Household Assets Research Articles

Evaluating bias with loss to follow-up in a community-based cohort: empirical investigation from the CARRS Study

BackgroundRetention of participants is a challenge in community-based longitudinal cohort studies. We aim to evaluate the factors associated with loss to follow-up and estimate attrition bias.MethodsData are from an ongoing...

Impact of Forest Landscape Restoration (FLR) on rural households’ livelihood: The case of Sodo FLR, South Central Ethiopia

Ethiopia has pledged to restore 22 million ha of degraded and deforested lands by 2030. With the massive Forest Landscape Restoration (FLR) efforts underway, however, there are no sufficient empirical studies that signify the effectiveness of FLR in the country. Therefore, the study evaluated the impact of the FLR program on rural households’ livelihoods in Sodo, Southern Central Ethiopia. A two-stage random sampling technique was followed to draw the sample households, and 260 sample households (120 households from FLR participating and 140 households from non-FLR participating) were chosen randomly. Data on socio-demographic characteristics, head of household assets, access to credit, land size, household income and related expenditures were considered. In addition, data was gathered through key informant interviews, focus group discussions, direct field observations, and reviewing project documents and activity reports. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and Propensity Score Matching (PSM) technique. The results showed that FLR participants are likely to gain higher total and crop income than non-FLR participants. The average off-farm income of FLR participants also increased by 10252.4 ETB (200 USD). The number of beehives and the amount of honey produced was higher with FLR participants. FLR participants received more training and had better access to credit. Moreover, several households benefited from the FLR initiative's program offer to sustain their livelihoods by producing sheep and poultry. In conclusion, FLR initiatives should be combined with agricultural intensification and diversification as well as business-oriented forest development for better impact. Int. J. Agril. Res. Innov. Tech. 13(2): 14-21, Dec 2023

Customs apart: rethinking inheritance and competing land claims among Native commoner women in colonial Andean villages

ABSTRACT In this essay, I interrogate a handful of rare village records to probe more deeply the participation of rural Native women in conflicts over inheritance in the central Andes during the seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. I focus on the wielding of written land titles, such as wills, certified lists of fields, fragments of land inspections, and writs of protection and possession, by these women as they claimed control over plots, homes, tracts, groves, and other household and extended-family assets within the commons. Their cases suggest that, rather than undermining women’s rights to dispose of property, titling and the establishment of municipal courts and the expansion of the legal possibilities for claiming land within this jurisdiction created new opportunities for some of them to defend and enact those rights. More importantly, their cases strongly suggest that gender relations were as much constitutive of kinship, community, and ownership relations as they were mediated by them, warning us of the risks of isolating gendered forms of expressing power (and the inheritance practices that they could underscore) from other power relations operating at the village level.

Socioeconomic inequalities associated with Geriatric syndrome in Thailand: The results of Fifth National Health Examination Survey.

Geriatric syndrome (GS) is the prevalence of a group of phenotypes in older people. Functional decline, cognitive impairment, and frailty are common phenotypes that burden individuals, families, and the healthcare system. Policies targeting GS require information on socioeconomic background of older people, which is scarce in Thailand. We investigated socioeconomic inequality associated with GS using the concentration index and further explained the contributions of socioeconomic status and sociodemographic variables to inequality. Nationally representative data of 7,365 individuals aged 60 years and above from the 5th National Health Examination Survey of 2013 were analyzed. The survey used a physical examination, blood test, and questionnaire interviews to elicit personal information, health status, and household assets. The wealth index was used as the main indicator of socioeconomic status, and participants with missing wealth index data were excluded. Three GS phenotypes-frailty, functional impairment (FI) and neurocognitive dysfunction (NCD)-were included. An indirectly standardized concentration index (Cis) and a 95% confidence interval were used to represent the horizontal equity of the three phenotypes. Contributions to the concentration index (CC)-contribution to a more or less equitable GS distribution-were decomposed and shown in terms of percentage and direction. All GS phenotypes were found to be concentrated in the elderly poor (Cis of FI, frailty, and NCD = -0.068, -0.092, and -0.182, respectively). Work status contributes to a more equitable GS distribution in all the phenotypes (%CC in FI, frailty, and NCD = -1.7%, -5.1%, and -2.0%, respectively), whereas types of insurance schemes made bidirectional contributions to the equity of GS. Policies should be adopted to help prevent GS among poor individuals, provide them with an equal opportunity of access to health schemes and ensure opportunities for older Thai individuals to work.

