Human Development Index Scores Research Articles

Exploring cervical cancer mortality in Brazil: an ecological study on socioeconomic and healthcare factors

ObjectiveTo evaluate the correlation between socioeconomic and healthcare factors and cervical cancer mortality rates, as well as the accessibility to prevention and treatment across Brazilian states and macroregions. The aim...

Global Prevalence of Overweight and Obesity in Children and Adolescents

Overweight and obesity in childhood and adolescence is a global health issue associated with adverse outcomes throughout the life course. To estimate worldwide prevalence of overweight and obesity in children and adolescents from 2000 to 2023 and to assess potential risk factors for and comorbidities of obesity. MEDLINE, Web of Science, Embase, and Cochrane. The inclusion criteria were: (1) studies provided adequate information, (2) diagnosis based on body mass index cutoffs proposed by accepted references, (3) studies performed on general population between January 2000 and March 2023, (4) participants were younger than 18 years. The current study was performed in accordance with the Meta-analysis of Observational Studies in Epidemiology guidelines. DerSimonian-Laird random-effects model with Free-Tukey double arcsine transformation was used for data analysis. Sensitivity analysis, meta-regression, and subgroup analysis of obesity among children and adolescents were conducted. Prevalence of overweight and obesity among children and adolescents assessed by World Health Organization, International Obesity Task Force, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or other national references. A total of 2033 studies from 154 different countries or regions involving 45 890 555 individuals were included. The overall prevalence of obesity in children and adolescents was 8.5% (95% CI 8.2-8.8). We found that the prevalence varied across countries, ranging from 0.4% (Vanuatu) to 28.4% (Puerto Rico). Higher prevalence of obesity among children and adolescents was reported in countries with Human Development Index scores of 0.8 or greater and high-income countries or regions. Compared to 2000 to 2011, a 1.5-fold increase in the prevalence of obesity was observed in 2012 to 2023. Substantial differences in rates of obesity were noted when stratified by 11 risk factors. Children and adolescents with obesity had a high risk of depression and hypertension. The pooled estimates of overweight and excess weight in children and adolescents were 14.8% (95% CI 14.5-15.1) and 22.2% (95% CI 21.6-22.8), respectively. This study's findings indicated 1 of 5 children or adolescents experienced excess weight and that rates of excess weight varied by regional income and Human Development Index. Excess weight among children and adolescents was associated with a mix of inherent, behavioral, environmental, and sociocultural influences that need the attention and committed intervention of primary care professionals, clinicians, health authorities, and the general public.

The influence of socioeconomic inequity and guidelines compliance on clinical outcomes of patients with acute biliary pancreatitis. An international multicentric cohort study

BackgroundThere is lack of data on the association between socioeconomic factors, guidelines compliance and clinical outcomes among patients with acute biliary pancreatitis (ABP). MethodsPost-hoc analysis of the international MANCTRA-1 registry evaluating the impact of regional disparities as indicated by the Human Development Index (HDI), and guideline compliance on ABP clinical outcomes. Multivariable logistic regression models were employed to identify prognostic factors associated with mortality and readmission. ResultsAmong 5313 individuals from 151 centres across 42 countries marked disparities in comorbid conditions, ABP severity, and medical procedure usage were observed. Patients from lower HDI countries had higher guideline non-compliance (p < 0.001) and mortality (5.0% vs. 3.2%, p = 0.019) in comparison with very high HDI countries. On adjusted analysis, ASA score (OR 1.810, p = 0.037), severe ABP (OR 2.735, p < 0.001), infected necrosis (OR 2.225, p = 0.006), organ failure (OR 4.511, p = 0.001) and guideline non-compliance (OR 2.554, p = 0.002 and OR 2.178, p = 0.015) were associated with increased mortality. HDI was a critical socio-economic factor affecting both mortality (OR 2.452, p = 0.007) and readmission (OR 1.542, p = 0.046). ConclusionThese data highlight the importance of collaborative research to characterise challenges and disparities in global ABP management. Less developed regions with lower HDI scores showed lower adherence to clinical guidelines and higher rates of mortality and recurrence.

