Housing Census Data Research Articles

Evaluating the impact of a 24-hour economy on Ghana's economic landscape: A computable general equilibrium approach

The National Democratic Congress (NDC), Ghana's leading opposition political party, has unveiled an ambitious ‘24-hour economy’ policy proposal ahead of the country's forthcoming general elections in 2024. The policy aims to revitalise the nation's economic landscape by fostering round-the-clock operations in key sectors. This paper employs a dynamic Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) model framework, underpinned by the 2015 Ghana Social Accounting Matrix (SAM) and the 2021 Ghana Population and Housing Census (PHC) data, to evaluate the potential impact of the policy on Ghana's economy.Results indicate that under the proposed ‘24-hour economy’ policy, Ghana's real GDP growth (not to be confused with GDP growth rate) in ten years would be 31.71 % higher than it would have been under a ‘business-as-usual’ scenario in the same timeframe. This indicates substantial augmentations in economic output within the Ghanaian economy under a ‘24-hour economy’ setting. Further, the policy would generate more than 3 million jobs within five years of its implementation, with manufacturing, agriculture, wholesale and retail trade, services, construction and transport sectors experiencing substantial employment gains.The policy's transformative effects are driven by its ability to stimulate capital investment and capital formation, boost productivity and increase household incomes.The paper concludes that the NDC's proposed ‘24-hour economy’ policy holds substantial potential for transformative economic growth in Ghana. However, there are potential challenges associated with the implementation of the policy, which then necessitates a holistic approach to policy formulation, focusing on inclusive growth and sustainable development strategies.

Modelling the cost of engage & treat and test & treat strategies towards the elimination of lymphatic filariasis in Ghana.

Despite several years of LF-MDA implementation, Ghana still has some districts with mf prevalence >1%, partly due to poor treatment coverage levels resulting from non-participation in MDA. To address the challenges, we implemented an Engage & Treat (E&T) and Test & Treat (T&T) strategies for individuals who miss or refuse MDA respectively, in a hotspot district, enabling us to reach many of those who seldom, or never, take part in MDA. This financial cost study was undertaken to analyse data on the LF-MDA, E&T and T&T implementation in 2021 and the financial cost to inform the rollout of the E&T and T&T as mop-up strategies in future LF-MDAs. This costing study analysed cost data from the 2021 LF-MDA implementation activities carried out by the Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTD) programme of the Ghana Health Service and the SENTINEL study, carried out in Ahanta West district for the two interventions (i.e., E&T and T&T). The 2021 Ghana Population and Housing Census data was used to estimate the LF-MDA-eligible population. The financial cost per person treated was estimated and these costs were applied to the projected population to obtain the financial cost for subsequent years. Implementing MDA mop-up strategies either through the E&T or T&T to improve coverage comes at an additional cost to the elimination goals. For example, in 2024 the projected cost per person treated by the routine LF-MDA is estimated at US$0.83. The cost using the integrated LF-MDA and the E&T, T&T led by the NTD programme or T&T integrated into the health system was estimated at US$1.62, US$2.88, and US$2.33, respectively, for the same year. Despite the increased cost, the proposed combined LF-MDA and mop-up strategies will have a higher estimated population treated for 2024 (i.e., 1,392,211) compared to the routine LF-MDA approach (i.e., 988,470) for the same year. Combining LF-MDA with E&T/T&T mop-up strategies, despite their high costs, may provide NTD Programmes with the options of improving treatment coverage and reaching the LF elimination target sooner, given that the routine LF-MDA alone approach has been implemented for many years with some districts yet to reach the elimination targets.

Area deprivation and premature cardiovascular mortality: a nationwide population-based study in South Korea

BackgroundRegional disparities in cardiovascular disease (CVD) burden exist. The effect of area deprivation, one of the possible explanations, still needs to be fully understood. This population-based study investigated the association...