The Effect of a Rise in Property Prices on Household Assets and Liabilities and Its Implications

The Effect of a Rise in Property Prices on Household Assets and Liabilities and Its Implications

Three approaches to assessing dietary quality in Mexican adolescents from 2006 to 2018 with data from national health and nutrition surveys.

To assess trends in the dietary quality of Mexican adolescents from 2006 to 2018, both overall and by sociodemographic indicators, using adaptations of the EAT-Lancet Planetary Health (PH) recommendations, optimal intake estimated by the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) and 2015 Mexican Dietary Guidelines (MDG) in nationally representative samples. Using dietary data from a semi-quantitative FFQ, dietary quality indexes were constructed as adaptations of three dietary intake recommendations. Trends in adherence to recommendations were evaluated with multivariate quantile regression models with survey year as the main independent variable and adjusted for age, sex, energy intake, dwelling area, geographical region, household assets condition, and student/non-student status. P values and CI were Bonferroni-corrected. Mexico. Non-pregnant or lactating adolescents aged 12-19 years (n 16 520). Adherence to the PH index was about 40 %, GBD was nearly 35 % and MDG was about 37 %. The lowest adherences were for added sugars, sugar-sweetened beverages, nuts and seeds, red meats, processed meats, and legumes (<28 %). No 2006-2018 trends in total adherence were found in any index. Nevertheless, negative adherence trends were identified for poultry (β = -2·4), and saturated fats (β = -0·93), and positive for unsaturated oils (β = 1·23), in the PH. In MDG, relevant trends were found for plain water (β = 1·63) and foods rich in fats (β = -1·24). Mexican adolescents have demonstrated poor dietary quality by these three approaches. Therefore, this population has a high-risk profile for diet-associated chronic diseases. Further research and appropriate public policies are needed.

Impact of Housing Liabilities on Household Asset Allocation

Impact of Housing Liabilities on Household Asset Allocation

Household food insecurity and physical activity behaviour in Ecuadorian children and adolescents: findings from the Ecuador 2018 National Health and Nutrition Survey (ENSANUT-2018).

Ecuador has a high prevalence of household food insecurity (HFI) and is undergoing nutritional and epidemiologic transition. Evidence from high-income countries has reported negative or null associations between HFI and physical activity (PA) in children. It remains uncertain whether the same is true of those from low- and middle-income countries like Ecuador whose environmental and socio-demographic characteristics are distinct from those of high-income countries. We aimed to investigate the association of HFI with PA, sedentary behaviour (SB) and anthropometric indicators in children. Cross-sectional analysis of data from the nationally representative 2018 Ecuadorian National Health and Nutrition Survey. Data were collected on HFI, PA, SB, socio-demographic characteristics and measured height and weight. Unadjusted and adjusted linear, log-binomial and multinomial logistic regression analyses assessed the relationship of HFI with PA, SB, stunting and BMI-for-age. Ecuador. 23 621 children aged 5-17 years. Marginal and moderate-severe HFI was prevalent in 24 % and 20 % of the households, respectively. HFI was not associated with PA, SB, stunting nor underweight. Moderate-severe HFI was associated with a lower odds of overweight and obesity. However, adjustment for household assets attenuated this finding for overweight (adjusted OR:0·90, 95 % CI: 0·77, 1·05) and obesity (adjusted OR: 0·88, 95 % CI: 0·71, 1·08). HFI is a burden in Ecuadorian households, but is not associated with PA, SB nor anthropometric indicators in children aged 5-17 years. However, a concerning prevalence of insufficient PA was reported, emphasising the critical need for evidence-based interventions aimed at promoting PA and reducing SB.

ANALYSIS OF HOUSEHOLD ASSETS ON LIVELIHOOD STRATEGIES OF SMALLHOLDER CROP FARMERS IN FEDERAL CAPITAL TERRITORY, ABUJA, NIGERIA.