Assessing the feasibility of using publicly available data sources to identify healthcare data discrepancies and enhance service delivery: a retrospective cross-sectional study of four low human index scoring countries

IntroductionQuality of care (QoC) remains a persistent challenge in countries with low Human Development Index scores (LHDIS) despite global efforts to promote universal health coverage. Addressing root causes and systematically...

Mental Health and Suicide Decriminalization: Connecting the Dots

Suicide is a current public health crisis as every year, more than 800,000 individuals die by suicide worldwide. According to World Health Organization (WHO) estimates, 77% of these deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). In context of mental illness only, the reported percentage of completed suicides varies from 60% to 98% of all suicides.2,3 Many of the remaining episodes have to do with interpersonal or financial issues, and the crises that follow. Nonetheless, prejudice, violence, and armed conflicts can be some of the other reasons.3 At the start of the twenty-first century, depression accounted for thirty percent of deaths worldwide from unnatural causes. Substance-use disorders came in second with eighteen percent, schizophrenia with fourteen percent, and personality disorders with thirteen percent.2 In June 2022, twenty nations had suicide attempts criminalized and subject to penalties.4 One prominent defense of criminalization of suicide was that it deters people from trying to die by suicide and thus may be a successful suicide prevention strategy but according to the literature, this idea is at best false and at worst deceptive. According to a recent study, there is no conclusive evidence that nations with criminalized suicide have lower suicide rates than the worldwide average.4.In fact, the suicide rates in five of the seven nations where it is illegal were higher than the global average.4 A recent ecological study of 171 countries has shown that suicide laws are linked to increased national suicide rates particularly among women in non-Muslim nations with low Human Development Index scores.5 Women may be more susceptible to suicidal thoughts due to the patriarchal culture's lack of support and the laws that criminalize suicide. This clearly shows that there is no positive benefit of criminalizing suicide while on the other hand research has shown that suicide rates are decreased by laws that restrict access to fatal suicide methods (pesticides, weapons, and so forth).6 While many countries do not prosecute people who attempt suicide rigorously ,7criminalization of suicide discourages people from seeking help, stigmatizes those who try suicide, and makes it difficult to accurately quantify suicide rates due to misclassification of the event because of law. The care process for people who attempt suicide is complicated by the criminalization of suicide attempts.8 Treatment can be considerably delayed by the criminal justice system.

First report card on physical activity for children and adolescents in Slovakia: a comprehensive analysis, international comparison, and identification of surveillance gaps

BackgroundNational surveillance of physical activity (PA) is essential to establish public health policy actions for PA promotion and evaluation, thereby promoting accountability. The main goal of this study is to comprehensively analyse surveillance data on PA behaviours, outcomes, and influencing factors among Slovakian children and adolescents by using the methodology of the Active Healthy Kids Global Alliance Global Matrix (AHKGA-GM) project. Secondary goals are to provide comparisons with international data and the identification of surveillance gaps.MethodsA comprehensive multilevel search strategy for data about 10 core indicators and 1 additional indicator published between 2015 and 2020 (solely pre-COVID-19-pandemic data) was used. The data were then synthesised, and a set of standardised benchmarks was used to assign grades according to The Global Matrix 4.0 Grading Rubric.ResultsA total of 552 potentially relevant data resources were retrieved, of which 34 were identified as eligible for data extraction. Grade B was assigned to four core indicators, grade C to five core indicators, and grade D to one core indicator. The additional Sleep indicator was graded a C–. Compared with the average grades from countries with high Human Development Index scores, Slovakia received higher grades in five core indicators (Overall Physical Activity, Active Transportation, Sedentary Behaviours, School, Government), and in the aggregate Behavioural average and Overall average. Compared with global averages, Slovakia had higher grades in the aforementioned core and aggregate indicators, and in the Community and Environment core indicator and aggregate Sources of Influence average indicator. Numerous surveillance gaps were identified.ConclusionsThe overall grading of the available surveillance data suggests the need for improvement in all 10 surveilled core indicators, and in additional Sleep indicator. Despite the fact that numerous identified surveillance gaps limit the overall informative value of the current grade, they provide the important information needed to enhance surveillance of PA-related indicators in Slovakia. For instance, the focus should be put on younger children and parents, on obtaining the device-measured data on various movement behaviours, on the topic of outdoor physical activities, and policy evaluation.