Prevalence and correlates of disability in older adults, Ghana: evidence from the Ghana 2021 Population and Housing Census

BackgroundAlthough there are studies on disabilities in older persons, most of these studies have been carried out in developed countries. Hence, there are limited studies on disability in older adults in sub-Saharan Africa, including Ghana. The few studies that have examined the prevalence and correlates of disability in older adults used survey data for their analyses. To contribute to addressing this knowledge gap that has arisen, this study used a national census, the 2021 Ghana Population and Housing Census, to examine the prevalence and correlates of disability in older adults in Ghana.MethodsThe 2021 Ghana Population and Housing Census data was used for this study. A sample size of 197,057 Ghanaians aged 60 years and above was used for this study. The Washington Group questions on disability were used to measure disability by asking older adults about their difficulties in performing the six domains of disability (physical, sight, intellectual, hearing, self-care, and speech). A multinomial logistic regression housed in STATA was used to analyse the correlates of disability in older adults in Ghana. A p-value less than 0.05 was used for statistical significance.ResultsThe results show that slightly more than one-third (38.4%) of the older adults were disabled. In terms of the number of disabilities in older adults, 16.9% had one disability condition, while 2.4% had six disability conditions. Also, 9.4% had two disability conditions. Older adults who were females, aged 70–79 years and 80 years and above, resided in rural areas, with primary, JHS/Middle, SHS, unaffiliated with religion, ever married and never married, unemployed, and belonged to the middle and rich households were more likely to have a disability condition. Also, older adults residing in the Middle and Northern zones, having no health insurance, and using clean cooking fuel were less likely to have a disability condition.ConclusionsThe results show that socio-demographic and household factors were associated with disability in older adults in Ghana. Hence, policymakers and researchers should target these factors when designing appropriate policies, programmes, and interventions to improve the wellbeing of older adults.

Probabilistic seismic hazard and risk assessment of Mizoram, North East India

This paper presents seismic hazard and risk assessment for the state of Mizoram based on a classical probabilistic seismic hazard analysis and event-based probabilistic seismic risk analysis. For the seismic hazard estimation, analysis has been performed considering the areal source model, fault zone polygon, and smoothed gridded seismicity model. The earthquake activity rates for these source zones and smoothed gridded seismicity sources are estimated from the homogenized and declustered earthquake catalogue. The logic tree framework is applied in the seismic source models and Ground Motion Prediction equations (GMPEs) to account for the epistemic uncertainties. Five Next-generation attenuation (NGA) GMPEs for the active shallow region and three GMPEs for the Indo-Burma subduction zone have been used to evaluate the hazard at the reference rock condition (Vs30 ​= ​760 ​m/s). Peak Ground Acceleration (PGA) and Spectral Acceleration (SA) at 0.2 s and 1s are estimated for each eight districts headquarters of Mizoram for a 2% and 10% probability of exceedance in 50 years. The hazard curves and Uniform Hazard Spectra (UHS) are also presented. For seismic risk analysis, building exposure data are based on digitized building footprint and 2011 Housing Census data of India. All the buildings are classified into three classes, and seismic vulnerability functions are assigned to each building class. The area per building class is assigned from the digitized footprint. Building replacement costs per square meter have been chosen based on expert input and values identified from past study. Lastly, the study conducted a seismic risk analysis using the Open Quake-engine's probabilistic event-based methodology to estimate risk metrics at the district level, such as average annual losses and probability curves for loss exceedance. The study's findings provide valuable insights into the most high-risk areas, the building construction types that are most vulnerable to seismic activity, and the anticipated economic losses in the state of Mizoram. These results can serve as a guide for local government authorities in developing future city plans and implementing earthquake risk mitigation strategies.

Alternative development trajectories? A quantitative analysis of religion as a vector of mobility and education among the Hmong in upland Vietnam

What can Vietnam's Population and Housing Census Data tell us about profound socio-economic transformations among the most marginalised communities of upland Vietnam? This paper analyses new quantitative data to grapple with the intersections between widespread Hmong Protestant conversion over the past 35 years, migration pathways, educational attainment and economic development indicators. Quantitative data analysis reveals some significant trends which corroborate previous qualitative fieldwork. Firstly, Hmong Protestantism is associated with distinct migration routes down to the Central Highlands or to more remote areas of the Northwest highlands, suggesting an intentional distancing from state influence. Secondly, Hmong Protestants exhibit different rural livelihoods dynamics with regard to crop diversification and household economic practices. Thirdly, while non-Protestant Christians engage to a greater degree in formal education, unschooled Christians have relatively higher levels of literacy. This all points to the salience of what we call ‘alternative routes to development’ among different sectors of the Hmong population in Vietnam, which may be differentiated by both religious and geographical factors.