The study analyzed the effects of household assets on livelihood strategies of smallholder food crop farmers in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, Nigeria. Multistage sampling technique was employed to select 68 smallholder crop farmers from three Area Councils in the Territory using questionnaire to solicit for primary data from the respondents. Descriptive statistics and multinomial logit analysis were used to analyze the data. Results of the analysis reveals that smallholder crop farmers were within the age range of (41-50%). They were mostly males (77.94%) and married {98.53%}. Their level of education was primary school education (38.24%) with farming experience of (21-30years). They were mostly (6-10) members/household. Farmers in FCT carried out LS1 (17.5%), LS2 (26.47%), LS23 ( 19.22%) and LS4 (36.76%). Results of household assets on livelihood strategies shows that distance from home to all season road was significant on LS1 at 5% level of significance (1.97)** as well as LS2 at 10% (2.01)** respectively. Income was significant at 1% (-3.03)***. It was therefore recommended that more household assets should be utilized among smallholder crop farmers. f the analysis reveals that smallholder crop farmers were within the age range of (41-50%). They were mostly males (77.94%) and married {98.53%}. Their level of education was primary school education (38.24%) with farming experience of (21-30years). They were mostly (6-10) members/household. Farmers in FCT carried out LS1 (17.5%), LS2 (26.47%), LS23 ( 19.22%) and LS4 (36.76%). Results of household assets on livelihood strategies shows that distance from home to all season road was significant on LS1 at 5% level of significance (1.97)** as well as LS2 at 10% (2.01)** respectively. Income was significant at 1% (-3.03)***. It was therefore recommended that more household assets should be utilized among smallholder crop farmers.

A Study on Consumption Pattern of Household in Vallanadu, Thoothukudi District of Tamilnadu, India

The study focussed on the consumption pattern of rural households to analyse household consumption expenditure on both food and non food items. The present study used the primary data collected from rural households in Vallanadu village of Thoothukudi district in Tamilnadu using the questionnaire. In demographic details,we have observed that the average family size of the household is 4.The village has almost equal population of male and female.Then the village has comparatively higher male adult than the female adult , higher male children than the female children. In profession the most of the village people has only primary income for their survival and only few people has secondary income in additional to primary income. In land holding pattern, the village has the highest wetland area for farming and food source.In cropping pattern, the major crop grown in vallanadu is paddy. In household assets, TV &amp; Bike are the most available household assets. In Household consumption expenditure,the consumption of the cereals is comparatively higher than the pulses. In non-food expenditures, most of their income is spend for the education purpose.percapita consumption as highest for cereals with 400g and 177g per day of vegetables.

Determinants of Demand and Participation by Poultry Farmers in Formal and Informal Credit Markets in Cross River State, Nigeria

A typical challenge for over 65 percent of the Nigerian population living in rural areas and surviving through agricultural activities is access to credit facilities needed to procure technological inputs that trigger productivity. This has consequently limited the capacity of small and micro agro-enterprises - especially poultry enterprises - to develop. Therefore, this study was undertaken to analyse factors affecting the demand and participation of agro-entrepreneurs, particularly poultry farmers, in formal and informal credit markets in Cross River State, Nigeria. Purposive and random sampling techniques were used to select 295 poultry farmers. Data were collected for the 2022 production cycle using structured questionnaires and interviews, and the results were analysed using a multinomial logit model. The results revealed that socioeconomic and enterprise characteristics such as educational level, gender, farm capacity, poultry training, and household assets were significant factors that influenced the participant&amp;apos;s choice of credit institution in the study area. Also, favourable terms, outstanding loans and easier access to loans were the institutional factors that affected credit demand. Training and workshop programmes should be organised by government and corporate financial institutions to encourage participation in credit markets so that the abundant available funds can be efficiently utilised in the production process.

Medical insurance, health risks, and household financial asset allocation: evidence from China household finance survey.

