Income-related Differences Research Articles

Exploring M-Commerce in Odisha: A Multigenerational Analysis of Acceptance

Exploring M-Commerce in Odisha: A Multigenerational Analysis of Acceptance conducts an in-depth examination of mobile commerce (M-Commerce) adoption in the culturally diverse state of Odisha, India. This research paper delves into the multifaceted landscape of M-Commerce adoption, with a specific focus on understanding how various demographic factors shape individuals' perceptions and preferences. Through a comprehensive investigation, the study aims to uncover gender-based differences, age-related variances, educational qualification-related disparities, occupational-based variations, income-related differences, and regional disparities in factors influencing M-Commerce. The hypotheses put forth explore the absence of significant differences in mean ranks among different demographic categories, providing a rigorous examination of the nuanced dynamics that influence the acceptance and utilization of M-Commerce services. This research contributes valuable insights to both academia and industry, paving the way for targeted strategies to enhance M-Commerce adoption across diverse demographic groups. The practical implications of this research extend to businesses, policymakers, and technology developers operating in the Odisha region. Understanding the multigenerational dynamics of M-Commerce acceptance is imperative for tailoring strategies that resonate with the diverse consumer base in Odisha.

Time Trends in Income-related Differences in Food Group Intakes: The National Health and Nutrition Survey, Japan in 2010, 2014, and 2018.

We aimed to clarify whether differences in food group intake according to household income have changed over the last decade in Japanese people aged 20 years or older. This cross-sectional study was based on the 2010, 2014, and 2018 National Health and Nutrition Surveys in Japan. Food intake was assessed using a 1-day semi-weighed household dietary record. The participants were categorized into three groups based on their income. The mean of each food intake according to the income group was estimated by adjusting for age, occupation, and number of participants from the same household. The significance of the interaction terms between income and survey year was evaluated to assess the change in income-related differences in food intake over time. Cereal intake was lower in the middle- and the highest-income groups than in the lowest-income group, regardless of sex, and the interaction between income and year was nonsignificant for cereal intake. In the former two surveys, vegetable intake was higher among the highest-income women, while in the 2018 survey, the vegetable intake decreased in the women in the middle- and the highest-income groups. The interaction between income and year was significant for vegetable intake among the women. For other foods, the differences in intake among the income groups did not significantly change over time. The tendency for lower cereal intake in the higher-income groups was consistent over time in both the sexes, and the tendency for higher vegetable intake in the highest income women disappeared over time.

Analysis of Australian public acceptance of fully automated vehicles by extending technology acceptance model

There has been an increasing trend in using user acceptance models to explore the public acceptance of automated vehicles (AVs) in different countries. Most of the previous studies have analysed perceived usefulness, behavioural attitude, subjective norms as well as perceived ease of use, but other important factors, such as trust and data privacy, have not been adequately considered. Likewise, public perceptions of fully AVs are limited in the literature as most studies focus on different levels of automation. This study aims to assess the behavioural intention to use fully AVs in Australia by extending the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) that includes data privacy and trust in the TAM constructs. Based on a survey of 809 adult respondents from Australia, the model was evaluated with Structural Equation Modelling.The research revealed perceived trust and perceived data privacy is the first and second most important variable affecting the attitude, followed by perceived ease of use and usefulness. Perceived data privacy was discovered to positively impact attitude, perceived trust, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use as well as behavioural intentions. The perceived trust mediated perceived data privacy on the attitudes in this study. Additionally, the two major variables in the proposed model – perceived trust and data privacy- affect attitudes of AVs significantly, with total effects being 0.637 and 0.604, respectively. Attitude is the most significant variable that correlates with behavioural intentions, which leads to acceptance of fully AVs. Multigroup analysis showed the gender, age and income related differences regarding the public acceptance of AVs. Several theoretical and practical implications are discussed in this paper.

Agreement between individual and neighborhood income measures in patients with colorectal cancer in Canada.

