Housing Improvement Research Articles

A Study on the System Legitimacy and Normativity of Small-Scale Housing

A Study on the System Legitimacy and Normativity of Small-Scale Housing

Home Comfort and “Peak Household”: Implications for Energy Demand

ABSTRACT This paper draws on a study of Scottish householders living in “zero-carbon” homes. It explores how broader understandings of home comfort may explain changes that result in home life becoming increasingly energy demanding, despite householders’ intentions to save or decarbonize energy. The paper argues that domestic energy research must engage with the dreams, aspirations, and images of home that ultimately drive consumption and impact investment in housing and home energy improvements. This is done by examining the interrelationship between energy retrofitting and installing microgeneration technologies alongside discussing meanings of home comfort and visions of ideal homes with householders. The study argues that an important aspect of home improvements is due to accommodating the “needs” of the peak household. The paper concludes by discussing how a wider range of people and interventions could be pursued to reduce domestic energy demand such as promoting downsizing or working with home or lifestyle companies.

An Investigation into Inequalities in Adult Lifespan

People in the United Kingdom are living longer than ever but the gap between the shortest and longest lived appears to be increasing. Based on data from the Human Mortality Database, we measure the differences in age between the first 10% of adult deaths and the top 5% of survivors. We find that in the period from 1879 to 1939 this gap steadily closed. We cite evidence that the reduction in inequalities in age at death was due to significant improvements in the health and condition of the population through better housing, sanitation, mass vaccination, occupational health, clearer air, and other public health improvements that disproportionately improved the lives of the poorest in society relative to the wealthiest. Although life expectancy continued to rise after 1950, the inequality gap remained roughly constant and in recent years has started to widen again—more so for men than for women. A key difference between pre-1939 and now is that deaths are much more likely to be from chronic rather than infectious diseases or environmental causes. Since chronic disease is often attributable to life choices such as smoking and diet, we maintain that the blame for the widening must be laid increasingly at the door of individual lifestyles rather than ambient risks and hazards.

The influence of land tenure and dwelling occupancy on disaster risk reduction. The case of eight informal settlements in six Latin American and Caribbean countries

PurposeThis study seeks to understand how land tenure security and dwelling occupancy modes influence disaster risk reduction in precarious urban communities. Design/methodology/approachWe conducted a comprehensive review of recent publications on the relationship between land tenure security, access to credit, housing improvements, and the expected outcome: safer housing and thus risk reduction. We used a database of surveys from a previous study conducted by the authors in eight informal settlements across six Latin American and Caribbean countries in 2017–2018. Bivariate correlation and Point-Biserial correlations analyses were conducted, using the stepwise variable selection for all regressions. This study assesses whether dwelling occupancy mode and land tenure situation predict the changes in disaster risk factors such as dwellings' physical conditions and occupants' social conditions. FindingsOur extensive literature review reveals: (1) securing housing occupancy alone does not automatically address the issue of credit access, nor does it result in house improvement that lead to safer housing; and (2) households with land tenure or occupancy issues that are exposed to natural hazards are frequently excluded from aid distribution and post-disaster reconstruction programs which increases their vulnerability to future disasters. Our statistical analysis found a positive relationship between consolidated mode of occupancy and land tenure with disaster risk factors associated with housing conditions, particularly access to utilities (i.e., water, sewage, and energy). Originality/valueOur study is the result of a systematic process framed within an evidence-based DRR evaluation strategy that brings forth the scope of measures to secure land tenure conditions and consolidate house occupancy modes as means to improve safety and quality of life in informal settlements that ultimately influence the susceptibility of communities to the impacts of natural hazards.

