Design/methodology/approachAn online survey was conducted among 787 parents in March 2021, which included closed and open-ended questions.FindingsThe results indicated the inconsistent implementation of policies and/or varying practices among different schools. Parents’ views were slightly associated with some demographic and personal measures including their SES levels, education, age, the main language spoken at home and universalism values. Parents viewed healthy food provision through canteens, policies and informing parents, fruit and vegetable breaks and kitchen and garden programs as the main contributors to the promotion of healthy eating. They believed unhealthy options in canteens, school fairs, events and birthdays are the major contributors to the formation of unhealthy eating habits among children at schools. Results revealed the efforts to establish health promoting school food environments in Australian primary schools; however, inconsistencies and discrepancies among schools should be addressed to ensure equity among all children.Practical implicationsThe findings may provide directions for policymakers and school managers and can inform future reforms and initiatives in Australian primary schools and elsewhere.Originality/valueThis is the first study that has examined Australian parents’ views of school food policy, practices and environments using a mixed-methods design.

Housing leverage, home value, and retirement

AbstractWe study the effect of housing leverage, measured using the loan‐to‐value (LTV) ratio, on homeowners' retirement decisions. We find that in general, elevated LTV ratios delay retirements. By decomposing the changes of the current LTV ratio into (1) equity extractions, (2) equity build‐up, (3) home value increases, and (4) home value decreases, we find that equity extractions and declining home value drive the negative relationship between housing leverage and retirement. In contrast, retirement decisions are less responsive to equity build‐up and home value appreciation. Our results suggest that the influence of housing leverage on retirement decisions is path‐dependent and asymmetric. We also find that transitions into retirement are more sensitive to home price declines, and retirement reversals are often triggered by equity extraction. Further analyses also reveal that the impact of housing leverage on retirement differs by household age and financial constraints, and it also varies across different stages of a housing market cycle.

POLYCYSTIC OVARY SYNDROME (PCOS) AND ITS TREATMENT AS CAUSE OF SECONDARY ALDOSTERONISM: A DOG CHASING ITS TAIL

Objective: Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is a complex endocrine-metabolic disorder affecting about 7% of childbearing women. PCOS is characterized by anovulation, hyperandrogenism, insulin resistance and it is associated with an increased cardiovascular risk. PCOS patients may exhibit high blood pressure and signs of hydro-saline retention. Therefore, clinicians would be interested in performing hormonal screening for secondary hypertension. Design and method: We perform the aldosterone/direct renin concentration ratio as a screening test for primary aldosteronism (PA). The test was proceed after serum potassium correction and previous a wash-out period of interfering medications. The recumbent saline suppression test was performed with infusion of 2L NaCl 0.9% in 4 hours under standardized salt intake (9gr/24h). Aldosterone and direct renin were determined by chemiluminescent immunoassay technology (DiaSorin®). Results: A 33yrs old woman attended our renal outpatient clinic because of recurrent episodes of generalized swelling, diuresis contraction and fluid retention. The patient, known for PCOS, was treated with combined oral contraceptives and loop diuretics. She had no history of hypertension, but she repeatedly displayed very high aldosterone values. Clinical examination was unremarkable, in-office and home blood pressure values were normal. Laboratory data showed normal renal function and the absence of acid-base disorders; serum potassium was at lower limit of normal. A CT-scan showed normal adrenal glands. We performed a recumbent saline suppression test, previous a wash-out period of oral contraceptives (> 6 weeks) and loop diuretics (> 2 weeks). The results listed below are consistent with a baseline hyperaldosteronism with normal aldosterone adrenal response to volume expansion, excluding PA. Several years before, the same results were presented, without suspension of the oral contraceptives. Conclusions: In patients with PCOS the increased adrenal production of aldosterone is usually secondary and independent from the renin-aldosterone axis (direct stimulation of adrenal zona glomerulosa via testosterone). Other iatrogenic factors may affect the renin-aldosterone values, such us the use of oral contraceptives and diuretics. Therefore, a confirmatory test performed under standardized conditions is often required, in order to exclude primary versus secondary forms of hyperaldosteronism.