With increasing interest in income-related differences in cancer outcomes, accurate measurement of income is imperative. Misclassification of income can result in wrong conclusions as to the presence of income inequalities. We determined misclassification between individual- and neighborhood-level income and their association with overall survival among colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. The Canadian Census Health and Environment Cohorts were used to identify CRC patients diagnosed from 1992 to 2017. We used neighborhood income quintiles from Statistics Canada and created individual income quintiles from the same data sources to be as similar as possible. Agreement between individual and neighborhood income quintiles was measured using cross-tabulations and weighted kappa statistics. Cox proportional hazards and Lin semiparametric hazards models were used to determine the effects of individual and neighborhood income independently and jointly on survival. Analyses were also stratified by rural residence. A total of 103 530 CRC patients were included in the cohort. There was poor agreement between individual and neighborhood income with only 17% of respondents assigned to the same quintile (weighted kappa = 0.18). Individual income had a greater effect on relative and additive survival than neighborhood income when modeled separately. The interaction between individual and neighborhood income demonstrated that the most at risk for poor survival were those in the lowest individual and neighborhood income quintiles. Misclassification was more likely to occur for patients residing in rural areas. Cancer researchers should avoid using neighborhood income as a proxy for individual income, especially among patients with cancers with demonstrated inequalities by income.

Income-related disparities in Medicare advantage behavioral health care quality.

To inform efforts to improve equity in the quality of behavioral health care by examining income-related differences in performance on HEDIS behavioral health measures in Medicare Advantage (MA) plans. Reporting Year 2019 MA HEDIS data were obtained and analyzed. Logistic regression models were used to estimate differences in performance related to enrollee income, adjusting for sex, age, and race-and-ethnicity. Low-income enrollees were identified by Dual Eligibility for Medicare and Medicaid or receipt of the Low-Income Subsidy (DE/LIS). Models without and with random effects for plans were used to estimate overall and within-plan differences in measure performance. Heterogeneity by race-and-ethnicity in the associations of low-income with behavioral health quality were examined using models with interaction terms. Data were included for all MA contracts in the 50 states and the District of Columbia that collect HEDIS data. For six of the eight measures, enrollees with DE/LIS coverage were more likely to have behavioral health conditions that qualify for HEDIS measures than higher income enrollees. In mixed-effects logistic regression models, DE/LIS coverage was associated with statistically significantly worse overall performance on five measures, with four large (>5 percentage point) differences (-7.5 to -11.1 percentage points) related to follow-up after hospitalization and avoidance of drug-disease interactions. Where the differences were large, they were primarily within-plan rather than between-plan. Interactions between DE/LIS and race-and-ethnicity were statistically significant (p< 0.05) for all measures; income-based quality gaps were larger for White enrollees than for Black or Hispanic enrollees. Low income is associated with lower performance on behavioral health HEDIS measures in MA, but these associations differ across racial-and-ethnic groups. Improving care integration and addressing barriers to care for low-income enrollees may improve equity across income levels in behavioral health care.

Education- and income-related differences in processed meat consumption across Europe: The role of food-related attitudes

PurposeDietary behaviors differ between socio-economic groups and are one key determinant of health inequalities. Psychological factors such as attitudes are assumed to underlie the relation between inequality and dietary behaviors, but this assumption has rarely been tested empirically. We focus on a specific food group shown as detrimental to health: processed meat. MethodsIn two representative international surveys (Survey 1: N = 10,226 participants from nine European countries – Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Russia, Spain, UK; Survey 2: N = 9149 participants from the same countries, except not including Austria and the Netherlands), participants reported inequality indicators (education, income), processed meat consumption as well as their attitudes toward nutrition and food. Principal resultsThere were diverging relationships between indicators of inequality and processed meat consumption: the higher the educational attainment, the lower the consumption of processed meat (rSurvey1 = −0.062, p < .001; rSurvey2 = −0.071, p < .001). At the same time, higher income was related to higher processed meat consumption (rSurvey1 = 0.088, p < .001; rSurvey2 = 0.152, p < .001). A path model showed that four of seven attitude factors mediated the relation between education and processed meat consumption (i.e., indifference toward nutrition and food, preference for regional and fresh food, processed food consumption, health efforts); none of the attitude factors mediated the relation between income and overall processed meat consumption. ConclusionsProcessed meats are consumed very frequently across European countries. The relation between inequality and processed meat consumption is heterogeneous and partially mediated by attitudes. More research is needed to better understand how psychological factors explain social inequality in nutrition behaviors and health in general.