Perencanaan Keuangan Keluarga untuk Anggota BKM Unggul Jaya Pecangaan Kulon, Jepara

FAMILY FINANCIAL PLANNING FOR MEMBERS OF BKM UNGGUL JAYA PECANGAAN KULON, JEPARA. Community Self-Reliance Agency of Unggul Jaya (BKM) is as a local non-profit institution. The members are the citizen of Pecangaan Kulon. The management and the staff are grouped voluntarily. The program of the community self-reliance agency is financial services for micro business group. The positive impacts of the program are (1) increasing community welfare; (2) increasing job opportunities from villagers. However, social dynamics leave problems such as the diversion of loan objectives is not in accordance with the average business application of businesses to non-businesses such as school funding, household purchases, house improvement, jewelry, entertainment, etc. It causes negative impacts such as (1) additional debt for members; (2) the changing of food consumption to debt payments; (3) bad loans so that funds cannot be handed over to other members; (4) the increased debt of the member to other institutions so that it makes getting worse for the finance; (5) the conflict of payment in a group; (6) the environmental development programs have stalled due to insufficient funding participation because members do not have good financial planning; (7) the environmental services and finance programs will be terminated by BKM to the environment which has arrears in installments. The solutions provided in the service program are (1) providing skills in determining the priority scale of household needs; (2) providing financial planning skills; (3) providing Financial Check-Up training; (4) providing skills in making a family financial budget; (5) Assisting and monitoring participants.

Risk and resilient architectural practices in informal settlements – the role of NGOs

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to understand the role played by small-size non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in slum upgrading, building and incremental housing processes in Brazil and Guinea-Bissau, focusing, in particular, on actions to reduce vulnerabilities and enhance community resilience.Design/methodology/approachThe research method relied on literature review and fieldwork. It included surveys, activities with the communities, interviews and questionnaires. The data collected were subject to cross-disciplinary and comparative analysis.FindingsThe paper analyses the innovative methods and solutions used by NGOs in informal settlement upgrading and housing improvement works related to disaster risk reduction, namely, community mapping and design, and show how they end up building community resilience.Research limitations/implicationsGrasping the impacts of NGOs’ work whether in slums of Brazil or Africa requires staying with communities for a significant amount of time. However, those stays raise many practical problems regarding security, health and related costs.Originality/valueThe existing literature misses to address from a comparative perspective, the methods used by social workers and designers teams in slums. This paper aims at filling this gap in slum studies. Its originality and value rely on the particular experience of the authors, who were personally involved in the NGOs actions and could deepen the connections between vulnerabilities, risk and successful aid-self-help practices.

Housing market in rural areas of Russia: developmental factors and problems of study

The rural housing market traditionally performs important socio-economic functions by meeting the demand of population for housing. The level of housing affordability for the population and the level of housing improvement are indirect factors for the development of agricultural production, as they contribute to creating comfortable conditions for everyday life in rural areas. The authors of this article analyzed main problems associated with the study of the rural housing market in Russia, and concluded that the informational base that is formed in the public statistical system deemed is insufficient. The authors also conducted an analysis of scientific publications in relation to the topic and identified factors that can be considered as the basis of the development of rural housing market in Russia.

Impacts of integrated scheme on livelihood and rural housing condition in Nigeria

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of integrated rural development scheme on livelihood and rural housing condition in selected rural areas in Osun state. This is prompted by the need to develop effective strategy for improving the rural housing condition in Nigeria.Design/methodology/approachThe impacts of the scheme were measured through survey of 344 participants obtained from 28 active communities out of the 36 communities’ coverage by Rural Development Programme of Justice Development and Peace Makers’s Centre through a multi-stage sampling. Both qualitative and quantitative data were obtained from the respondents. The data were analyzed through descriptive statistics, frequency distribution, correlation and regression analysis.FindingsThe result revealed that the mode of operation of the integrated scheme is to educate farmers on best farming practices. The integrated scheme had contributed positively to the livelihood of the respondents by providing stable source of finance than any other available finance source options, and it increased assets and skill acquisition and ability to have more combination of livelihood options as a result of the intervention. In addition, the number of respondents without personal accommodation also decreased at a significant proportion after the intervention. Also, notable numbers of respondents have increased access to domestic housing facilities such as, well, pit toilet and electricity. The result of the correlation analysis showed further that respondents with more livelihood assets and larger household size most often have a better housing condition, whereas the regression analysis revealed that change in the household size and change in livelihood assets lead to change in the housing condition. The paper suggest that integrated scheme could be used as a self-financing strategy for both qualitative and quantitative improvement of rural housing in Nigeria if the scheme enjoys the requisite government support in terms of adequacy of finance and more government agency participation for wider coverage.Originality/valueThe paper is one of the pioneering studies in Nigeria.