Racial and Ethnic Representation in Local Government

Does the presence of underrepresented racial/ethnic groups in a legislative body differentially impact outcomes for members of those groups? We study close elections between White and non-White candidates for California city council and the corresponding impact on housing values, a summary statistic for neighborhood investment. We find electing non-White rather than White candidates generates differential home value gains in majority non-White neighborhoods. This result, which is not explained by correlations between candidate race and political affiliation or neighborhood racial composition and income, suggests that increased representation can reduce racial disparities. Our results strengthen with increased city-level segregation and council member pivotality. (JEL D72, J15, R23)

Mortgage Borrowing and Chronic Disease Outcomes in Older Age: Evidence from Biomarker Data in the Health and Retirement Study.

The medical diagnosis of a disease is common in older age and can carry significant financial costs. For many older adults, equity in a home is their primary component of wealth; however, housing wealth is illiquid. We analyze the relationship between the liquidation of housing wealth through mortgage borrowing on older homeowners' ability to successfully control a disease. We use data on homeowners age 65 and older from the 1998-2016 waves of the Health and Retirement Study (N=3,457). We use biomarkers and physical health indicators to measure disease control following a medical diagnosis of diabetes, heart condition, high blood pressure, lung disease, or cancer. Random effects linear probability and instrumental variable regressions estimate the associations of housing wealth, new mortgage borrowing, and disease control. Descriptively, 28% of older homeowners who borrow against home equity are not controlled on their disease, compared to 33% of non-borrowers. Panel data instrumental variable regressions show that each $10,000 borrowed from home equity after diagnosis is associated with a 17 percentage-point reduction in the probability of the disease not being controlled. Many older adults are not able or willing to liquidate housing wealth, and the ability to borrow also depends on changes in home values. Thus, housing wealth is not a uniform social determinant of health but is shaped by older adults' participation in financial markets.

Climate change and real estate markets: An empirical study of the impacts of wildfires on home values in California

This study uses a quasi-experimental design to evaluate the impacts of the major wildfires in California from 2016 to 2021 on property value at the neighborhood level, as defined by Census tracts. I construct a 12-year (2010–2021) panel data set and run spatial panel models with random effects to compare changes in home values between neighborhoods affected by wildfires and control neighborhoods identified through propensity score matching. The analysis shows that the overall impact of wildfires on home values in fire-touched neighborhoods is not statistically significant. When considering the proportion of land burned by wildfires in a neighborhood, a statistically significant impact emerges, with home values declining by 0.014 % for every 10-percentage point increase in the proportion of land burned. Nonetheless, the impact of wildfires on home values in nearby neighborhoods within five miles of wildfire perimeters is statistically significant. On average, major wildfires cause a 2.2 % price drop in nearby neighborhoods. The price drop in nearby neighborhoods is positively associated with proximity to wildfires, fire frequency, and fire scale. With the relatively modest impact of wildfires on property values, relying on market-based approaches may not be effective in curbing the future growth in fire-prone and amenity-rich communities.

How is rooftop solar capitalized in home prices?

Residential solar installations have increased 10-fold over the past decade and are becoming more common in neighborhoods around the United States. This raises the question of how solar affects housing markets. Is the investment fully capitalized in home values? We review the literature on the solar home price premium and present a model to provide a framework for understanding the empirical challenge of quantifying capitalization. We estimate a hedonic model and find that the residual value of a homeowner-owned solar system at the time of a transaction is roughly fully capitalized into home values when we use a discount rate of 15%. Third-party owned systems exhibit a much lower capitalization. We find that solar homes are more likely to have made home improvements leading to substantial bias when home improvements are omitted. We conclude with opportunities for future research.

The visual effect of wind turbines on property values is small and diminishing in space and time

Renewable power generation is the key to decarbonizing the electricity system. Wind power is the fastest-growing renewable source of electricity in the United States. However, expanding wind capacity often faces local opposition, partly due to a perceived visual disamenity from large wind turbines. Here, we provide a US-wide assessment of the externality costs of wind power generation through the visibility impact on property values. To this end, we create a database on wind turbine visibility, combining information on the site and height of each utility-scale turbine having fed power into the U.S. grid, with a high-resolution elevation map to account for the underlying topography of the landscape. Building on hedonic valuation theory, we statistically estimate the impact of wind turbine visibility on home values, informed by data from the majority of home sales in the United States since 1997. We find that on average, wind turbine visibility negatively affects home values in an economically and statistically significant way in close proximity ([Formula: see text]5 miles/8 km). However, the effect diminishes over time and in distance and is indistinguishable from zero for larger distances and toward the end of our sample.

