Inverse Probability Weighted Regression Adjustment Research Articles

Thrombectomy in M2 occlusion compared to M1 occlusion: treatment effects of Thrombolysis In Cerebral Infarction (TICI) 2b and TICI 3 recanalization on functional outcome

BackgroundEmerging data suggest that mechanical thrombectomy (MT) might also be safe and efficient for medium and distal occlusions. This study aims to compare average treatment effects on functional outcome of...

Social protection schemes in rural Rwanda: A panacea for household energy burdens?

The role of social protection programs in low-income countries is increasingly becoming a subject of interest on the development agenda in the public discourse. The literature reveals a diversity of findings about the role of social protection on household development outcomes. There is little documentation regarding how social protection schemes affect household energy burdens in rural areas, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa. Rwanda is one of the African countries that have taken deliberate steps to institutionalize the provision of social protection schemes to its citizenry. Therefore, this paper examined how accessibility to different social protection schemes affected household energy burdens in rural Rwanda using nationally representative household-level microdata (EICV5). Results from the Lewbel Instrumental Variable Estimator, nearest neighbor matching, and Inverse Probability Weighted Regression Adjustment showed that Vision 2020 Umurenge and Girinka social protection schemes significantly negatively affected household energy cost burdens. These study findings suggest that social protection schemes may require other efforts or policy instruments that might encourage use of modern energy services to address energy affordability barriers in rural areas.

Stronger Food and Nutrition Security Impacts from More Intense Project Participation: Evidence from a Multi-Country Intervention Program

Rigorous experiments show that nutrition-sensitive intervention programs can contribute to improved food and nutrition security (FNS) of rural households in low-and middle-income countries. Targeted individuals may, however, choose to engage with the intervention package at different intensities. It is yet unclear to what extent individual participation in more interventions influences FNS outcomes. Positive links would justify efforts by development stakeholders to diversify intervention packages and enable, encourage, or incentivize beneficiaries to participate in many different interventions. Using cross-sectional data from 2733 households across seven countries, we first estimate effects of a multi-sectoral intervention program using probit regressions, propensity score matching, and inverse probability weighted regression adjustment. Over the course of the three-year program, beneficiaries joined 8.3 interventions, on average. We find that targeted households were 6–9 percent more likely to be food secure, and targeted women and children were 15–17 percent more likely to consume a nutrient-adequate diet. Our estimates show that, across three indicators of FNS, each additional intervention increased the probability of achieving positive outcomes by about 1 percent. We conclude that investments in diversified intervention programs can be justified by stronger FNS benefits. Development stakeholders could enable strong individual participation by reducing transaction and opportunity costs of participation.

Rural electrification and women's empowerment in Côte d’Ivoire

PurposeThis paper assesses the impact of this program on the rural women's employment opportunities using data from the 2015 round of the household's living standard survey (HLSS) of Côte d'Ivoire.Design/methodology/approachIn 2013, in order to improve the living conditions of the rural population, the Ivorian government launched the National Program for rural electrification (PRONER) to electrify all localities with more than 500 inhabitants.FindingsThe results show that PRONER, while reducing the time allocated to performing household chores, increases women's employment through the reallocation of time to full-time paid work in the agricultural and non-agricultural sectors. The authors also find that the allocation of men's time is not affected by this programme. A possible mechanism that would explain such a pro-women effect is the labour-saving technology introduced to home production as an effect of the reform.Research limitations/implicationsAs a limitation, it is important to note that these results were obtained in the specific context of PRONER in Côte d’Ivoire and are not necessarily applicable to rural electrification programmes in other contexts. Furthermore, the choice of other indicators to measure women's empowerment is limited by the quality of the data available. It would be interesting for future research to extend this analysis to include other aspects of women's empowerment and household welfare.Originality/valueThis paper is the first to the author’s knowledge to apply a robust econometric method by combining an inverse probability weighted regression adjustment model with Heckman sample selection method to access a robust causal effect of the PRONER in Côte d'Ivoire.