A Systematised Review of the Health Impact of Urban Informal Settlements and Implications for Upgrading Interventions in South Africa, a Rapidly Urbanising Middle-Income Country.

Informal settlements are becoming more entrenched within African cities as the urban population continues to grow. Characterised by poor housing conditions and inadequate services, informal settlements are associated with an increased risk of disease and ill-health. However, little is known about how informal settlement upgrading impacts health over time. A systematised literature review was conducted to explore existing evidence and knowledge gaps on the association between informal settlement characteristics and health and the impact of informal settlement upgrading on health, within South Africa, an upper-middle income African country. Using two databases, Web of Science and PubMed, we identified 46 relevant peer-reviewed articles published since 1998. Findings highlight a growing body of research investigating the ways in which complete physical, mental and social health are influenced by the physical housing structure, the psychosocial home environment and the features of the neighbourhood and community in the context of informal settlements. However, there is a paucity of longitudinal research investigating the temporal impact of informal settlement upgrading or housing improvements on health outcomes of these urban residents. Informal settlements pose health risks particularly to vulnerable populations such as children, the elderly, and people with suppressed immune systems, and are likely to aggravate gender-related inequalities. Due to the complex interaction between health and factors of the built environment, there is a need for further research utilising a systems approach to generate evidence that investigates the interlinked factors that longitudinally influence health in the context of informal settlement upgrading in rapidly growing cities worldwide.

A randomized controlled trial of the effectiveness of Housing First in a small Canadian City

BackgroundThe paper presents two-year findings from a study investigating the effectiveness of Housing First (HF) with assertive community treatment (ACT) in helping individuals with serious mental illness, who are homeless or precariously housed and living in a small city, to become stably housed.MethodsThe research design was a parallel group non-blinded RCT with participants randomly assigned after the baseline interview to receive HF with ACT (N = 100) or treatment as usual (TAU; N = 101). Participants were interviewed every 3 months over 21/24 months to investigate changes on a range of housing and psychosocial outcomes. The primary outcomes were housing stability (as defined by a joint function of number of days housed and number of moves) and improvement in community functioning. Secondary predicted outcomes were improvements in self-rated physical and mental health status, substance use problems, quality of life, community integration, and recovery.ResultsAn intent-to-treat analysis was conducted. Compared to TAU participants, HF participants who entered housing did so more quickly (23.30 versus 88.25 days, d = 1.02, 95% CI [0.50–1.53], p < 0.001), spent a greater proportion of time stably housed (Z = 5.30, p < 0.001, OR = 3.12, 95% CI [1.96–4.27]), and rated the quality of their housing more positively (Z = 4.59, p < 0.001, d = 0.43, 95% CI [0.25–0.62]). HF participants were also more likely to be housed continually in the final 6 months (i.e., 79.57% vs. 55.47%), χ2 (2, n = 170) = 11.46, p = .003, Cramer’s V = 0.26, 95% CI [0.14–0.42]). HF participants showed greater gains in quality of life, (Z = 3.83, p < 0.001, ASMD = 0.50, 95% CI [0.24–0.75]), psychological integration (Z = 12.89, p < 0.001, pooled ASMD = 0.91, 95% CI [0.77–1.05]), and perceived recovery (Z = 2.26, p = 0.03, ASMD = 0.39, 95% CI [0.05–0.74]) than TAU participants.ConclusionsThe study indicates that HF ends homelessness significantly more rapidly than TAU for a majority of individuals with serious mental illness who have a history of homelessness and live in a small city. In addition, compared to TAU, HF produces psychosocial benefits for its recipients that include an enhanced quality of life, a greater sense of belonging in the community, and greater improvements in perceived recovery from mental illness.Trial registrationInternational Standard Randomized Control Trial Number Register Identifier: ISRCTN42520374, assigned August 18, 2009.