There is a lack of micro evidence on whether medical insurance may optimize the household financial asset allocation by transferring health risk, despite the fact that health risk is a significant component driving families' precautionary savings. This article empirically examines the impact of health risk and social medical insurance on household risky financial asset allocation using a Probit model, based on data from the 2015-2019 China Household Finance Survey (CHFS). The findings indicate that social medical insurance, with its lower level of security, reduces the likelihood, but it can alter households' preferences for risk by lowering marginal effect of health risk. According to the findings of the heterogeneity analysis, people who live in rural and less developed areas are more likely to experience the risk-inhibiting effects of social medical insurance and health risk. The eroding and risk-suppressing impacts of social medical insurance are likewise less pronounced for households headed by women and older people, as is the health risk's suppressive influence on household involvement in risky financial markets. Compared with social medical insurance, commercial medical insurance with a higher level of coverage can dramatically increase household participation in riskier financial markets. This article provides micro-empirical evidence for the household asset allocation effect of medical insurance.

Average and heterogeneous effects of smallholder farm sizes on dietary diversity in northern Ghana

AbstractThe relationship between farm size and dietary diversity has recently gained attention among development practitioners and policymakers. To study this issue, we utilized cross‐sectional data from 900 farm households in Northern Ghana. The analysis employs three econometric approaches—ordinary least squares, two‐stage least squares, and instrumental variable (IV) quantile regression. We subjected our estimates to Conley‐Hansen‐Rossi bound tests to assess the validity of total farmland under household control as an IV for farm size, which serves to illustrate the robustness of the causal inferences linking farm size to household dietary diversity. The results show that a 1‐ha increase in cultivated land improves household dietary diversity score by 3.221 units. The effect of cultivated land on dietary diversity is enhanced by market information, use of improved seeds, chemical fertilizers and herbicides, and overall household asset value. In conclusion, the results indicate that farm size increases household dietary diversity when moving along the dietary diversity distribution. This highlights the importance of considering the influence of farm size at different points along the conditional dietary diversity score distribution, as relying solely on mean effects may obscure important counteracting effects.

Assessing livelihood resilience in drought-affected areas: Lessons from Raya Kobo district, northeast Ethiopia

In comparison to other types of resilience, livelihood resilience in the context of climate-related extremes like droughts is grounded in actual-life scenarios with the purpose of carefully assessing and improving the resiliency of individuals, households, communities, and nations. This study assesses households' livelihood resilience to droughts in Raya Kobo District. A mixed approach with a concurrent research design was used to achieve this goal. The quantitative data were collected from 354 randomly selected survey respondents, while the qualitative data were collected from purposefully chosen FGD and KI participants. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Multiple Linear Regression (MLR) models were employed to analyse the quantitative data, whereas thematic data analysis was used to analyse the qualitative data through the creation of major and sub-themes. To determine households’ livelihood resilience, the livelihood resilience index (LRI) was measured using thirty-eight indicators of resilience based on the five livelihood assets. The study identified fifteen latent dimensions, such as infrastructure, technology, water harvesting scheme, land quality, cropping season, household working capacity, farm experience, educational status, social trust, risk response, social security, support service, income, crop diversity, and assets. The average score of these latent dimensions is 0.3999, suggesting that households in the study area are less resilient. The MLR results show a positive association between the latent dimensions and LRI and the relative importance of the latent dimensions for LRI. These findings provide significant policy implications regarding mitigating vulnerability, strengthening resilience, and establishing pathways out of livelihood insecurity. Education, healthcare, road construction, agricultural inputs (pesticides, herbicides, chemical fertilizers, and improved seeds), irrigation technologies (small-scale drip irrigation systems and human-powered pedals), income diversification, social trust, risk response, social security, support services, and asset building should be the focus of policymakers.

What are Farmer Household Coping Strategies for Facing Crop Loss: Evidence from Indonesia

&#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D; The climate change that has occurred in the last decade has seriously impacted food availability and price pressures from the macro side, as well as the sustainability of farming activities and the welfare of farmers from the micro side. One form of climate change is crop failure; thus, to anticipate crop failure, farming households implement coping strategies to survive well. This study aimed to analyse the coping strategies used by farm households to deal with crop failures. The data used in this study were sourced from the Indonesian Family Life Survey (IFLS) conducted in 2007 and 2014. There were 3338 samples of farming households in a panel data format that could be used in the analysis. The analytical method used in this study uses a fixed effects approach at the household and rural levels to avoid potential bias from endogeneity and heterogeneity problems. The results showed that the coping strategies adopted by farming households were more likely to sell livestock and household assets and increase the number and frequency of loans. Reducing consumption has not been statistically proven as a coping strategy chosen by farming households facing crop failure.&#x0D; &#x0D; &#x0D;

Functional limitation in the older Brazilian adults: Association with multimorbidity and socioeconomic conditions.