Status of Human Development Index with Reference to Nepal

This paper is based on ‘the status of Human Development Index (HDI)’ since 1990 to 2022. Even though the term "human development" is frequently used, its meaning varies depending on the region. The first time Human Development Report (HDR) was introduced in 1990s and new approach and indices for advancing human flourishing in the different time interval. The main purpose of this paper is to track the trends in national human development indices and to observe the circumstances surrounding human development. Primary source of secondary data used for meta-analysis of human development reports and related materials. The HDR emphases on a distinct issue that effect on measuring the multi-dimensional human development. HDI is getting popular to measure the development of a country with related to socio-economic status. It combines three critical indicators namely; education, life expectancy and standard of living. Nepal’s HDI position is 143rd ranked, among 191 countries in 2021. HDI reports shows in 2022 puts the 0.602 value. So, Nepal is Medium human development category. Between 1990 and 2022, Nepal's HDI value changed from 0.399 to 0.602, a change of 50.9 percent. Bagmati province scores the highest HDI value with (0.669) and Kathmandu valley has the highest HDI score with 0.622 values. In comparison with rural areas, urban regions have a higher score, but the gap narrows for the rural areas. So, the Nepalese’s Human Development Indicators are increasing trends.

Too Much Development or Not Enough Democracy? Exploring an Anomaly in the Democratization of Post-Communist Countries

This study of 28 post-communist regimes distinguishes a group of countries significantly less democratic than predicted by its very high Human Development Index score: Russia, Kazakhstan, and Belarus. It also appears that, contrary to theoretical assumptions, such ‘developed dictatorships’ convert their economic growth into human development remarkably well. To measure such conversion, a new tool, the Growth Conversion Index is introduced. Considering these results, the explanatory power of several theories is briefly examined. While some theories imply possible explanations (e.g., the concept of patronal politics and the conditional approach to resource dependence), none of them discloses sufficiently the actual workings of such conversion mechanism, implying the need for more in-depth studies.

Upaya Penegakan Emansipasi Wanita melalui Optimalisasi Pembangunan Gender dengan Metode Regresi Panel

&lt;p dir="ltr"&gt;&lt;span&gt;The role of women nowadays is no different from the men, only to a reasonable extent. The role of women's emancipation itself has been upheld in Indonesia, as those who will be the spearheads in family education for their children that must have broad skills and insights. The Human Development Index (HDI) is mostly becoming an important index as a measurement of the success level in quality of human life (community) building efforts. By conducting an analysis using the panel regression method in the Regency / City of West Sulawesi (as a province in Indonesia that has the 4th lowest HDI score) to find out how much women's participation can affect the level of quality of life in Indonesia and as an evaluation of which components must be improved by government for the next period in the welfare of its people. This analysis concludes that the Mamuju regency is known as the region that contributes the largest weight to the increase in GDI while the Pasangkayu regency contributes the lowest weight to the increase in GDI so that the government should make the development of supporting facilities for community welfare more equitable.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;span id="docs-internal-guid-22ffeaad-7fff-fdb7-57db-cb880984fbb2"&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Keywords&lt;/strong&gt; : &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;GDI, Woman Emancipation, Panel Regression&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;

The Relationship Between Spirituality and Resilience and Well-being: a Study of 529 Care Leavers from 11 Nations.

Research has found that individuals who were separated from parental care and experienced alternative care settings during childhood are more likely to have poor outcomes as adults. This highlights the importance of understanding factors that are related to resilience and well-being for care leavers. A growing body of research has supported the importance of spirituality in our understanding of resilience and well-being. However, little work to date has examined the relationship of spirituality to outcomes in care leavers. The current study investigated the relationships between spirituality, resilience, well-being, and health in a sample of 529 care leavers from 11 nations. It also examined how different themes of spirituality were related to specific outcome variables. Data revealed that spirituality was significantly associated with higher life satisfaction, better mental and physical health, and more resilience even when accounting for current age, gender, age at separation, Human Development Index scores, and childhood adversity. Furthermore, findings indicate that different themes of spirituality are related to specific outcome variables, even when accounting for demographic information. Findings indicate that spirituality may play an important role in resilience and well-being for care leavers. Implications and limitations are discussed.