Area-level deprivation and handwashing behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic: A multilevel analysis on a nationwide survey in Korea

ABSTRACT This study investigated the association between area deprivation level and performance of handwashing behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic in Korean adults. This study used data from the 2015 Population and Housing Census data to measure area deprivation level. The 2020 Korea Community Health Survey was used for all other variables, including hand hygiene behavior (August through November 2020). The association between area deprivation level and practice of handwashing behavior was examined using multilevel logistic regression analysis. The study population comprised 215,676 adults aged 19 years or above. Compared to the least area deprived group, the most deprived group was more likely to not wash hands after using the restroom (OR 1.43, 95% CI 1.13–1.82), after coming home (OR 1.85, 95% CI 1.43–2.39), and using soap (OR 1.55, 95% CI 1.29–1.84). The findings suggest the importance of considering area deprivation in implementing policies that promote handwashing, particularly during a pandemic.

GLOF hazard, exposure, vulnerability, and risk assessment of potentially dangerous glacial lakes in the Bhutan Himalaya

Deglaciation due to atmospheric warming has led to the formation and expansion of numerous glacial lakes, especially in the eastern Himalaya. Many of these glacial lakes are susceptible to glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs), which can cause far-reaching impacts on downstream infrastructure and livelihoods. This study is a comprehensive assessment of GLOF susceptibility, hazard, exposure, vulnerability, and risk for four potentially dangerous glacial lakes (Bechung Tsho, Raphstreng Tsho, Thorthomi Tsho, and Lugge Tsho) located in the Lunana glacier complex of the Phochu basin in Bhutan. Exposure and risk assessments were based on modelled GLOF hydrodynamics, infrastructure data, population and housing census data. Among the four glacial lakes, Thorthormi Tsho and Lugge Tsho are relatively more susceptible to outburst floods than Raphstreng Tsho and Bechung Tsho. Outflow flood volumes from these lakes range between 6 × 105 and 3 × 108 m3 which can potentially impact over 16,000 people, two hydropower projects, numerous other infrastructures, and agricultural land up to 150 km downstream of the lakes. The GLOF exposed elements are largely in Punakha and Wangdue Phodrang districts, which are located 90 and 100 km downstream of the Lunana glacier complex respectively. Among 17 subdistrict blocks within the basin, one (Lunana) lies in a very high GLOF risk area, while 9 others are in the high GLOF risk zone. The study highlights the importance of multi-source data in improving the knowledge of downstream GLOF risk and serves as a base for improving GLOF risk reduction strategies in high mountain regions.

Spatial Accessibility of Primary Care in the Dual Public-Private Health System in Rural Areas, Malaysia.

Disparities in access to health services in rural areas represent a global health issue. Various external factors contribute to these disparities and each root requires specific remedial action to alleviate the issue. This study elucidates an approach to assessing the spatial accessibility of primary care, considering Malaysia's dual public-private system specifically in rural areas, and identifies its associated ecological factors. Spatial accessibility was calculated using the Enhance 2-Step Floating Catchment Area (E2SFCA) method, modified as per local context. Data were secondary sourced from Population and Housing Census data and administrative datasets pertaining to health facilities and road network. The spatial pattern of the E2SFCA scores were depicted using Hot spot Analysis. Hierarchical multiple linear regression and geographical weight regression were performed to identify factors that affect E2SFCA scores. Hot spot areas revolved near the urban agglomeration, largely contributed by the private sector. Distance to urban areas, road density, population density dependency ratios and ethnic composition were among the associated factors. Accurate conceptualization and comprehensive assessment of accessibility are crucial for evidence-based decision making by the policymakers and health authorities in identifying areas that need attention for a more specific and localized planning and development.