The aim of this study was to assess the association between multimorbidity and the presence of functional limitation in basic (BADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) among Brazilian older adults and to verify whether this association is moderated by socioeconomic conditions. Cross-sectional study with data from the Brazilian National Health Survey (PNS) (2019) for the Brazilian population aged 60 years and over. The dependent variables were functional limitation, based on self-reported difficulty in performing one or more activities of daily living, including six BADL (feeding, bathing, using the toilet, dressing, crossing a room on the same floor and getting out of bed) and four IADL (shopping, managing money, taking medication and using transportation). The independent variables were multimorbidity (presence of two or more self-reported chronic diseases) and socioeconomic measures (per capita household income, asset score, and education level). The association between multimorbidity and outcomes was assessed using adjusted logistic regression models. The moderating effect of socioeconomic conditions on the association between multimorbidity and functional limitations was assessed by including an interaction term. The final sample consisted of 22,725 individuals. The prevalence of functional limitation was 8.5% (95%CI: 7.9-9.2) and 18.6% (95%CI: 17.8-19.5) in BADL and IADL, respectively. Multimorbidity was associated with BADL [OR: 2.30 (95%CI: 1.93-2.74)] and IADL [OR: 2.26 (95%CI: 1.98-2.57)]. The odds of functional limitation were higher among individuals with lower levels of education and income, but there was no interaction between multimorbidity and socioeconomic position measures. Multimorbidity was associated with functional limitation (BADL and IADL) and socioeconomic conditions, and this association was constant across socioeconomic position levels.

Profiling of Livelihood Assets of Rural Households in gumla District of Jharkhand

"This paper investigates the livelihood asset profile of the rural poor families of Gumla district of Jharkhand. This study was conducted in two villages of Gumla district, viz Hutar from Albert Ekka block and Bartoli from Dumri block, which was selected using simple random sampling. Complete enumeration (95 households) was done through a well-structured questionnaire in ODK platform. The study primarily identified the profile of livelihood assets owned by the rural households of Gumla district based on the sustainable livelihood framework of DFID. The study tried to explain the profile of various livelihood assets on sustainability, namely human, social, financial, physical, and natural capital. The study revealed that 95.79 per cent of the people belonged to the below poverty line. In this study, we also found that 88 per cent of the households from both villages had not availed any type of skill development training facilities, and almost 87 per cent of the households did not have access to the formal credit facility due to lack of knowledge about the formal financial system. Whereas, in both villages, 70 per cent of women were attached to different social institutions, especially Self-help Groups, and availed loans for various economic activities like the establishment of grocery shops, and enhancement of physical assets etc. to support their livelihood. Despite having abundant access to natural resources like forests and rivers, lack of human assets exceptionally skilled labour and unavailability of financial support were creating hindrances in the livelihood strategy formation at the village level. Hence, it is recommended that rural households should focus on the improvement of their human and financial assets to increase sustainability."

Construction and validation of the area level deprivation index for health research: A methodological study based on Nepal Demographic and Health Survey.

Area-level factors may partly explain the heterogeneity in risk factors and disease distribution. Yet, there are a limited number of studies that focus on the development and validation of the area level construct and are primarily from high-income countries. The main objective of the study is to provide a methodological approach to construct and validate the area level construct, the Area Level Deprivation Index in low resource setting. A total of 14652 individuals from 11,203 households within 383 clusters (or areas) were selected from 2016-Nepal Demographic and Health survey. The index development involved sequential steps that included identification and screening of variables, variable reduction and extraction of the factors, and assessment of reliability and validity. Variables that could explain the underlying latent structure of area-level deprivation were selected from the dataset. These variables included: housing structure, household assets, and availability and accessibility of physical infrastructures such as roads, health care facilities, nearby towns, and geographic terrain. Initially, 26-variables were selected for the index development. A unifactorial model with 15-variables had the best fit to represent the underlying structure for area-level deprivation evidencing strong internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.93). Standardized scores for index ranged from 58.0 to 140.0, with higher scores signifying greater area-level deprivation. The newly constructed index showed relatively strong criterion validity with multi-dimensional poverty index (Pearson's correlation coefficient = 0.77) and relatively strong construct validity (Comparative Fit Index = 0.96; Tucker-Lewis Index = 0.94; standardized root mean square residual = 0.05; Root mean square error of approximation = 0.079). The factor structure was relatively consistent across different administrative regions. Area level deprivation index was constructed, and its validity and reliability was assessed. The index provides an opportunity to explore the area-level influence on disease outcome and health disparity.