Income inequality and opinion expression gap in the American public: an analysis of policy priorities

AbstractPast scholarship has documented that the poor are more likely to withhold their policy preferences in public opinion surveys, suggesting income gaps in political engagement. Despite the wealth of scholarly interest in opinion formation, however, previous studies focused almost exclusively on opinion gaps in preferences, leaving income-related gaps in policy prioritisation virtually unexamined. Drawing on 596 public opinion surveys conducted with nearly 700,000 Americans over 55 years, we make a comprehensive attempt to examine income-level differences in “don’t know” responses to the most important problem (MIP) question. Our results show that the less affluent are more likely to say “don’t know” when asked about the MIP facing their country, even after controlling for various factors including educational attainment and political attention. Importantly, we also show that income-related differences in opinionation cross cut other socio-economic differences in policy prioritisation. These results have important implications for the study of public opinion.

Socioeconomic disparities in use of rhythm control therapies in patients with incident atrial fibrillation: A Finnish nationwide cohort study.

In patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), socioeconomic disparities have been reported in the use of oral anticoagulant therapy and outcomes, but whether income also affects the utilization of antiarrhythmic therapies (AATs) for rhythm control is unknown. We assessed the hypothesis that AF patients with higher income are more likely to receive AATs. The nationwide retrospective registry based FinACAF cohort study covers all patients with AF from all levels of care in Finland. Patients were divided in AF diagnosis year and age-group specific income quintiles according to their highest annual income during 2004-2018. The primary outcome was the use of any AAT, including cardioversion, catheter ablation, and fulfilled antiarrhythmic drug (AAD) prescription. We identified 188175 patients (mean age 72.6±13.0years; 49.6% female) with incident AF during 2010-2018. Patients in higher income quintiles had consistently higher use of all AAT modalities. When compared to patients in the lowest income quintile, the adjusted incidence rate ratios (95% CI) in the highest quintile were 1.53 (1.48-1.59) for any AAT, 1.71 (1.61-1.81) for AADs, 1.43 (1.37-1.49) for cardioversion, and 2.00 (1.76-2.27) for catheter ablation. No temporal change during study period was observed in the magnitude of income disparities in AAT use, except for a decrease in income-related differences in the use of AADs. Profound income-related disparities exist in AAT use among patients with AF in Finland, especially in the use catheter ablation.

Does National Context Matter When Women Surpass Their Partner in Status?

There is growing evidence that couples in non-traditional relationships in which the woman attains higher status than her male partner experience more negative relationship outcomes than traditional couples. A possible reason is that non-traditional couples violate persisting gender stereotypes that prescribe men to be breadwinners and women to be caregivers of the family. In the current study (N = 2,748), we investigated whether a country’s gender-stereotypical culture predicts non-traditional men and women’s relationship and life outcomes. We used the European Sustainable Workforce Survey, which is conducted in nine European countries. Two indicators of countries’ gender-stereotypical culture are used: Gender Empowerment Measure and implicit gender stereotypes. We found that women’s income and -to a lesser extent- education degree relative to their male partner affected outcomes such as relationship quality, negative emotions, and experienced time pressure. Furthermore, men and women living in countries with a traditional gender-stereotypical culture (e.g., Netherlands, Hungary) reported lower relationship quality when women earned more than their partners. Relative income differences did not affect the relationship quality of participants living in egalitarian countries (e.g., Sweden, Finland). Also, couples in which the woman is more highly educated than the man reported higher relationship quality in egalitarian countries, but not in traditional countries. Our findings suggest that dominant beliefs and ideologies in society can hinder or facilitate couples in non-traditional relationships.

Understanding income-related differences in distribution of child growth, behaviour and development using a cross-sectional sample of a clinical cohort study

ObjectivesChildren from low-income households are at an increased risk of social, behavioural and physical health problems. Prior studies have generally relied on dichotomous outcome measures. However, inequities may exist along...

The diagnostic trajectory in autism and intellectual disability in Quebec: pathways and parents\u2019 perspective

BackgroundThis paper aimed to describe the diagnostic service trajectory of families of children with autism or intellectual disability in the province of Québec and identify predictors of parents’ perceptions of its quality.MethodsThe Evaluation of the services Trajectory in Autism by Parents instrument was completed by 259 parents at an assessment clinic. Children’s clinical records were also examined.ResultsOn average 26 months elapsed between their first concerns and their child’s diagnosis, a period during which few (25%) received support. Parents’ evaluations were generally positive but were lower for the accessibility of the pre-assessment phase and the flexibility of the assessment process. Longer delays and a greater number of professionals consulted were associated with lower quality ratings. Some language-, immigration status-, and income-related differences in families’ appraisals were noted.ConclusionThe diagnostic trajectory for neurodevelopmental disorders within public services in Québec presents some efficiency and accessibility challenges. Possible improvements are proposed to facilitate screening and to support families throughout this phase of their trajectory.