Models of effectiveness of interventions against malaria transmitted by Anopheles albimanus

BackgroundMost impact prediction of malaria vector control interventions has been based on African vectors. Anopheles albimanus, the main vector in Central America and the Caribbean, has higher intrinsic mortality, is more zoophilic and less likely to rest indoors. Therefore, relative impact among interventions may be different. Prioritizing interventions, in particular for eliminating Plasmodium falciparum from Haiti, should consider local vector characteristics.MethodsField bionomics data of An. albimanus from Hispaniola and intervention effect data from southern Mexico were used to parameterize mathematical malaria models. Indoor residual spraying (IRS), insecticide-treated nets (ITNs), and house-screening were analysed by inferring their impact on the vectorial capacity in a difference-equation model. Impact of larval source management (LSM) was assumed linear with coverage. Case management, mass drug administration and vaccination were evaluated by estimating their effects on transmission in a susceptible-infected-susceptible model. Analogous analyses were done for Anopheles gambiae parameterized with data from Tanzania, Benin and Nigeria.ResultsWhile LSM was equally effective against both vectors, impact of ITNs on transmission by An. albimanus was much lower than for An. gambiae. Assuming that people are outside until bedtime, this was similar for the impact of IRS with dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) or bendiocarb, and impact of IRS was less than that of ITNs. However, assuming people go inside when biting starts, IRS had more impact on An. albimanus than ITNs. While house-screening had less impact than ITNs or IRS on An. gambiae, it had more impact on An. albimanus than ITNs or IRS. The impacts of chemoprevention and chemotherapy were comparable in magnitude to those of strategies against An. albimanus. Chemo-prevention impact increased steeply as coverage approached 100%, whilst clinical-case management impact saturated because of remaining asymptomatic infections.ConclusionsHouse-screening and repellent IRS are potentially highly effective against An. albimanus if people are indoors during the evening. This is consistent with historical impacts of IRS with DDT, which can be largely attributed to excito-repellency. It also supports the idea that housing improvements have played a critical role in malaria control in North America. For elimination planning, impact estimates need to be combined with feasibility and cost-analysis.

Gendered Patterns of Remitting and Saving among Mexican Families with U.S. Migration Experience

This article explores patterns of remittance sending among male and female migrants from Mexico to the United States, and patterns in the use of remittances among receiving households in Mexico. It also identifies variables that determine remittance sending and saving behaviors in migrants’ most recent U.S. trip. Results reveal gendered differences in the investment and consumption strategies adopted by families in communities of origin. Despite marked differences in the capacity of women to generate remittances and savings compared with men, patterns of remittance use by families in communities of origin are not substantially distinct, though female migrants are more likely to send remittances for investments in human capital than male migrants. In addition, remittances and savings sent by male migrants are more likely to be used in housing improvements and investments in productive capital than those sent by women. These differences do not necessarily reflect migrants’ preferences, but mirror the sociocultural contexts in which decision-making about remittances, savings, and spending take place.