Efectos de género y etnicidad en la brecha salarial entre jornaleros agrícolas del noroeste mexicano

The objective of this research is to analyze the effect of gender and ethnicity on the gender wage gap among farmworkers in the northwest region of Mexico, based on the 2020 census sample. By employing matching estimates and Inverse Probability Weighted Regression Adjustment (IPWRA) models, the effects on the mean and throughout the wage distribution of the sample are studied. It is observed that, in relation to gender and ethnicity, these are negative, especially when considered simultaneously, since among indigenous farmworkers, it is women who have the worst salaries. For women there are conditions of both a “sticky floor” and a “glass ceiling,” and for men only the second. The results indicate that part of this difference can be interpreted as a result of discrimination.

Impact of certification on market performance of cocoa industry in OSUN State, Nigeria

This study investigated the effect of certification on the market performance of the cocoa industry using primary data from a cross-sectional survey of 240 cocoa marketers. Considering counterfactual scenarios, this study analyzed the effects of certification on the net marketing margin of cocoa marketers using the endogenous switching regression model (ESRM) and for the robustness evaluation, inverse-probability-weighted regression adjustment (IPWRA) was utilized. Results showed that about 92% of the cocoa marketers were Licensed Buying Agents (LBAs) then the exporter (7%) and the least were cooperatives with about 3%. The results showed that 28% of the Licensed Buying Agents (LBAs) were certified while 35% of the exporters were certified. Also, the results revealed that 3 different marketing channels were used in the study area. The cost and return analysis revealed that certified marketers are efficient and more productive in their business compared to uncertified marketers. The ESRM treatment impact suggested that the average net marketing margin of certified cocoa marketers is higher than those that were uncertified. The study concluded that certification has helped to improve the marketing of cocoa marketers in the study.

Impact of off-farm employment on cooking fuel choices: Implications for rural-urban transformation in advancing sustainable energy transformation

Off-farm employment is a prominent manifestation of rural-urban transformation in developing countries, and it theoretically plays a critical role in rural sustainable energy transformation. Exploiting the nationally representative household-level panel data from the China Labor-force Dynamics Survey (CLDS), this study employs a multi-dimensional fixed-effects (MDFE) model, an inverse probability weighted regression adjustment (IPWRA) technique and a propensity score matching (PSM) approach to investigate the impact of off-farm employment on cooking fuel choices. The results show that off-farm employment exerts a positive and significant impact on the probability of adopting clean fuels for cooking, with specific reductions in biomass and coal and increases in electricity and gas. Furthermore, this effect is mainly realized by reducing the amount of available labor, the number of family meals, and increasing kitchen equipment purchases. However, the relationship between off-farm employment and cooking fuel choices varies considerably across the region, village and household groups. Off-farm employment mainly benefits the eastern, central and western regions of China, villages in plain areas, with brick-concrete houses and ethnic Han Chinese, households with children or the elderly, with poor health and more females, while it is less beneficial for others. The study highlights the important policy implications of rural-urban transition for sustainable energy transition through the creation of off-farm jobs.

Drought and social conflict in rural Zimbabwe: Does the burden fall on women and girls?

AbstractClimate change–induced extreme weather events such as drought have occurred with increasing frequency and intensity in Zimbabwe over the past 30 years bringing about pressure on communally owned water resources. Using the Zimbabwe Vulnerability Assessment Committee 2020 survey of rural households in Zimbabwe, this study assesses the impact of drought shock on the occurrence of water point violence. The impact of self‐reported drought shock on the likelihood of occurrence of social conflict in the form of water point violence is subject to confounding due to selection bias. Using the doubly robust inverse probability weighted regression adjustment to account for confounding, we investigate gender dimensions of the impact of drought on inducing water point violence in rural Zimbabwe. The study offers three major findings. First, drought shock is associated with increased household propensity to experience water point violence. Second, the severity of the drought shock impact increases the probability of the household experiencing water point violence. Third, drought shock–induced water point violence is only statistically valid for households where the water‐fetcher is a woman or girl. The results suggest that the impact of drought shocks on water point violence is gendered and disadvantages women and girls more than men and boys.