Sources of Added Sugars Intake Among the U.S. Population: Analysis by Selected Sociodemographic Factors Using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2011-18.

Recent estimates of added sugars intake among the U.S. population show intakes are above recommended levels. Knowledge about the sources of added sugars contributing to intakes is required to inform dietary guidance, and understanding how those sources vary across sociodemographic subgroups could also help to target guidance. The purpose of this study was to provide a comprehensive update on sources of added sugars among the U.S. population, and to examine variations in sources according to sociodemographic factors. Regression analyses on intake data from NHANES 2011–18 were used to examine sources of added sugars intake among the full sample (N = 30,678) and among subsamples stratified by age, gender, ethnicity, and income. Results showed the majority of added sugars in the diet (61–66%) came from a few sources, and the top two sources were sweetened beverages and sweet bakery products, regardless of age, ethnicity, or income. Sweetened beverages, including soft drinks and fruit drinks, as well as tea, were the largest contributors to added sugars intake. There were some age-, ethnic-, and income-related differences in the relative contributions of added sugars sources, highlighting the need to consider sociodemographic contexts when developing dietary guidance or other supports for healthy eating.

Income-related differences in out-of-hours primary care telephone triage using national registration data

BackgroundTelephone triage is used to facilitate efficient and adequate acute care allocation, for instance in out-of-hours primary care services (OPCSs). Remote assessment of health problems is challenging and could be...

Well-Being Depends on Social Comparison: Hierarchical Models of Twitter Language Suggest That Richer Neighbors Make You Less Happy.

Psychological research has shown that subjective well-being is sensitive to social comparison effects; individuals report decreased happiness when their neighbors earn more than they do. In this work, we use Twitter language to estimate the well-being of users, and model both individual and neighborhood income using hierarchical modeling across counties in the United States (US). We show that language-based estimates from a sample of 5.8 million Twitter users replicate results obtained from large-scale well-being surveys - relatively richer neighbors leads to lower well-being, even when controlling for absolute income. Furthermore, predicting individual-level happiness using hierarchical models (i.e., individuals within their communities) out-predicts standard baselines. We also explore language associated with relative income differences and find that individuals with lower income than their community tend to swear (f*ck, sh*t, b*tch), express anger (pissed, bullsh*t, wtf), hesitation (don't, anymore, idk, confused) and acts of social deviance (weed, blunt, drunk). These results suggest that social comparison robustly affects reported well-being, and that Twitter language analyses can be used to both measure these effects and shed light on their underlying psychological dynamics.

Socioeconomic inequalities in children\u2019s weight, height and BMI trajectories in Norway

Studies exploring when social inequalities in body mass index (BMI) and its composites emerge and how these evolve with age are limited. Thus, this study explored parental income and education related inequalities in children’s weight, height, weight velocity and body mass index among Norwegian children from 1 month to 8 years. The study population included 59,927 family/children pairs participating in the Norwegian Mother, Father, and Child Cohort Study. Growth was modelled using the Jenss–Bayley model and linear mixed effects analyses were conducted. Maternal and paternal educational differences in children’s weight and BMI trajectories emerged during infancy, continuing to age 8 years. Parental income-related inequalities in children’s weight were observed from the age of 1 month to 4 years for maternal and up to 1 year for paternal income-related differences but then disappeared. Parental income-related inequalities in child’s BMI were observed from 18 months to 8 years for maternal income, and from 9 months to 8 years for paternal income-related differences. These results suggest that social inequalities in children’s BMI present early in infancy and continue to 8 years of age. The inequalities sometimes differed by indicator of socioeconomic position used. Interventions to combat these inequalities early in life are, thus needed.

What Determines the Demand for Redistribution and What Can We Expect from the Nearby Future: Empirical Evidence for Spain

ObjectiveIn this article, we seek to determine the main explanatory factors of individual preferences for redistribution in Spain.MethodsWe use data from the World Values Survey capturing economic factors, political preferences, personal beliefs, and sociodemographic characteristics.ResultsThe results, obtained using both OLS and ordered logit regressions, reveal that factors regarding relative household income, personal beliefs, sociodemographic characteristics, and regional differences are the main determinants of the demand for redistribution.ConclusionThese results, coupled with long‐standing trends that the Spanish society has been experiencing for decades, suggest that there may be an increase in the demand for redistribution in the coming years.