Urbanization impacts on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of the water infrastructure in China: Trade-offs among sustainable development goals (SDGs)

The lasting urbanization in China has moved to the ‘new-normal’ stage, in which rural-to-urban migration, inefficiency in land use, and insufficient public services are the key challenges. To prevent urban sprawl, the compact city design intensively focuses on the improvement of housing and transport services to increase urban accessibility, vitality and diversity. Clean water and sanitation is also an essential function of cities, but the impacts from China's future urbanization on unheeded water infrastructure were sparsely estimated, especially from a perspective of urban metabolism. This study examines the complex response in the water sector to Chinese urban policies taking resource efficiency into account GHG emissions. A hypothetical grid-city model was developed to connect technical parameters in urban water infrastructure systems to the socio-economic changes, such as population growth, housing blocks, and water end-use. The results show that the pipeline construction dominates material use and locks in significant GHG emissions in the water sector. The most efficient urbanization scenario can reduce 60% of GHG emissions from the water infrastructure, compared to the case of urban sprawl with residency restriction in large cities. A trade-off in scenarios was observed between the optimization for mega-cities and the optimization for the whole of China regarding the additional energy consumption for pumping in the water sector. As empirical evidence of China, this study shows the conflict between SDG 6 (Clean water and sanitation) and SDG 13 (Climate action) in the urban water sector can be largely alleviated by an efficiency-focused urban policy complying with SDG 11 (Sustainable cities and communities). A loosen migration regulation and compact urban planning in the medium- and large-sized cities are recommended, along with advanced water technologies to promote sustainable urban water management in China.

A study of enactment of the Framework Act on Living Infrastructure Policy

인프라의 패러다임(paradigm)이 변화하고 있다. 종래 사회간접자본(SOC)에서 인프라(infrastructure)를 보편적으로 사용하고 있으며, 오늘날에는 정책 대상을 시설물이 아니라 여가ㆍ건강ㆍ안전ㆍ환경 등 사람에 초점을 두고 일자리, 지역경제 발전 등 선순환 구조를 확립하는 생활인프라 개념으로 확대되고 있는 것이다. 생활인프라는 국민 삶의 질 향상, 생활안전 및 환경의 질 개선, 지역일자리 창출과 지역경제 활성화 등의 기능을 수행한다. 그러나 생활인프라 정책에 대하여 기존 인프라 투자와의 차별성, 정책 수행에 필요한 입법 체계의 미비 및 생활인프라 공간 부족, 「국가재정법」상 예비타당성 면제에 대한 많은 논란이 있다. 법치국가인 현대 사회에서 정책의 계속성ㆍ일관성ㆍ안정성을 담보하기 위해서는 근거 법률이 마련되어야 한다. 해당 법률에는 정책의 비전과 철학을 제시하고, 관련 입법의 종합화ㆍ체계화를 도모할 필요가 있으며, 정책을 실현할 수 있는 제도를 포함하고 있어야 한다. 따라서 (가칭) 「생활인프라 정책기본법」을 제정할 필요가 있으며, 다음의 내용이 입법화되어야 한다. 총칙에서는 생활인프라의 정의를 규정하고 정책 목표 내지 이념을 제시하여야 하며, 다른 법률과의 관계를 체계화하여야 한다. 각칙에서는 생활인프라 정책의 중장기 발전 방향을 위한 정책의 수립 및 추진체계를 구축하여야 한다. 또한, 생활인프라 정책은 부지 확보가 선결되어야 실효성을 확보할 수 있기 때문에 “국토계획법”상 도시ㆍ군계획시설사업의 시행에 따른 제 규정의 준용과 「빈집 및 소규모주택 정비에 관한 특례법」상 빈집정비사업에 대한 인ㆍ허가 의제가 이루어져야 한다. 이 경우 생활인프라의 사업 시행자는 「건설산업기본법」상 건설업자를 규정하고, 전문건설업자를 우대하는 방안을 모색하여야 한다. 나아가 재원마련을 위하여 국가의 지방자치단체에 대한 교부금 또는 보조금의 교부 법정화가 이루어져야 한다.The paradigm of infrastructure is changing. It is currently using infrastructure in social overhead capital in general and is expanding a concept of living infrastructure that its policy targets to focuses on not just facilities but people such as leisure, health, safety, environment and establishes virtuous circle structure such as job and regional economic development. The living infrastructure performs functions such as improving the quality of people’s lives, improving the quality of living safety and environment, creating regional jobs and revitalizing the local economy. However, there is a lot of controversy over the differentiation from existing infrastructure investments, lack of legislation system and space necessary for living infrastructure policy implementation, and exemption of preliminary feasibility surveys under the “National Finance Act”. In order to ensure the continuity, consistency, and stability of policy in the modern society of the rule of law, the law must be enacted that to present the vision and philosophy of the policy, to integrate and systematize the relevant legislation, and to include the system to realize the policy. Therefore, it is necessary to enact the “Framework Act on Living Infrastructure Policy”(tentative name), and the following should be legislated: The General Provisions should define the definition of living infrastructure, present policy objectives or ideals, and systematize relations with other laws. In each case, policy formulation and promotion system should be established for the mid-and long-term development direction of the living infrastructure policy. In addition, since the living infrastructure policy can secure the effectiveness by securing the site, it is necessary to apply the provisions of the Urban or Gun planning facilities under “National Land Planning And Utilization Act” and the provisions of authorization or permission of Unoccupied house improvement projects under “Act on Special cases concerning Unoccupied house or Small-scale housing Improvement”. In this case, the project implementer of the living infrastructure shall define the constructor under the “Framework Act on the Construction Industry” and look for ways to prefer specialized construction business. Furthermore, the legalization of grants or subsidy to local governments of the state should be made in order to secure funds.