Electoral repression cycles

This article examines whether there is an increase in repression in the election year in electoral autocracies. First, we build a simple theoretical model of an electoral autocracy. We assume that autocratic rulers want to maximise the expected rents from office. As a higher vote share in the election is translated into a higher probability of remaining in power, they use repression to exclude those opposing the ruler from the electoral body. Then, in the empirical section, we use a data set of autocracies to examine the existence of an electoral cycle in repression. We use a dynamic inverse probability weighting regression adjustment model, which models the dynamics of elections on the respect of human rights and considers that elections are non-random events. All results, and several robustness tests, indicate a strong presence of an electoral cycle in repression consistent with our theoretical model and priors. Additionally, we find that when it comes to autocracies, this cyclical increase in repression is more pronounced than the pre-electoral increase in government spending.

Does Rwanda’s flagship microcredit programme boost agriculture and incomes?

One of the three components of Rwanda’s flagship anti-poverty programme, Vision 2020 Umurenge (VUP), is the provision of credit to relatively poor households, nearly all of them farmers. In this paper we estimate the impact of the programme using high-quality household survey data from 2013/2014 and 2016/2017. Using the panel data, the double-difference model shows that households that borrow increase their stock of livestock. This is confirmed by the cross-section inverse probability-weighted regression adjustment models, which also find that VUP borrowing leads to more purchases of farm inputs, greater consumption (especially of home-produced food), lower poverty, and greater secondary school enrolment, but not to more hours worked. While VUP loans account for only 2% of the value of microcredit in Rwanda, they do help fill a need for production credit at a scale large enough to be able to help households appreciably increase their agricultural and other assets, and ultimately their income.

Policy Evaluation of Demonstration Cooperative Construction: Evidence from Sichuan Province, China.

Agricultural cooperatives are professional organizations that increase farmers’ incomes through market failure corrections, livelihood resilience, and sustainable rural development. The main purpose of this paper was to evaluate the policy effects of the construction of demonstration cooperatives for farmers in China. The authors of this paper used the propensity score matching (PSM) method to evaluate the policy effect of the construction of demonstration cooperatives based on questionnaire survey data on 509 farmer cooperatives in 10 counties in Sichuan Province of China. On this basis, the inverse probability weighting-regression adjustment (IPWRA) method was used as a robustness test. The authors of this study were the first to systematically and comprehensively assess the policy effects of demonstration cooperatives while considering selectivity effects. The empirical results show that the Chinese government’s construction of demonstration cooperatives has significant policy effects, especially regarding policy support in improving the economic strength, service capacity, product quality, and social response of demonstration cooperatives. However, the policy effect of improving the democratic management of cooperatives is not significant. It is recommended that the government continue to strengthen policy support in improving the economic strength, service capacity, product quality, and social response of demonstration cooperatives. Simultaneously, more effective measures should be taken to promote the democratic management of model cooperatives.

Setting the standard: Does Rainforest Alliance Certification increase environmental and socio‐economic outcomes for small‐scale coffee producers in Rwanda?

AbstractSustainability certification has become an important tool for promoting sustainable agricultural value chains. Nevertheless, its economic and environmental effects on the producer level remain unclear. We investigate the relationship of Rainforest Alliance Certification with socio‐economic and environmental outcomes in Rwanda and consider potential tradeoffs between dimensions. To reduce potential selection bias in the econometric estimation, we use inverse probability weighted regression adjustment. We find no significant association between certification and socio‐economic indicators but a significant correlation between certification and good agricultural practices and biodiversity‐related practices. Effects on economic outcomes and biodiversity‐related practices are linked; their relationship differs across climatic regions.

