Majority World Countries Research Articles

Exploring the leisure time physical activity (LTPA) experiences of women with a physical disability in India

ABSTRACT Empirical evidence has shown that leisure time physical activity (LTPA) has numerous benefits for women with a disability. However, little information is available on the nature of LTPA experiences within a majority world context. This study explored the LTPA experiences of women with a physical disability in India. Five women with a physical disability were interviewed in-person through go-along interviews. Photos and field notes were taken throughout the research process, including at the site of LTPA. A thematic narrative analysis was used to interpret the women’s experiences via three narratives. The multifaceted explorer focussed on LTPA as a means to a diverse life – enhancing health, friendships, and happiness. Spreading my wings storied LTPA as a transformative agent that enabled opportunities and promoted personal growth. Better me for a better you told the story of breaking boundaries and emerging as forerunners through LTPA. All three narratives showed how LTPA enabled and fostered empowerment, social support, and a sense of belonging. These insights highlight the need for more LTPA opportunities and targeted interventions for women with a disability in India and other majority world countries.

Scoping child mental health service capacity in South Africa disadvantaged communities: community provider perspectives

Purpose This study aims to establish the perspectives of community providers on challenges and enablers in developing child mental health capacity in disadvantaged communities in South Africa. Design/methodology/approach The authors involved 29 community providers operating in a large urban-deprived area in the Gauteng Province, east of Johannesburg. Community providers had educational, social and health care backgrounds. Their perspectives were captured through three focus groups, two participatory workshops and reflective diaries. Data were integrated and subjected to inductive thematic analysis. Findings Three interlinked themes were identified. Community mobilization was viewed as pre-requisite through mental health awareness and strategies to engage children, youth and parents. Service provision should take into consideration contextual factors, predominantly inequalities, lack of basic needs and gender-based issues (domestic violence, teenage pregnancy and single motherhood). Participants referred to severe mental health needs, and related to physical health conditions, disabilities and impairments, rather than to common mental health problems or wellbeing. They proposed that capacity building should tap into existing resources and integrate with support systems through collaborative working. Practical implications Child mental health policy and service design in Majority World Countries (MWCs), should involve all informal and structural support systems and stakeholders. Contextual factors require consideration, especially in disadvantaged communities and low-resource settings, and should be addressed through joined up working. Originality/value Children’s mental health needs are largely unmet in MWC-disadvantaged communities. These findings capture the experiences and perspectives of various community providers on how to enhance mental health provision by mobilizing communities and resources.

Insights from impacts of the digital divide on children in five majority world countries during the COVID-19 pandemic

ABSTRACT The digital divide is especially pertinent in Majority World Countries (MWCs), and this was exacerbated greatly by the pandemic. Tackling the digital divide underpins the work of Human–Computer Interaction for Development (HCI4D) and remains an important global endeavour. Our project aimed to understand how children and young people (CYP) in MWC coped during the pandemic and how technology played a role. Voices of CYP were complemented by those of their parents and professionals with whom CYP interacted regularly. Our empirical study involved 73 CYP and 76 adults from Brazil, Kenya, Pakistan, South Africa, and Turkey. Qualitative data from diaries, drawings and focus groups were analysed thematically. Four major themes were identified – ‘access’, ‘usage’, ‘risk’, and ‘future Among others, some intriguing findings were that CYP acutely felt the peer pressure on ICT ownership and tended to direct frustration at parents, who grappled with their untenable roles as gatekeepers to digital worlds. Implications for addressing the digital divide include long-term strategies to improve infrastructures and mobilise community-based collaborative efforts and enhance digital literacy.

The role of associational life in the development of social capital: Theoretical considerations for Christian NGOs engaged in development initiatives

Relying on social science and missiological research, the purpose of this article is to discuss theoretical considerations of associational life as a strategy of Christian NGOs involved in development initiatives in majority-world countries. Research has revealed the unintended consequences of NGOs as well as the complexity of local community dynamics where NGOs work. It is also well known that religion plays an important role in the functioning of society. Therefore, while Christian NGOs working in majority-world countries are not immune from the same challenges as secular NGOs, by recognizing and understanding the value of religion, Christian NGOs may be better equipped than their secular counterparts to incorporate this aspect of social life into their development activities.