IMPACT OF THE SECONDARY EDUCATION DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM ON ACCESS TO SECONDARY EDUCATION IN TANZANIA

Limited access to secondary education is a growing challenge especially in many developing countries, where more young individuals of secondary school age are pushed back to join higher level of education beyond primary level because of few number of secondary schools, hence continued to be less competitive in the national labor markets. Evidence suggests that, if investment in school construction interventions is made, more people will be aware about schools and other education services, hence the cost of education will be reduced and education attainments can be attained. The study used Difference in Difference (DID) multiple regression model to evaluate the impact of the secondary education development program (SEDP) on access to secondary education in Tanzania. The study employed secondary data of 2012 Population and Housing Census data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and secondary schools census data from Presidents Office Regional Administration and Local Government (PO-RALG). The study found that, SEDP has significant impact on the number of secondary schools and student enrolment in secondary schools in Tanzania. The results revealed that, number of secondary schools and students enrollment increases more in wards that have received SEDP, than it would have without SEDP intervention

A Data-Driven Approach to Analyze Mobility Patterns and the Built Environment: Evidence from Brescia, Catania, and Salerno (Italy)

Investigating the correlation between urban mobility patterns and the built environment is crucial to support an integrated approach to transportation and land-use planning in modern cities. In this study, we aim to conduct a data-driven analysis of these two interrelated parts of the urban environment through the estimation of a set of metrics to assist city planners in making well-informed strategic decisions. Metrics are computed by aggregating and correlating different types of data sources. Floating Car Data (FCD) are used to compute metrics on mobility demand and traffic patterns. The built environment metrics are mainly derived from population and housing census data, as well as by investigating the topology and the functional classification adopted in the OpenStreetMap Repository to describe the importance and the role of each street in the overall network. Thanks to this set of metrics, accessibility indexes are then estimated to capture and explain the interaction between traffic patterns and the built environment in three Italian cities: Brescia, Catania, and Salerno. The results confirm that the proposed data-driven approach can extract valuable information to support decisions leading to more sustainable urban mobility volumes and patterns. More specifically, the application results show how the physical shape of each city and the related street network characteristics affect the accessibility profiles of different city zones and, consequently, the associated traffic patterns and travel delays. In particular, the combined analysis of city layouts, street network distributions, and floating car profiles suggests that cities such as Brescia, which is characterized by a homogeneously distributed radial street system, exhibit a more balanced spread of activities and efficient mobility behaviors.

Assessing the Performance of ELL and EBP Models in Estimating District Level Poverty Indices in The Presence of Outliers in the Northern Region of Ghana.

The objective of this study was to assess the performance of the Elbers, Lanjouw and Lanjouw (ELL) and the Empirical Best Predictor (EBP) Small Area Estimation (SAE) models in estimating the Foster-Greer-Thobecke (FGT) poverty indices for the Northern Region of Ghana in the presence of outliers. The sixth round of the Ghana Living Standard Survey (GLSS) data and the  Population and Housing Census ( PHC) data were used for the study. The performances of these SAE models under normality and non-normality assumptions were evaluated by computing and comparing their Absolute Relative Biases and Relative Root Mean Squared Errors values under both conditions by conducting a model-based simulation study in the absence and presence of outlier contaminated data. Results from the study showed that no matter the level of contamination, the EBP model is a better performer and more stable than the ELL model in estimating all the FGT poverty indicators for the Region. Therefore, it was recommended that in future poverty estimating exercises, the EBP model be used to estimate the FGT poverty indicators for the Northern Region of Ghana.