Impact of Farmers’ Participation in Community-Based Organizations on Adoption of Flood Adaptation Strategies: A Case Study in a Char-Land Area of Sirajganj District Bangladesh

Community-based organizations (CBOs) are gaining popularity in Bangladesh as a tool for relaying flood risk information and adaptation strategies. However, to our knowledge, no attempts have been made to determine the impact of CBOs on farmers’ adoption of flood adaptation strategies. Therefore, in this paper, we identify the determinants that influence farmers’ decisions to participate in CBOs and how this participation impacts farmers’ adoption of flood adaptation strategies. A multistage sampling procedure was employed to select 359 farmers for the study. An endogenous switching regression model was applied to control for possible selection bias due to unobserved factors, while propensity score matching (PSM) and inverse probability-weighted regression adjustment (IPWRA) were employed to test for the robustness of the results. The results reveal a positive selection bias, indicating that farmers with above-average flood adaptation strategies are more willing to participate in CBOs. Farmers’ flood experience, having children under 10 years, distance to the village center, and access to information mainly determine the participation in CBOs. It is also found that CBO participation significantly increases farmers’ adoption of flood adaptation strategies. ESR results show that farmers who participated in CBOs have 3.76 higher average flood adaptation strategies compared to CBO non-participation, and this finding is also consistent with PSM and IPWRA results. Therefore, policy intervention aimed at further strengthening and institutionalizing CBOs is necessary for successful flood adaptation.

Impact of Cooperative Membership on Adoption of Improved Goat Production Practices in Chitwan District of Nepal

Lack of proper production practice is identified as constraint in production performance of goats. In this context, this study attempts to assess the impact of cooperative membership on adoption of improved production practices among smallholder goat farmers. The analysis is based on data obtained from in-person interview among 327 cooperative members and 334 non-members. The study employs Poisson regression model with endogenous treatment to address the endogeneity. The findings show that cooperatives strongly facilitate adopting improved production practices among goat farmers. Average treatment effect is 2.607, and the average treatment effect on treated is 2.11 and 1.447 in nearest neighbor matching and inverse probability weighted regression adjustment, respectively. The number of improved practices shows non-linear relation with livestock unit. The number of improved production practices increases with training and decreases with distance from tar road. The finding suggest scope to increase the adoption of improved production practices through cooperative membership.

O-085 School-Age Outcomes Among IVF-Conceived Children: A Causal Inference Analysis Using Linked Population-Wide Data

Abstract Study question To determine the causal effect of in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) on primary school-age childhood developmental and educational outcomes, compared with outcomes following spontaneous conception. Summary answer The school-age developmental and educational outcomes for children conceived by IVF are equivalent to those of spontaneously conceived peers. What is known already More than 8 million children have been conceived globally with the assistance of in-vitro fertilization (IVF). Large cohort studies have suggested an increase in the frequency of congenital abnormalities, autism spectrum disorder, developmental-delay and intellectual disability in children conceived via IVF. Educational and cognitive outcomes following IVF conception have not yet been adequately established. Two large Scandinavian studies (Norrman et al 2018 and Wienecke et al 2020) found poorer educational outcomes in children born after IVF-conception. Study design, size, duration Causal inference methods (based on the potential outcomes approach) were used to analyse observation data in a way that emulates the results of a target randomised clinical trial. The study cohort comprised state-wide linked maternal and childhood administrative data from Victoria, Australia. Participants/materials, setting, methods The study included singleton infants conceived spontaneously or via IVF and born between 2005-2014. The exposure of interest was conception via IVF, with those born after spontaneous conception as the control group. Two separate measures of childhood outcome were examined: The Australian Early Developmental Consensus (AEDC), (age 4-6); and the National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) at age 7-9. We combined inverse probability weighting with regression adjustment to estimate population average causal effects. Main results and the role of chance The final cohort included 412,713 children across the two outcome cohorts. Linked records were available for 4,697 IVF-conceived cases and 168,503 controls for AEDC outcome data, and 8,976 cases and 333,335 controls for NAPLAN data. The mothers of IVF-conceived children were older, more highly educated mothers, who lived in more socio-economic advantaged areas and were less likely to be from non-English speaking backgrounds. There was no causal effect of IVF-conception on the on the risk of developmental vulnerability at school-entry compared to spontaneously conceived children, as defined by AEDC metrics; with an adjusted risk difference of -0.3% (95% CI -3.7% to 3.1%) and an adjusted risk ratio of 0.97 (95% CI 0.77 to 1.25). At age 7-9 years, there was no causal effect of IVF-conception on the NAPLAN overall z-score, adjusted mean difference of 0.030 (95% CI -0.018 to 0.077) between IVF-conceived and spontaneously conceived children. Given the use of observational data, there were missing data and inherent differences in the covariate profile of the exposure cohorts. Multiple imputation and doubly robust inverse probability weighting regression adjustment modelling was utilised to allow a causal interpretation of results. Limitations, reasons for caution Children who did not attend school due to severe disability were not included, possibly leading to selection bias. It is possible that unmeasured common cause confounders could have led to bias in estimating the average treatment effects. Wider implications of the findings This study, in contrast to previous evidence, suggests that conception via IVF does not affect early childhood developmental and educational outcomes. These findings provide important reassurance for current and prospective parents, and clinicians alike. Trial registration number Not applicable