Models of residential space for ethnic minorities in Thanh Hoa Province associated with sustainable livelihoods

Thanh Hoa Province has 11 mountainous districts with seven ethnic minority groups, and the three largest ethnic groups are the Muong, Thai, and H'Mong. This region has great potential for developing a forest-based economy, ecotourism, community-based tourism, and cultural heritage tourism that is associated with cultural festivals, customs, lifestyles, and traditional housing architecture. However, developing a family-based economy, such as engaging in community-based tourism or agricultural production, has negatively affected and disrupted the structure of village spaces, spatial planning, and traditional house design. The arbitrary construction of additional service spaces and spaces for resident guests within the village space and the precinct of a house has reduced the area of the garden and agricultural land. The self-initiated modification, expansion, and use of non-traditional materials in traditional housing structures by residents to serve tourists have resulted in the loss of the architectural value of traditional homes. The exploitation of agricultural land has affected the natural forest area, the forest protection area at the headwaters, and the vegetation cover and natural ecosystems. Moreover, agricultural economic activities have not been linked to service activities, handicraft production, or tourism, and there are no adaptive residential space models, thus failing to create sustainable livelihood activities. Therefore, the article proposes settlement space models and orientations for residential space development including village spaces, house precincts, and traditional housing spaces of ethnic minorities in Thanh Hoa Province, associated with sustainable livelihoods based on the exploitation of traditional housing architectural heritage values to ensure local economic development. These models are closely linked with the conservation and promotion of ethnic cultural values, landscape preservation, environmental protection, and contribution to poverty reduction for residents.

Using benefit transfer to estimate housing value increases from improved water clarity: A case study of lakes in Kosciusko County, Indiana.

This study provides step-by-step guidance for practitioners and local stakeholders on how to use existing study results to conduct benefit transfer (BT), and ultimately make informed predictions of how improvements in lake water clarity may benefit surrounding communities. The procedures are demonstrated using a publicly available meta-dataset developed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, and a subsequent meta-analysis that synthesizes the literature on how improvements in water clarity impact home values. The BT procedures are demonstrated using a case study of 14 large lakes in Kosciusko County, Indiana. Lake-specific average increases in home values, as well as the value of the housing stock in aggregate, are calculated for illustrative improvements in lake water clarity. This analysis provides a critical bridge to better connect high-quality, academic research with real-world policy analysis, and ultimately serves to better equip local governments and stakeholders to make more informed policy and land use decisions.

Chronic Disease Prevalence in the US: Sociodemographic and Geographic Variations by Zip Code Tabulation Area.

We examined the geographic distribution and sociodemographic and economic characteristics of chronic disease prevalence in the US. Understanding disease prevalence and its impact on communities is crucial for effective public health interventions. Data came from the American Community Survey, the American Hospital Association Survey, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's PLACES. We used quartile thresholds for 10 chronic diseases to assess chronic disease prevalence by Zip Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTAs). ZCTAs were scored from 0 to 20 based on their chronic disease prevalence quartile. Three prevalence categories were established: least prevalent (score ≤6), moderately prevalent (score 7-13), and highest prevalence (score ≥14). Community characteristics were compared across categories and spatial analyses to identify clusters of ZCTAs with high disease prevalence. Our study showed a high prevalence of chronic disease in the southeastern region of the US. Populations in ZCTAs with the highest prevalence showed significantly greater socioeconomic disadvantages (ie, lower household income, lower home value, lower educational attainment, and higher uninsured rates) and barriers to health care access (lower percentage of car ownership and longer travel distances to hospital-based intensive care units, emergency departments, federally qualified health centers, and pharmacies) compared with ZCTAs with the lowest prevalence. Socioeconomic disparities and health care access should be addressed in communities with high chronic disease prevalence. Carefully directed resource allocation and interventions are necessary to reduce the effects of chronic disease on these communities. Policy makers and clinicians should prioritize efforts to reduce chronic disease prevalence and improve the overall health and well-being of affected communities throughout the US.