Multivariate small area estimation of undernutrition for children under five using official statistics

Surveys are mainly used to obtain reliable estimates for planned domains at national and regional levels. However, the unplanned domains (lower administrative layers) with small sample sizes must be estimated. The direct survey estimates of the non-planned domains with small sample sizes lead to large sampling variability. Thus, small area estimations dealt with managing this variability by borrowing the strength of neighboring areas. The target variables of the study were obtained from the 2016 Ethiopian demographic and health survey (EDHS) and the auxiliary variables taken from the 2007 population and housing census data. Multivariate Fay Herriot (MFH) model was used by incorporating the correlations among the target variables. The model diagnostic measures assured the normality assumption, and the consistency of multivariate small area estimates are valid. Multivariate EBLUPs of the target variables produced the lowest percent coefficient of variation (CV) and root mean square error (MSE). Therefore, multivariate EBLUP has improved the direct survey estimates of undernutrition (stunting, wasting, and underweight) for small sample sizes (even zero sample sizes). It also provided better estimates compared to the univariate EBLUPs. Generally, multivariate EBLUPs of undernutrition produced the best reliable, efficient, and precise estimates for small sample sizes in all zones. Zones are essential domains for planning and monitoring purposes in the country, and therefore these results provide valuable estimates for policymakers, planners, and legislative organs of the government. One of the novelties of this paper is estimating the non-sampled zones, and therefore the policymakers will give equal attention similar to the sampled zones.

Tools for mapping multi-scale settlement patterns of building footprints: An introduction to the R package foot.

Spatial datasets of building footprint polygons are becoming more widely available and accessible for many areas in the world. These datasets are important inputs for a range of different analyses, such as understanding the development of cities, identifying areas at risk of disasters, and mapping the distribution of populations. The growth of high spatial resolution imagery and computing power is enabling automated procedures to extract and map building footprints for whole countries. These advances are enabling coverage of building footprint datasets for low and middle income countries which might lack other data on urban land uses. While spatially detailed, many building footprints lack information on structure type, local zoning, or land use, limiting their application. However, morphology metrics can be used to describe characteristics of size, shape, spacing, orientation and patterns of the structures and extract additional information which can be correlated with different structure and settlement types or neighbourhoods. We introduce the foot package, a new set of open-source tools in a flexible R package for calculating morphology metrics for building footprints and summarising them in different spatial scales and spatial representations. In particular our tools can create gridded (or raster) representations of morphology summary metrics which have not been widely supported previously. We demonstrate the tools by creating gridded morphology metrics from all building footprints in England, Scotland and Wales, and then use those layers in an unsupervised cluster analysis to derive a pattern-based settlement typology. We compare our mapped settlement types with two existing settlement classifications. The results suggest that building patterns can help distinguish different urban and rural types. However, intra-urban differences were not well-predicted by building morphology alone. More broadly, though, this case study demonstrates the potential of mapping settlement patterns in the absence of a housing census or other urban planning data.

Census Hub as Centralizing Population Data: The European Union Experience

This study outlines the launching background of the Census Hub by the European Commission in 2011 as an initiative to centralize population and housing census data in the European Union. The aim of this paper is to analyze why the European Union wants to centralize its population and housing census data in an online system and also its benefits of looking at common issues that occur in the European Union. In order to elaborate on the reasons behind the launch of Census Hub, this article uses constructivism for European integration. The data sources used in this article are from the official publications published by the European Union, in particular the European Commission on Census Hubs. Other data will be obtained from online texts on integration, population, and housing in Europe. The results showed that the launching of the Census Hub is one of the the European Union endeavor to integrate Europe, not only by expanding its territory to the East. European integration can be done in all aspects of life, one of which is integrating population and housing census data. The ambition of European integration is an old desire for fulfilling European values and norms for welfare of citizens who live in its territory.

Who is embracing the short-term rental of electric cars? A case study on Estonia

To achieve sustainability in the transport sector new technologies need to be complemented by new, sharing economy business models. Before launching policies to facilitate their diffusion, market segmentation and positioning needs to be considered. While the importance of innovators and early adopters in the diffusion of new technologies has already been emphasized for decades, their role and socioeconomic characteristics in the case of the diffusion of new business models remains under studied. This article investigates the socioeconomic characteristics of users of a short-term electric car rental service during a pilot phase of approximately-two years. The analysis is based on merging the service provider’s personalised user database with the National Population and Housing Census data. The results indicate that many of the observations from survey-based studies about the adoption of electric cars do not necessarily stand up in the context of a short-term rental service, particularly regarding the socioeconomic characteristics of the adopters such as age, family status, type of home and home ownership.