Linked lives, linked retirement? Relative income differences within couples and gendered retirement decisions in Europe.

Our article investigates the role of relative income distributions within couples for individuals' retirement risks. It addresses the following questions: How does the share someone provides to the couple income affect that person's retirement decision? What gender differences do we observe and what contextual factors can explain country differences? Our multilevel analyses draw on data from the European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC) study (2010-2016), comparing 26 countries. The results show that female main earners transition to retirement earlier than female secondary earners as they approach the official retirement age. This effect is even stronger in countries with more traditional gender norms. The opposite pattern is found for men, whereby male secondary earners retire earlier than male main earners in more gender traditional societies. We explain this finding on the basis of doing gender theories, which predict that gender-atypical behaviour in one area of life is compensated by traditional gender behaviour in other areas, especially in contexts with traditional gender norms. A further finding relates to the generosity of the country's pension replacement rate, which shows to be a factor facilitating retirement especially for those with an equal earning partner.

Underdevelopment through Productivity Improvement Measures in an Advanced Region

Purpose: This paper analyzes how increasing economies of scale, higher productivity, and falling costs in an advanced region can lead to a relative reduction in progressiveness in an economically weaker region. Design/Methodology/Approach: The author uses the core-peripheral model as a basis for this framework. The regional development model thus, consists of two sectors. Technological progress favors either the advanced or lagging regions. Findings: Thus, optimization measures taken in the advanced region will lead to a steady slowdown in development. The effects of increasing economies of scale are reflected in falling marginal and fixed costs. This reduces costs and makes production more effective. The productivity of the advanced region increases. This increase in volume, however, means that agricultural production becomes more valuable. The relative price of industrial goods falls, and, as a result, the relative income differences decrease—the utility of both regions increases. However, the increasing economies of scale in the advanced region mean that the underdeveloped region's utility increases more strongly and reduces inequality. Practical Implications: The analysis shows that optimization measures in an advanced region weaken the region as they lead to loss of development benefits. Originality: The author analyzes the influence of rising economies of scale and declining costs on developing the advanced region and the underdeveloped region and relative inequality.

Family income and insufficient medical care: A prospective study of alternative explanations.

Aims: Equity of access to medical care is a central objective in socialised and national health insurance systems. Based on a national panel survey of Icelandic adults, the study examined the effects of family income on insufficient medical care and whether income-related differences were explained by overall financial strain, health-care cost burden, cultural variables or barriers related to health-system obstacles or experiences. Methods: The study used two-wave panel data from national postal health surveys of Icelandic adults aged 18-75. Insufficient medical care was assessed in terms of both reported delay/cancellation of physician care and estimated underutilisation when comparing actual and professionally recommended physician visits. Results: The study found that individuals with lower family incomes were more likely to delay or cancel a needed physician visit and underutilise medical care compared to their higher-income counterparts. High relative out-of-pocket costs, overall financial strain and negative experiences of medical care fully accounted for the disadvantaged medical access of lower-income individuals. The most important explanatory variable was out-of-pocket costs, as it affected insufficient medical care both directly and indirectly by compounding economic difficulties in the family. Attitudes, beliefs and health-related behaviours had limited effects on insufficient medical care and did not account for income-related differences. Conclusions: Poorer access to needed medical care among lower-income individuals was explained by high relative out-of-pocket costs, overall financial strain and negative medical-care experiences. Efforts to reduce income differences in access to needed medical care should address these factors.

Children\u2019s family income is associated with cognitive function and volume of anterior not posterior hippocampus

Children from lower income backgrounds tend to have poorer memory and language abilities than their wealthier peers. It has been proposed that these cognitive gaps reflect the effects of income-related stress on hippocampal structure, but the empirical evidence for this relationship has not been clear. Here, we examine how family income gaps in cognition relate to the anterior hippocampus, given its high sensitivity to stress, versus the posterior hippocampus. We find that anterior (but not posterior) hippocampal volumes positively correlate with family income up to an annual income of ~$75,000. Income-related differences in the anterior (but not posterior) hippocampus also predicted the strength of the gaps in memory and language. These findings add anatomical specificity to current theories by suggesting a stronger relationship between family income and anterior than posterior hippocampal volumes and offer a potential mechanism through which children from different income homes differ cognitively.