Cure for Corruption: a High HDI Score?

This study examines the relationship between human development and corruption in a country. A multivariate statistical analysis drawing on data from the Human Development Index (HDI) and Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) for 41 countries over a 28-year period indicates that increases in a country’s HDI score is associated with significant declines in perceived corruption in that country. However, this relationship is not linear; above a certain point, improvements in HDI scores do not lead to further falls in corruption levels. For countries with lower levels of human development, investments in healthcare, education, and living standards can markedly reduce the extent of corrupt conduct there.

Youth Out of Touch? Early Assessment of Millennial Leaders’ Performance on Human Capital Development at Indonesian Districts

Starting in the second round of local election, participation of millenials has been increasing. The term refers to the young demographic cohort born between 1980 and 2002, known to have distinct characteristics to the previous generations. We gathered seventeen cases of elected millennial district heads between 2010 and 2017 and making an early observation of their impact on human capital development. Simplified difference-in-difference estimation method is applied using province average as the control group. Results show that following the winning of the millennial leaders there is a diverging trend of Human Development Index score at 0.03 and 0.07 in the first and second year, consecutively, before started converging around the third and fourth year. Lacking leadership skills and experiences, that may also be perpetrated by generational gap, are among the contributing factors to the problem. We further find that leaders not affiliated with political dynasty fare better. We check the robustness of our result using poverty data and further find that millennial leaders are also under-perform in combating poverty. This early assessment would benefit from further heterogeneity analyses as well as narrowing the control group, which is our recommendation for future research.

Antibody Prevalence and Risk Factors Associated with Rickettsia spp. in a Pediatric Cohort: SFGR Remains Underdiagnosed and Underreported in El Salvador.

Spotted fever group rickettsioses (SFGR) are caused by a group of tick-borne pathogens that are increasing in incidence globally. These diseases are typically underreported and undiagnosed in low- and middle-income countries, and thus, have been classified as neglected bacterial pathogens. Countries with high poverty, low human development index score, and limited health infrastructure-like El Salvador in Central America-lack necessary surveillance for SFGR and other tick-borne pathogens. This paucity of baseline SFGR infection prevalence leaves vulnerable populations at risk of misdiagnosis. Further, tick-borne disease burdens in El Salvador are severely limited. To lay the foundation for tick-borne disease epidemiology in El Salvador, our team conducted two different enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) on banked human sera samples from a cohort of approximately 1000 pediatric participants from a high-risk vector-borne disease population. Eleven percent of all tested banked pediatric sera were positive for at least one ELISA assay at the time of enrollment: 10.7% were positive for only IgM antibodies (acute SFGR infection), and 2.5% were positive for IgG antibodies (a past SFGR infection). Older, male, children enrolled during the wet season, with a household history of infectious disease and higher maternal education level had higher odds of SFGR antibodies. Additionally, children from households with domestic poultry birds and previous knowledge of other vector-borne diseases had significantly reduced odds of SFGR antibodies. The large percentage of acute SFGR infections indicates that it continues to remain an underreported and undiagnosed issue in El Salvador and the Central American region. Much is still unknown regarding the complexity of the tick, animal host, and human host ecology transmission cycle of SFGR in El Salvador.

Fish and macroinvertebrate assemblages reveal extensive degradation of the world's rivers.