Preservation Planning: Redeveloping Public and Affordable Housing

Urban planners face an affordable housing crisis compounded by federal programs that eliminated subsidized housing. Prior work indicates profit-making motivations and race influenced housing removal but overlooks planning efforts to rebuild affordable housing. This paper explores the neighborhood factors affecting the redevelopment of subsidized housing under the Housing Opportunities for People Everywhere (HOPE VI) program, using multivariate regression analysis of U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and Census data. Findings show housing market indicators, racial composition, and poverty rates do not predict the mix of rebuilt units, which suggests opportunities for planning to promote affordable housing goals in public–private development projects.

Use of new technologies for the 2020 population and housing census round

For the first time in Mexico, the 2020 Population and Housing Census data collection will be carried out through a CAPI (Computer-Assisted Personal Interviewing) scheme as the main enumeration method, but it will also include the CATI (Computer-Assis

Residential vulnerability and the housing question: a social and spatial-oriented analysis for the Andalusia metropolitan areas

The mismatch between basic household needs and the conditions and characteristics of dwellings is at the centre of residential vulnerability. According to the guidelines established in the international and national level, this paper aims to apply a two-dimensional perspective in urban and housing research. Indeed, the concept of residential vulnerability is used to address, jointly, the areas and social groups at risk due to housing characteristics and conditions. By analysing 2011 Population and Housing Census data, three indicators were developed, linking physical housing conditions to relevant social dimensions. This integrated perspective is used to identify the size and range of residential vulnerability situations brought about by the physical characteristics of dwellings and how they link to relevant social dimensions in the Andalusia metropolitan system. Results revealed significant deficiencies in housing conditions, yielding different impacts by metropolitan area and social group. Although the reported problems did not affect a sizeable proportion of the population, they proved relevant given the severity of the issues addressed and the social groups involved. These shortcomings should constitute a priority for sustainable housing policies and urban plans.

Mapping the geographic availability of public dental services in Uganda relative to ruralization and poverty of the population

Objectives: Uganda is a low-income country faced with a number of challenges in health service delivery, including oral health services. Despite reports of an increased prevalence of oral diseases, they are afforded less priority, amidst competing priorities of infectious and other non-communicable diseases. Oral health-care services are offered free-of-charge in public health facilities. The majority of the Ugandan population live in rural areas. This would imply that public dental services should be more widely distributed in rural areas to meet the needs of the majority population. This study, therefore, aimed to determine the geographic distribution of public dental services relative to poverty and ruralization of the Ugandan population. Materials and Methods: All 112 districts in Uganda were to be surveyed for this study using an ecological design that incorporated the Ugandan population with socio-demographics obtained from the latest Uganda National Housing and Population Census and poverty data from the national Poverty Status Report 2014. The data from the districts were on the availability of public dental services and the physical location of these dental facilities. Overall, 182 public facilities were included in the study. The geographic location of public dental clinics was established using open-data sources. The data on ruralization were aggregated at the district level and that on poverty at the subregion level. Spatial analysis was done using geographic information science software, Quantum Geographic Information System. Results: The total Ugandan population was 34 million. Overall, 19.7% of the population was poor with the highest proportion located in the North and East of Uganda. Urban-rural characteristics varied across the country. Information on the 182 public dental clinics was collected from 97 of the 112 Ugandan districts. Among the 97 districts, 15% had no public clinic and were located in the poorest Ugandan regions. Among the 40 districts containing over 90% of the rural population, 20% had none, and 55% only had one dental clinic. In general, service availability reduced as the proportion of the rural and poor population increased. Conclusion: The spatial analysis presents an avenue to inform and guide the decision making and planning process by identifying geographic areas with access gaps relative to population socio-demographic characteristics. This study revealed that public dental services were least available for the poorest and rural populations, and yet they are already vulnerable to other access barriers. It is recommended that efforts should be made by health planners and policymakers to avert the health inequalities presented by inequitable access.