From grazing units to milking units: The gendered nature of intra-household livestock management and food security for pastoralists in Kenya

This paper offers a methodological and conceptual framework for empirically demonstrating the importance of gendered, intra-household units in shaping pastoral livestock management and food security. While the focal point for understanding livestock management and pastoral production systems traditionally has been rangelands where livestock graze with male herders, this study demonstrates that as much livestock management happens within the home under the care of women. This project draws from long-term mixed methods research as well as an in-depth focal household study conducted over 10 months with Maasai pastoralists in Kenya to examine the highly gendered activities of herding and milking. In considering multiple spaces of livestock management inside and outside the pastoral home, this project introduces and utilizes the concept of the milking unit (a group of cows allotted to, and managed by, women for milking activities) alongside the more well-studied category of the grazing unit (a group of cattle pooled together by household members for grazing activities). Findings about the micro-decisions of livestock management, and the gendered politics shaping them, illustrate that gendered, intra-household relations are just as, if not more, important than grazing patterns or household assets such as herd size in determining milk resources for individuals within households, with significant outcomes for livestock productivity, food security, and wellbeing. These conclusions suggest that examining gendered, intra-household variation can be key for understanding livelihoods and human-environment interactions for pastoralists and other communities in the global South.

Vulnerability of communities' livelihoods to the impacts of climate change in north-western highlands of Tanzania

Climate change has emerged as one of the critical challenges to human well-being. Changing climate places direct and indirect impacts on human activities and is mainly triggered by non-climatic stressors, which are diverse and inherent in many communities. However, there has been diversity in how climate and non-climatic stress factors affect human well-being and thus requiring locally specific contextualisation of how climate change is driving change in many ecosystems. This study analysed climate and non-climate factors for communities' vulnerability and impacts using a landscape approach in selected villages in the western highlands of Tanzania, specifically in Kasulu and Buhigwe districts in Kigoma Region. The aim was to understand communities' vulnerability to the impacts of climate, and non-climate processes, particularly with regard to livelihoods and impacts, particularly in forest resources. Study sites and respondents were selected through simple random and purposive sampling methods. Data were collected through household surveys, key informants interviews, and focus group discussions. Meteorological data were used for the analysis of climatic changes. Quantitative data analysis tools included meteorological statistics software such as CLIDATA, INSTAT, XLSTAT and SPSS. Theme-content analysis was used to analyse qualitative data. Findings indicate inter-annual and seasonal variabilities of rainfall and temperature levels from the normal across the study sites. The study revealed significant increasing trends for mean annual Maximum and Minimum temperature. Significant changes in rainfall patterns were decreasing seasonal and annual rainfall trends, unreliable onset and cessation, and erratic seasonal rainfall. The maximum decline of seasonal rainfall had slope values of −14.51, while the maximum decline of annual rainfall trends had a slope value of −12.76. The minimum decline for seasonal rainfall had slope values of −2.17, and annual rainfall trends had slope values of −1.36. Villages in the highland zone were found to be highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and non-climate stress factors, with a 0.61 vulnerability index value. Major climate stress factors for communities' vulnerability included seasonal variability of rainfall and temperature increase, which influenced the increase of pests and diseases and other unfavourable climatic conditions that affect crop production and livestock keeping. The effects, directly and indirectly, influenced the low agricultural yields and decreased income. Non-climate stress factors such as landscape characteristics, mobility, inadequate extension services, and low household asset endowment might have been accelerating communities' vulnerability to the effects of the changing climate. Moreover, the study shows the climate change on a community's resilience. Generally, changes in climate conditions result in many adverse consequences and have been influencing communities' vulnerability.