Hedonic analysis of willingness to pay for dam removal: evidence from Plymouth, Massachusetts

This study investigates how the removal of small dams, and subsequent river restoration investments, affect residential housing prices in Plymouth, Massachusetts, selected for its unusually high density of dam removals. From 2002 to 2019, 5 dams within 1.05 miles of each other have been removed. Following removal, riverine restoration was completed, leading to improved public safety for downstream infrastructure, fish passage, and better water quality. Yet, contention exists in local government decision-making from fear of loss of property values of homes that are no longer classified as “waterfront.” To examine that charge, we evaluate sale prices of 9,710 single-family homes from 1997 to 2021, in a comparative estimation of a hedonic regression and a difference in differences model. The results indicate that the price of homes sold in Plymouth after dam removal increased, with no impact on property values of waterfront and properties within 1 mile of riverine restoration locations. For properties within a 5-mile radius of a former dam, we observe comparative difference in price of a fraction of a percent for lots around 2 of the dams, in relation to all home lots in Plymouth. We explain that this difference is due to property-specific features, rather than the impact of dam removal. The implications are that dam removal would not negatively impact waterfront property values, while it may translate into an overall environmental price premium for the community at large.

Prognostic value of home versus ambulatory blood pressure monitoring: a systematic review and meta-analysis of outcome studies.

Ambulatory (ABP) and self-home blood pressure (HBP) measurements are known to be superior to office blood pressure (OBP) measurements in predicting cardiovascular events. Whether ABP has superior prognostic ability than HBP, or the reverse, has not been adequately investigated. A systematic literature search was conducted to identify outcome studies investigating HBP and ABP in the same population. A meta-analysis was conducted to calculate the pooled measure of risk regarding the primary endpoint of each study for each method. Primary analysis included the comparison of pooled estimates of HBP versus 24 h ABP. Among 2587 articles retrieved, 6 fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Meta-analysis of five studies ( n = 4439, weighted age 57 years, men 52%, hypertension 68%, diabetes 15%, cardiovascular disease 11%) indicated pooled hazard ratio per 10 mmHg increase in systolic HBP 1.36 (95% CI 1.23-1.50) and in 24 h ABP 1.38 (1.22-1.57) for the primary endpoint of each study ( z -test P = NS). Meta-analysis of five studies ( n = 4497, weighted age 58 years, men 51%, hypertension 65%, diabetes 15%, cardiovascular disease 9%) indicated pooled hazard ratio per 10 mmHg increase in systolic HBP 1.29 (1.14-1.47), daytime ABP 1.30 (1.15-1.46) and nighttime ABP 1.31 (1.14-1.50) ( z -test, P = NS). Data for DBP were similar. All studies were deemed to have low risk of bias. In studies comparing all the three methods, OBP provided the lowest hazard ratio. This meta-analysis of the available prospective outcome studies suggested that HBP and ABP have similar ability in predicting outcome and superior to OBP.

Self-Insuring against Liability Risk: Evidence from Physicians’ Home Values in States with Unlimited Homestead Exemptions

Self-Insuring against Liability Risk: Evidence from Physicians’ Home Values in States with Unlimited Homestead Exemptions

Housing Leverage, Home Value, and Retirement

Housing Leverage, Home Value, and Retirement

Gentrification and Neighborhood Housing Wealth: How Gentrification Reproduces the Racial Stratification of Urban Neighborhoods

Few researchers have considered how gentrification affects inequalities of housing wealth between Black and White neighborhoods. Drawing on the U.S. census and the American Community Survey, I test the hypothesis that home values rise more slowly in gentrifying neighborhoods that are majority Black compared to those that are majority White. I find that home values appreciate more quickly in gentrifying neighborhoods that are majority Black, particularly those that are experiencing significant change in their racial-ethnic composition. The findings further suggest that Black gentrifying neighborhoods experiencing racial transition—a large increase in the proportion of White residents and a large decrease in the proportion of Black residents—experience higher rates of home value appreciation than those not experiencing racial transition. I argue that gentrification reproduces the racial stratification of urban neighborhoods because large increases to housing wealth tend to be coupled with the arrival of the White middle-class.

Home Price Change and Ethno-racial Residential Segregation: Temporal Relationships at the Metro Level

Although rates of residential racial segregation and home prices are undoubtedly related, the temporal nature of the relationship has rarely been studied. Using fixed effects models in a cross-lagged framework, we examine how prior changes in segregation and home prices at the metro level predict changes in the other. Our findings suggest that increases in home prices predict increasing racial segregation years later, but increases in segregation fail to predict subsequent change in home values. Metros that experience a 1 standard deviation increase in home prices experience an associated 0.25 standard deviation increase in Black-White segregation 10 years later and a 0.18 standard deviation increase 20 years later. No relationship is observed for Hispanic-White segregation. We discuss implications for understanding the economic underpinnings of segregation. Findings also offer insight into future segregation trends and illuminate how changes in the housing market may drive demographic trends more broadly.