Local, trans-local, and fellow townspeople ties: differential effects of social relations on physical health among China’s rural-to-urban migrants

ABSTRACT Scarce attention has been paid to the distinct health effects of the three layers of social relations a rural-to-urban migrant is commonly embedded in – local connections with local urban communities, trans-local connections with family and hometown communities, and connections with fellow townspeople in the city who are from the same hometown. This study investigates their respective effects on physical health using the data from the 2017 China Migrants Dynamics Survey, China’s latest and largest national survey data on rural-to-urban migrants. From regression models with the Inverse Probability Weighted Regression Adjustment, the results show that the multilayered embeddedness of the migrant gives rise to differing, even diverging health effects of different types of social relations. While creating ties with local urban communities and maintaining ties with hometown communities are beneficial to migrants’ physical health, ties to a larger family and closer ties with fellow townspeople in the city are negatively related to physical health. The findings suggest the multifaceted nature of the linkage between social relations and physical health among migrants. Social relations affect physical health not only in positive ways, but also in negative ways.

Does ICT-based aquaculture extension contribute to greater adoption of good management practices and improved incomes? Evidence from Ghana

This paper aims to assess the coverage and contribution of different information and communication technology (ICT) tools (mobile phone, WhatsApp platform, television, and radio) in the dissemination of aquaculture and market information to fish farmers in Ghana. Data from a 2021 survey of 391 active fish farmers were analyzed using propensity score matching, inverse probability weighted regression adjustment, and multivariate probit regression models. Mobile phone (phone-based app, internet search, or social media) is the most used ICT tool for aquaculture advice, followed by television programs. Results show that receiving aquaculture information through ICT tools has a positive and significant average treatment effect on the adoption of good management practices, farm productivity, and farmers' income. Farmers receiving aquaculture information from mobile phone and television programs had higher adoption of good practices, production, and income on average. Farmers receiving aquaculture information from both ICT tools and extension agents achieved the highest harvest and income on average. Results also show that the adoption of the various ICT tools is interrelated, whereas several factors—including age, education, farming experience, share of fish farming in household income, and extension contact—influence the choice of ICT tool. Mobile-based extension was more accessible to youth and more educated farmers, and it could be a good medium for reaching these groups. Television and radio programs are accessible to all types of farmers from different backgrounds; these media are currently underutilized for aquaculture promotion and their application could be enhanced and expanded for current and future projects.

The effect of agricultural programs on dietary diversity and food security: Insights from the smallholder productivity promotion program in Zambia