Communication disability in Bangladesh: issues and solutions

ABSTRACT Context The UN declaration of Human Rights (1948) included people's right to be able to communicate. This gave all countries the responsibility to provide services for those with communication disabilities. However Speech Language Therapy (SLT) is largely a Minority (developed) World construction, leaving a question about how SLT could or should be constructed in Majority World (developing) countries. Solutions embedded within their context and culture are needed, rather than reproducing Minority World systems. Bangladesh is a Majority World country with a very large population. It has both issues and potential solutions in common with other Majority World countries, but also unique features of its own. Issues SLT services in Bangladesh began only 15 years ago. Social, geographic, economic, historical and political barriers mean they are often unavailable or inaccessible to those in need. There is low public awareness of SLT, but if this were to increase it would be faced by inadequate numbers of qualified Speech Language Therapists. There is a rural-urban divide and high amounts of poverty presenting challenges about how to fund such a service equitably. Potential Solutions The fledgeling SLT profession in Bangladesh has adapted to address local needs, culture, and circumstances, however more solutions are needed. This paper considers ways of raising awareness, improving background information on which to base decisions about distribution and funding of SLT, and taking advantage of a growing number of local tertiary training institutions to provide a solid professional base for SLT services to grow from.

Disruptions, adjustments and hopes: The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on child well-being in five Majority World Countries.

Drawing on integrated data from focus groups and diary entries, we explored the impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic on child well‐being for children from five Majority World Countries. We focus on the disruptions the pandemic caused, the adjustments made in response to these, and children's vision of a post‐pandemic world. Underlying children's experiences of loss, boredom and concerns about educational progress, was an awareness of systemic inequalities that disadvantaged them or others in their community. Findings have implications on capturing children's voices through introspective and dialogical approaches that transcend cultures and for the development of preventive and responsive interventions during crises.

Changing Metaphors in African Theologies: Influences from Digital Cultures

The incursion of globalisation presents both opportunities and challenges for mission in Africa. This is especially visible among the younger generation whose cultural perspectives have been influenced by global digital cultures. Although the youth in Africa are very much aware of their indigenous identities, they also participate actively with their peers elsewhere around the globe. As a result of these global interactions, many of the pre-colonial theological metaphors which have been accepted as authentic grassroots African theologies seem to have become less meaningful to emerging generations. Analysing contemporary oral sources such as music, prayers, poetry and everyday conversation among young Africans, this paper argues that there is a seismic shift in theological metaphors that speak meaningfully to the contexts of emerging Africans. The paper argues that many young people in contemporary Ghana, for example, do not see mmoatia (dwarfs) and sasabonsam (forest monster) as symbols of threat: they have new threats. A theology that describes Jesus as a hunter could be so impotent in the face of contemporary realities of some young people in Ghana, as Western theologies made a corresponding adjustment in Majority World countries a few decades ago. The paper concludes that these changing metaphors have implications for local theologies in Africa and must be engaged by theologians, missionaries and all who are interested in African theologies for the purpose of meaningful contextualisation in contemporary African Christianity.

Application of digital child mental health training to improve capacity in majority world countries: Professional perspectives from Turkey and Pakistan.

Digital technology offers opportunities for child mental health capacity building, which is a priority for Majority World Countries (MWC). The aim of this study was to explore the experiences and perspectives of professionals from different disciplines in Turkey (n=12) and Pakistan (n=15), who had completed a two-module digital trauma-informed programme on enhancing practice skills and instigating systemic changes. Interview data were analysed through a coding thematic approach. Participants especially valued the interdisciplinary and holistic approach of the training, and its proposed scaled service model. Digital training, particularly in blended format, can enhance reach and capacity in MWC low-resource settings.