Insights from outside BJOG

Insights from outside BJOG

Progress and Stagnation of Renovation, Energy Efficiency, and Gentrification of Pre-War Walk-Up Apartment Buildings in Amsterdam Since 1995

Increasing the energy efficiency of the housing stock has been one of the largest challenges of the built environment in the Netherlands in recent decades. Parallel with the energy transition there is an ongoing revaluation of the architectural quality of pre-war residential buildings. In the past, urban renewal was traditionally based on demolition and replacement with new buildings. This has changed to the improvement of old buildings through renovation. Housing corporations developed an approach for the deep renovation of their housing stock in the period 1995–2015. The motivation to renovate buildings varied, but the joint pattern that emerged was quality improvement of housing in cities, focusing particularly on energy efficiency, according to project data files from the NRP institute (Platform voor Transformatie en Renovatie). However, since 2015 the data from the federation of Amsterdam-based housing associations AFWC (Amsterdamse Federatie Woningcorporaties) has shown the transformation of pre-war walk-up apartment buildings has stagnated. The sales of units are slowing down, except in pre-war neighbourhoods. Housing associations have sold their affordable housing stock of pre-war property in Amsterdam inside the city’s ring road. The sales revenue was used to build new affordable housing far beyond the ring road. This study highlights the profound influence of increasing requirements established by the European Energy Performance of Building Directive (EPBD) and the revised Housing Act of 1 July 2015, for the renovation of the pre-war housing stock. The transformation process to climate-neutral neighbourhoods inside the ring road is slowing down because of new property owners, making a collective heat network difficult to realize; furthermore, segregation of residents is appearing in Amsterdam.

Multisectoral approaches for the control of vector-borne diseases, with particular emphasis on dengue and housing.

The Sustainable Development Goals suggest an intersectoral approach for development and health, including for vector-borne diseases. Evidence-based policy recommendations exist for malaria and housing, but not for other, more underfunded, vector-borne diseases. This review aims to stimulate the process for developing policy recommendations for other vector-borne diseases and housing with the process as it was developed for dengue and Aedes control as an example and with suggestions for steps necessary for other vector-borne diseases. For dengue, some basic research on the efficacy of vector control in relation to housing exists, summary evidence highlights the lack of evidence and efficacy and policy recommendations remain difficult. For other vector-borne diseases, few studies have focused on protecting the house, combinations of effective interventions (e.g. intradomiciliary residual spraying, insecticide-treated materials and treatment of larval habitats with biological and chemical methods, which have proven to be effective) have not been studied and summary evidence is non-existent. In order to recommend vector control to protect the house against vector-borne diseases, basic research and summary evidence are needed, with an appropriate combination of the most efficacious interventions and linked to improvement of housing itself. Standards for such studies need to be developed.