Усадебный топос в романе Б. К. Зайцева «Золотой узор»: своеобразие воплощения и рецепция прозы Л. Н. Толстого

The purpose of this article is to analyze the originality of the estate topos and its role in the novel The Golden Pattern, and to identify some significant parallels in the depiction of estate space by Tolstoy and Zaytsev. Our tasks include assessing the typology and characteristics of estates in the artistic world of Zaytsev’s novel, clarifying the writer’s attitude to the form of estate life in the past and to the possibility and significance of preserving the memory of it. The estate topos plays an important role in Zaytsev’s novel: it organizes its chronotope, helps the writer lay out the characters’ path to an awareness of the value of home and family. We show that the writer created the psychological portrait and behavioral characteristics of the protagonist of The Golden Pattern with the image of Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina as a reference point. Thanks to a focus on Tolstoy’s discoveries, Zaytsev implements in the artistic world of his novel the motif of disregard for the land, the motif of managing the estate, the opposition of the natural and the machine. At the same time, he creatively uses non-plot connections, which his predecessor developed in the novel Anna Karenina and a number of other works, and which are based on a multi-level interlinkage of various elements of artistic representation.

Extreme Heat Exposure Is Associated with Higher Socioeconomic Disadvantage and Elevated Youth Delinquency.

Climate change has led to an increase in the frequency and intensity of extreme heat events, a trend expected to continue. This poses significant health risks, particularly for vulnerable populations like children. While previous research has largely concentrated on the physical health impacts of extreme heat, less attention has been given to behavioral outcomes, such as delinquency. This study investigates the association between extreme heat exposure and delinquency among children, utilizing data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study. It also explores the potential mediating roles of neighborhood socioeconomic status (SES; measured by median home value), puberty, peer deviance, and financial difficulties. Data from the national ABCD study were analyzed to assess the relationship between extreme heat exposure (exposure) and delinquency (outcome). Covariates included race/ethnicity, sex, and age. Mediators examined were neighborhood SES, puberty, peer deviance, and financial difficulties. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed for data analysis. Overall, 11,878 children entered our analysis. The analysis revealed a significant association between extreme heat exposure and higher levels of delinquency among children. Children more exposed to extreme heat were more likely to be Black, reside in lower SES neighborhoods, experience greater financial difficulties, and have more advanced puberty status. The group facing the highest heat exposure was also economically disadvantaged. The findings suggest that children already disadvantaged by socio-economic factors are disproportionately affected by extreme heat, leading to increased delinquency. This highlights the need for targeted interventions to protect these vulnerable populations and address the mediators of extreme heat exposure. Future research should focus on longitudinal studies and evaluate the effectiveness of various mitigation strategies to address these disparities.

Marital Philosophy and Home Value among the Annang of Nigeria: An Exploration of Selected Proverbs

Marital philosophies and home values are essential components of all living and progressive societies. They are potentiality used to create an enabling, sustainable and conducive environment and otherwise depending on their constituents and how they are applied on day-to-day interactions. A society devoid of the right marital philosophies may tend towards adopting negative home values that may ruin families, homes and the society at large. There are various factors that are responsible for one’s choices of ideal marital philosophies and home values for sustainable family life and the society. This study therefore examines marital philosophies and home values encapsulated in the linguistically rich Annang proverbs from Akwa-Ibom, Nigeria. MAK Halliday’s Systemic Functional Grammar (and specifically the interpersonal metafunction) is adopted as our theoretical framework for the data analysis. Data were randomly selected from current Annang proverbs used in daily communicative purposes. This work adopts a qualitative (exploratory) research design; eleven (11) proverbs were randomly selected, presented and analysed. We posit that proverbs are capsules of knowledge that marital philosophies and family values are enveloped. They can, and actually do serve as regulators of behaviours and moral templates upon which marital philosophes and home values are built. With the data of proverbs drawn from Annang cultures and their corresponding English translations, we attempt to demonstrate the relevance of these cultural-linguistic tools in the reformation of character, value re-orientation and social redemption of man and his environment. Keywords: Cultural linguistic tools, Corresponding English translation, marital philosophies, home values, interpersonal functions