Rivers suffer from multiple stressors acting simultaneously on their biota, but the consequences are poorly quantified at the global scale. We evaluated the biological condition of rivers globally, including the largest proportion of countries from the Global South published to date. We gathered macroinvertebrate- and fish-based assessments from 72,275 and 37,676 sites, respectively, from 64 study regions across six continents and 45 nations. Because assessments were based on differing methods, different systems were consolidated into a 3-class system: Good, Impaired, or Severely Impaired, following common guidelines. The proportion of sites in each class by study area was calculated and each region was assigned a Köppen-Geiger climate type, Human Footprint score (addressing landscape alterations), Human Development Index (HDI) score (addressing social welfare), % rivers with good ambient water quality, % protected freshwater key biodiversity areas; and % of forest area net change rate. We found that 50% of macroinvertebrate sites and 42% of fish sites were in Good condition, whereas 21% and 29% were Severely Impaired, respectively. The poorest biological conditions occurred in Arid and Equatorial climates and the best conditions occurred in Snow climates. Severely Impaired conditions were associated (Pearson correlation coefficient) with higher HDI scores, poorer physico-chemical water quality, and lower proportions of protected freshwater areas. Good biological conditions were associated with good water quality and increased forested areas. It is essential to implement statutory bioassessment programs in Asian, African, and South American countries, and continue them in Oceania, Europe, and North America. There is a need to invest in assessments based on fish, as there is less information globally and fish were strong indicators of degradation. Our study highlights a need to increase the extent and number of protected river catchments, preserve and restore natural forested areas in the catchments, treat wastewater discharges, and improve river connectivity.

A longitudinal analysis of MPOWER implementation, 2008-2018

Background In 2008, the World Health Organization (WHO) introduced MPOWER-a package of evidence-based, high-impact policy measures to help countries reduce tobacco use. These measures align with selected articles within the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), a global public health treaty to prevent and reduce tobacco use. Methods Observational longitudinal study involving 195 countries that submitted biannual national reports between 2008 and 2018. To report changes in MPOWER scores, countries were assessed using a validated checklist of the seven MPOWER indicators and a maximum possible unweighted composite score of 34 points. Covariate analysis was conducted among selected health, sociopolitical, and economic indicators. Results 176 out of 195 countries improved their MPOWER scores between 2008 and 2018, with two achieving full implementation (Brazil and Turkey). Twenty-three (23) countries representing 11.2% of the global population recorded an MPOWER scoring increase of at least 10 points between 2008 and 2018. The overall mean 10-year scoring increase was 5.1 points or a relative improvement of 27.1%. In 2018, 20 countries representing 10.4% of the global population excelled in MPOWER implementation by receiving a total composite score of at least 30 of 34 possible points. The MPOWER elements with the highest degree of implementation in 2018 include Warn (package), Protect (smoking ban) and Enforce (ad ban). Several covariates were positively associated with higher levels of MPOWER implementation, including cigarette affordability, the existence of national tobacco control objectives, the human development index score, the national corruption index score, national literacy rates and the political regime index score. Conclusions MPOWER implementation increased markedly between 2008 and 2018 in all seven WHO regions and countries representing all four World Bank income classifications. However, only two countries achieved full implementation by 2018. More work is needed to improve MPOWER implementation. Countries with low-income levels, compromised human development, reduced literacy rates, higher rates of corruption, and autocratic political regimes appear to struggle more with MPOWER implementation.

Machine Learning for Policy Guidance

This paper leverages machine learning algorithms and techniques to create models that can assist in a country's policy guidance. The machine learning process used to conduct research is discussed with steps such as preprocessing, feature selection, model selection, and model interpretation. Specifically, using datasets from the CIA's World Factbook and the United Nations' Human Development Index (HDI), machine learning models are created that use select features from several counties (e.g., real gross domestic product (GDP), population, and area). Then, the models make predictions on the countries' HDI scores. Model interpretation methods are used to find the most important features in predicting a country's score. This paper argues that important features can be derived through machine learning and guide government policy relevant to human development. Supply-side policies are discussed based on the results from the machine learning models. The use of machine learning with other indexes is also explored.

Can transitioning to non-renewable modern energy decrease carbon dioxide emissions in India?

Traditional discussions of the relationships between energy, carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and human development fail to expose within country energy and CO2 emissions inequality. This work seeks to elucidate these inequalities in India and then investigate the consequential impacts on welfare and CO2 emissions of India's transition away from energy poverty. The study uses the India Human Development Survey and the EORA database to generate household Human Development Index scores, consumption and CO2 emissions distributions for India in both 2005 and 2012. Results suggest that addressing pressing welfare issues connected to energy use in India, such as indoor air pollution from solid fuels, can be aided by a transition to modern energy carriers, with little consequential increase in CO2 emissions. The richest 10 % of Indians only emitted 20 % more emissions from direct primary energy use than the poorest 10 % in 2012 (excluding direct emissions from transport). However, the wealth creation needed to sustain a modern energy transition will inevitably coincide with increased consumption, consumption which is supported by carbon intensive electricity and materials and represents the fastest growth area for CO2 emissions as incomes rise. The richest 10 % of Indians emitted five times more emissions from indirect energy use than the poorest 10 % in 2012. Addressing these challenges at the same time requires a coherent strategy that targets energy poverty and wealth creation in the poorest deciles, while reducing the emissions intensity of the sectors – notably transportation – of the Indian and global economies supporting increasing household consumption.