Air quality changed disproportionally across the world urban agglomerations, countries, and regions due to COVID-19 lockdown measures

BACKGROUND AND AIM: The COVID-19 response policies had a major impact on air quality (AQ) worldwide. However, limited data availability, diverse political responses, and multiple-factor interactions made the analysis challenging. We aimed to quantify the effect of various COVID-19 response policies on concentration of ambient nitrogen dioxide (NO2) in major world urban agglomerations (UAs), countries, and regions. METHODS: Daily mean NO2 concentrations from January 01, 2019 to July 31, 2020 were collected from 1) 1,267 publicly available ground monitoring sites at 496 UAs across 29 countries, and 2) Sentinel-5P satellite at 1,851 UAs across 143 countries. Eight daily national COVID-19 response actions were retrieved from Oxford’s COVID-19 Government Response Tracker for countries of the world. COVID-19 response action implementations were clustered into three groups: stringent, moderate, and mild policy. Using UA-specific linear regression models, we assessed the association between different policy implementations and NO2 concentrations, adjusting for meteorological variables and time trends. Finally, meta-regression models were applied to aggregate global, regional, and country-specific results. In addition, we examined the effect modification of the association by UA population size. RESULTS:Ground-monitored data suggested that NO2 concentrations decreased by 32% in countries with a stringent policy and by 26% in countries with a moderate policy. No substantial changes occurred in countries with a mild policy. Satellite observations of NO2 were highly correlated with ground-monitored data, and demonstrated that the greatest AQ improvements occurred in the Eastern Mediterranean and Western Pacific regions, but not in Europe or North America. The greatest AQ improvements were observed in more populated areas, especially in UAs with ≥5 million population. CONCLUSIONS:Our study suggests that COVID-19 response policies taken in 2020 led to global reductions in NO2 concentrations. These AQ improvements were most pronounced in countries with more stringent COVID-19 containment policies and in more populated areas. KEYWORDS: COVID-19, Air pollution, Policy, Exposures, Oxides of Nitrogen

Ekistics is back!

Welcome to the reimagined and contemporary international journal of Ekistics and the New Habitat: the problems and science of human settlements. On behalf of the international board of editors, it is with great pleasure that I welcome you to this very special edition led by Professor Dr. Derya Oktay, Professor of Architecture and Urban Design Maltepe University, Istanbul, Turkey. Professor Oktay’s Special Issue is a fitting volume of work identifying the many dimensions of contemporary and emerging habitat development pressures in Turkey. We invite scholars, students, practitioners, lay citizens, politicians and entrepreneurs to read the works of authors developed in this issue. The ideas and context of investigations contained in Turkey, Urbanism and the New Habitat are fresh, and exemplify the direction the Editorial Board seeks to reimagine Ekistics for our emerging millennia. The Editorial Board has many issues in production including, but not limited to: • India & Jugaad – The impact of innovation by the resilient Indian mind on habitat – Guest Editor Prof. Brinda Somaya. • Cities and Transport in the Mediterranean Region – Guest Editor Prof. Dr. George Giannopoulos • Saudi Vision 2030 - Habitats for Sustainable Development – Guest Editor Assist. Prof. Dr. Yenny Rahmayati • The Global Pacific: Island and Coastal Human Habitats – Guest Editor Assist. Prof. /Lecturer Dr. Ian Fookes. • Tribute to the late Panayis Psomopoulos who along with Constantinos Doxiadis, assured Ekistics remained very well regarded in over 46 countries and at all UN Habitat presentations and the majority world countries up until his passing. • Special issue on new theories and propositions in Ekistics led by a team with Prof. Dr. Ray Bromley, Catharine Nagashima and Prof. Dr. Christopher Benninger among others. • Regular Issues and new back issues previously unpublished.