The natural lighting for energy saving and visual comfort in collective housing: A case study in the Algerian building context

The present study aims to evaluate natural lighting in the collective housing in the new Algerian building context initiated by the Agency for the Improvement and Development of Housing (AADL). Since the building sector is among the most energy-intensive sectors, this study aims to identify and analyze the factors that can intervene to reduce energy consumption in collective housing, while highlighting the role of architectural design in achieving visual comfort. To achieve this post-occupancy assessment, a survey and on-site measurements were used. The occupant survey confirms the lack of natural lighting in housing units and three indicators stand out: orientation, masks, and floor level. Then the level of natural lighting by on-site measurements in a benchmark building was checked. The level of luminance was simulated with 3DSMax design, and the data was processed with Matlab software. This allowed us to compare simulated levels of lighting for a sample of representative days over a year at different times and sun position during the day, and to conclude by demonstrating the impact of architectural design. The analysis shows the effect of the studied factors on luminous comfort in the habitat and the importance of using simulations as decision support tools to design comfortable and energy efficient housing.

Assessment of interventions to attract and retain health workers in rural Zambia: a discrete choice experiment

BackgroundWorkforce shortages, particularly in rural areas, limit the delivery of health services in Zambia. Policymakers and researchers co-created this study to identify potential non-monetary employment incentives and assess their cost-effectiveness to attract and retain public sector health workers to the rural areas of Zambia.MethodsThe study consisted of two key phases: a discrete choice experiment (DCE), preceded by a qualitative component to inform DCE questionnaire development. Firstly, in qualitative interviews with 25 health workers and focus group discussions (FGDs) with 253 health students, participants were asked to discuss job attributes and potential incentives that would influence their job choices. Based on this exercise and in consultation with policymakers, job attributes were selected for inclusion in a discrete choice experiment (DCE) questionnaire. Secondly, this questionnaire, consisting of hypothetical job “choice sets,” was presented to 474 practicing health workers and students. A conditional logit regression model was applied to the data from this DCE questionnaire to estimate preferences for various job attributes. Using administrative data, we estimated the cost of implementing potential attraction and retention strategies per health worker year worked.ResultsAlthough health workers preferred urban jobs to rural jobs (OR 1.39, 95% CI 1.11–1.75), employment incentives influenced health workers’ decision to choose rural jobs. If superior housing was offered in a rural area compared to a basic housing allowance in an urban job, participants would be five times as likely to choose the rural job (OR 5.04, 95% CI 4.12–6.18). Education incentives and facility-based improvements also increased the likelihood of rural job uptake. Housing benefits were estimated to have the lowest total costs per health worker year worked, and offer high value in terms of cost per percentage point increase in rural job uptake.ConclusionsNon-monetary incentives such as housing, education, and facility improvements can be important motivators of health worker choice of location and could mitigate rural health workforce shortages. These results can provide valuable insight into the types of job attributes and incentives that are most likely to be effective in attracting and retaining health workers in rural areas.

Significance of respiratory diseases in the health management of sheep

Abstract Objectives of the present article are to review the financial significance of respiratory diseases and to indicate their relevance within the health management of sheep. In lambs, the principal adverse effects of the diseases are related to mortality, reduced carcass quality, veterinary expenses, decrease of average daily bodyweight gain and poor quality of lambs produced. In adult animals, financial losses are related to reduced production of affected sheep, need for early culling and death. Given the multi-faceted nature of these diseases, management practices (e.g., housing improvements, implementation of biosecurity provisions) need to be considered for their prevention; as environmental conditions also play a role in development of these diseases, they should be taken into account. Appropriate health measures (e.g., vaccinations) that improve animal immune response also will help control of the diseases.