Association between Suicide Rate and Human Development Index, Income, and the Political System in 46 Muslim-Majority Countries: An Ecological Study.

Very little has been researched assessing the relationship between the suicide rate and the ecological perspectives of the country, especially in the Muslim majority countries. We aimed to determine the association between suicide rate and the ecological parameters of 46 Muslim majority countries. We extracted the Muslim majority countries and their suicide rate, income distribution, distribution of the WHO region and continents, and Human Development Index (HDI). We assessed the correlation of the proportion of Muslim populations, the total population of the countries, number of suicides, continent, income group, political system, and HDI score with the suicide rate. The median suicide rate was 5.45 (IQR = 4.8); 2.9 (IQR = 4) in females and 7.45 (IQR = 8.2) in males per 100,000 population. The males had a significantly higher rate and the highest suicide rate was found in Africa. There are inverse associations between the total suicide rate, the rate in males, and females with HDI, and the income of the country. Furthermore, the suicide rate was significantly higher in countries with democratic systems compared to non-democratic countries. The findings suggest that ecological parameters may have an etiological role on suicides in Muslim countries where HDI and income are inversely associated with suicide rates.

Cultural heritage tourism development strategy in Bogor Regency

Bogor Regency has a variety of cultural heritage, but this potential has not been optimized as a tourist attraction. The purpose of this study is to develop a cultural heritage-based tourism development strategy in Bogor Regency. The research was conducted in December 2020 – January 2021 with literature studies. The study locations focused on the 16 sub-districts that were selected the lowest Human Development Index score and designated as cultural tourism areas. The strategy for developing cultural heritage tourism is carried out by SWOT analysis. Bogor Regency has 29 cultural tourism attractions spread across 13 of the 16 study locations. The cultural heritage has a different story related to the Tarumanegara Kingdom, Prabu Siliwangi, Banten Kingdom, Ir. Soekarno, the Dutch and the Prehistoric Period. Based on the results SWOT analysis, the right strategy to be applied in the development of cultural tourism in Bogor Regency is the S-O strategy.

Use of pain management in childbirth among migrant women in Iceland: A population-based cohort study.

BackgroundImmigration is rapidly increasing in Iceland with 13.6% of the population holding foreign citizenship in 2020. Earlier findings identified inequities in childbirth care for some women in Iceland. To gain insight into the quality of intrapartum midwifery care, migrant women's use of pain management methods during birth in Iceland was explored.MethodsA population‐based cohort study including all women with a singleton birth in Iceland between 2007 and 2018, in total 48 173 births. Logistic regression analyses with odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to investigate the relationship between migrant backgrounds defined as holding foreign citizenship and the use of pain management during birth. The main outcome measures were use of nonpharmacological and pharmacological pain management methods.ResultsData from 6097 migrant women were included. Migrant women had higher adjusted OR (aORs) for no use of pain management (aOR = 1.23 95% CI [1.12, 1.34]), when compared to Icelandic women. Migrant women also had lower aORs for the use of acupuncture (0.73 [0.64, 0.83]), transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) (0.92 [0.01, 0.67]), shower/bath (0.73 [0.66, 0.82]), aromatherapy (0.59 [0.44, 0.78]), and nitrous oxide inhalation (0.89 [0.83, 0.96]). Human Development Index (HDI) scores of countries of citizenship <0.900 were associated with lower aORs for the use of various pain management methods.ConclusionsOur results suggest that being a migrant in Iceland is an important factor that limits the use of nonpharmacological pain management, especially for migrant women with citizenship from countries with HDI score <0.900.