Optimising existing speech-language therapy resources in an underserved community: A study of the Maldives

BackgroundPeople living in Majority world countries face complex challenges regarding speech-language therapy services. As traditional individualised service delivery approaches may not suit the needs of the population, customised solutions are needed. AimThis study explored speech-language therapy and related resources available in the Maldives, a Majority world country, as seen by local government representatives and service providers. The goal was to identify service delivery approaches for children with communication difficulties that could yield the most out of existing resources. MethodSemi-structured interviews were conducted with six service providers (three speech-language therapists (SLTs), three representatives from Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) related to disabilities) and six local government representatives (atoll councillors) of the Maldives. Interview questions related to services available for children with communication difficulties. The data were analysed via deductive content analysis. ResultsSLTs predominantly delivered traditional individualised and rehabilitative therapy. Services were unevenly distributed across the Maldives with some atolls receiving no services. Support was available from community groups and atoll councillors in some atolls, for instance to access aids provided by the government. Some NGOs were trialling alternative service delivery approaches by conducting programs for parents and teachers in atolls. Participants suggested several possible measures including increasing awareness of speech-language therapy and communication difficulties amongst communities, engaging active community groups to support interventions and allowing less qualified professionals to provide services. The costs related to access and provide services were noted as a challenge. ConclusionWhile this study discovered limitations, the existing resources that were identified can be better directed to reach more children who require services in the Maldives. The following potential alternative service delivery approaches were derived from the results: focusing on prevention, using public health approaches to train families and teachers, creating awareness, building capacity within the community, and adopting cost-effective approaches to provide services.

Information and communication technology reading interventions: A scoping review

Background: Information and communication technology (ICT) reading interventions can help children with reading difficulties, especially those in resource-constrained environments who otherwise might not have support. Objectives: (1) Provide an overview of ICT reading interventions used globally with primary school children. (2) Provide further information on the subset of studies conducted in majority world countries, describing the interventions used, their impact on reading and challenges faced. Method: A scoping review was used with a search strategy that yielded a total of 49 studies for inclusion in the main review (Objective 1), and a subset of five studies undertaken in the majority world (Objective 2). Results: Most published studies (93.88%, 46 studies) demonstrated positive outcomes of ICT reading interventions on learners’ reading. Well-researched programmes with demonstrated effectiveness included GraphoGame, ABRACADABRA, Reading RACES and Chassymo. Only five studies (10.2%) were conducted in the majority world, but all reported in this subset described positive literacy gains through ABRACADABRA and GraphoGame. Conclusion: There is a growing evidence base of ICT reading interventions that could be helpful in addressing the reading crisis in South Africa. Programmes such as ABRACADABRA and GraphoGame demonstrate effectiveness in a variety of contexts and may have a role to play in addressing the reading challenges faced by children in South Africa. Contribution: The review highlighted evidence supporting the use of ICT reading interventions. Evidence of such approaches in South Africa (and other majority world countries) remains limited and requires further evaluation of both existing and innovative, locally developed interventions.

Ethics in International Practice

Purpose Credible information on the numbers of people in Majority World countries who have communication and swallowing disorders does not seem to exist; however, there is evidence of the need for communication therapy services in those countries. Certified speech-language pathologists who provide clinical services for people with communication and swallowing disorders overseas must adhere to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association's Code of Ethics. The purpose of this article is to discuss the requirements for the exercise of autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence, and justice in the context of international practices. Method The relationship between cultural authenticity and ethically provided services is considered. There is also a discussion of the ethics and outcomes of short-term volunteer programs for clients in Majority World countries and communities. Guidance for development of needed services and programs in the Majority World is offered. Examples of culturally relevant and ethically developed service and collaboration projects are cited. Results The codes of ethics of several Minority and Majority World speech-language therapy associations are reviewed to reflect their requirements for the ethical practices that must be adhered to during clinical practice beyond their members' national borders. There is also guidance on the importance and influence of clinicians' attitudes and demeanor in their work in Majority World countries. Conclusions Ethical clinical practice in Majority World countries requires adherence to the clinician's professional association's code of ethics. Equally important are information and attitudes that enable the clinician to develop and provide services from a perspective of cultural humility and understanding of the community's attitudes, needs, and expectations. An important and necessary aspect of ethical practice is the clinician's personal attitudes and knowledge of the country they bring to their clinical practice.