Hunger and malnutrition remain enormous challenges in low-income countries. Many of the malnourished live in smallholder farm households in sub-Saharan Africa. Agricultural intervention programs increasingly aspire to help alleviate hunger and malnutrition in smallholder farm households by improving on-farm productivity and market participation at the same time. However, the impact of those programs on diets and food security is not yet well understood. To examine whether such smallholder productivity and market participation promoting programs lead to better household dietary diversity and food security, we analyze the impact of IFAD’s Smallholder Productivity Promotion Programme (S3P) implemented in Zambia from 2013 to 2019 using Inverse Probability Weighted Regression Adjustment (IPWRA). We measure dietary diversity by Food Consumption Score (FCS) and Household Dietary Diversity Score (HDDS) and food security by the Months of Adequate Household Food Provisions (MAHFP). Descriptive results illustrate that beneficiary households scored higher in FCS, HDDS, and MAHFP than non-beneficiary households. Regression results demonstrate positive impacts of the program on all three indicators by 3% or more. We show that the S3P increased households’ farm productivity and income from agricultural sales, leading to the observed higher dietary diversity and food security in beneficiary households. The overall impact of the S3P on food and nutrition security is robust and promising. We highlight the importance of including nutrition education and women’s empowerment components in such interventions for improved impact.

Developmental Outcomes for Children After Elective Birth at 39 Weeks’ Gestation

Elective births at 39 weeks' gestation are increasing. While this option may improve maternal and perinatal outcomes compared with expectant management, longer-term childhood developmental outcomes are uncertain. To investigate the association between elective birth at 39 weeks' gestation and the risk of childhood developmental vulnerability. For this cohort study, 2 causal inference analyses were conducted using Australian statewide, population-based data. Perinatal data from births between January 1, 2005, and December 31, 2013, were linked to childhood developmental outcomes at age 4 to 6 years (assessed using multiple imputation via inverse probability-weighted regression adjustment). Data analyses were conducted between September 7 and November 9, 2021. Two exposure groups were considered: (1) elective birth between 39 weeks and 0 days' and 39 weeks and 6 days' gestation vs expectant management and (2) birth via induction of labor vs planned cesarean delivery among those born electively at 39 weeks' gestation. Childhood developmental vulnerability at school entry, defined as scoring below the 10th percentile in at least 2 of 5 developmental domains (physical health and well-being, social competence, emotional maturity, school-based language and cognitive skills, and communication skills and general knowledge). Of 176 236 births with linked outcome data, 88 165 met the inclusion criteria. Among these, 15 927 (18.1%) were elective births at 39 weeks' gestation (induction of labor or planned cesarean delivery), and 72 238 (81.9%) were expectantly managed with subsequent birth between 40 and 43 weeks' gestation. Compared with expectant management, elective birth at 39 weeks' gestation was not associated with an altered risk of childhood global developmental vulnerability (adjusted relative risk [aRR], 1.03; 95% CI, 0.96-1.12) or with developmental vulnerability in any of the individual domains. In an analysis restricted to elective births at 39 weeks' gestation, induction of labor (n = 7928) compared with planned cesarean delivery (n = 7999) was not associated with childhood developmental vulnerability (aRR, 0.96; 95% CI, 0.82-1.12) or with vulnerability in any individual domains. In this cohort study, elective birth at 39 weeks' gestation was not associated with childhood developmental vulnerability. For those born electively at 39 weeks' gestation, birth after induction of labor or by elective cesarean delivery had similar developmental outcomes.

Impact of Intensive Youth Participation in Agriculture on Rural Households’ Revenue: Evidence from Rice Farming Households in Nigeria

The youth unemployment situation is an essential component of the current agricultural policy agenda of the Federal Government of Nigeria. Deep-rooted debates on finding a lasting solution to this problem using agriculture have been targeted as one of the panaceas. Using data from 207 systematically selected rice-producing households, this study employed the Propensity Score Matching method (PSM) and the Inverse Probability Weighted Regression Adjustment method (IPWRA) to examine the effect of intensive youth participation in agriculture on productivity and household revenue in Nigeria. We found that the key factors influencing the decisions of youth to participate in agriculture intensively include the number of years of farming experience, access to credit, membership in social groups, income, and land access. The PSM results indicate that rice productivity could increase by 1088.78 kg/ha if youth decide to intensively participate in agriculture. The IPWRA results show a positive and significant impact of intensive youth participation in agriculture on productivity and revenue. Therefore, our results suggest that efforts by the government and stakeholders towards encouraging flexible accessibility to credit (low-interest and easy repayment) and land without collateral to young people could enhance their participation in intensive agriculture and could subsequently boost productivity and household revenue.