Pathway outta pigeonhole? De-contextualizing Majority World Countries

Should regional context overshadow theoretical contributions of a doctoral dissertation or an international journal article? In this essay, we argue that expendable region-centricism diminishes the contributions of Majority World Countries to the media and communication discipline. We propose that ‘de-contextualized’ studies – which accentuate the theoretical, conceptual, or methodological import of research – could complement current efforts to decentre knowledge.

Review of Renewable Energy Role in the Development of the World

The study was carried out since 16, September, 2020. The study major objective was to review the renewable energy role in the development of the world. Total 17 articles were downloaded from the net and read in depth and analyzed the situation. The study indicates that renewable energy is that energy which never finish and it infinitely provide energy to community of the world. The example is the solar, water and wind energies. Renewable energy is the clean energy and it does not add any carbon to atmosphere. Now a day majority world countries try to identify the renewable energy in the world for running the daily system for improving the socioeconomic condition of the world. The study further explained that fossils coverage for supply energy in the world is still 60% which is the main cause of CO2 emission to atmosphere while the share of renewable energies and other energies is only 40% but now the trend of the solar and wind energy production in the world is annually increasing. China and USA now a day highly focus on renewable energy. Large number of projects is working for renewable energies in the world. Germany, Japan and UK through wind produced huge electricity in the world while in Pakistan large number of hydropower working for electricity production. Both renewable and non renewable energies have plus and minus in the world. The Water dams produce electricity which is the major source of renewable energy in the south Asian world but when dams are constructed it create problems for animals and community which disturb the ecosystem of the world. Similarly wind electricity production system kills many birds in the world while geothermal projects increase the earth quick in different country of the world. So on one side it has the benefits for the world but on the other side it has disadvantages to the community of the world. Many conferences have been held in the world for controlling the global warming which is the causes of the emission of CO2 to the atmosphere by non renewable energy in the world. The CO2 create the global warming and increase the world temperature. Since, in 2014 the increase of temperature in the world was 0.85 degree centigrade. The increase of temperature disturb the climate of the world which in the long run change the pattern of the cropping and multiply the diseases while also disturb rainfall trend and bring the flood and melt the glacier on the top of the hill which further disturb the old people health, social life and livelihood of the community in the world. On the basis of problems the study recommend that to increase the renewable energy sources consumption in the world.; Family growth should be controlled for more population pressure on the world resources; Sustainable methodology for development purpose should be applied for escaping the life of the future generation for renewable energy increasing in the world; Mostly focus on solar and wind energy utilization in the world for escaping of CO2 emission to atmosphere; Oil, natural gases and coal consumption should be decreased for emission of CO2 gases for provision of clean environment; Not make large dams for production of energy of electricity while short dam should be constructed for escaping of ecosystem for world community. Sometime dams are made which damage the ecosystem of the community and disturbs the life of animal and crops in the area; New innovation should be developed for enhancing renewable energy in the world.

Sustainable Delivery of Speech-language Therapy Services in Small Island Developing States Using Information and Communication Technology - A Study of the Maldives.

Small Island Developing States (SIDS), a subgroup of Majority world countries, face complex challenges providing equitable access to speech-language therapy (SLT) services. Increasing use of information and communication technology (ICT) to enhance SLT services is seen in the Minority world. This study explored the potential of using ICT to provide sustainable SLT services in one SIDS, the Maldives. A mixed method approach was used integrating data from (a) 21 online documents, (b) interview with an ICT official, and (c) surveys of 13 island councillors and 73 parents of children with communication difficulties. Almost 100% of the population had access to mobile phones and mobile broadband internet. Most parents were active and frequent ICT users. The government provided financial aid for people with disabilities which could be utilised to access ICT for services. Asynchronous service delivery using accessible ICT and parents as agents of service delivery can potentially enhance SLT services.

Speech language therapy services for children in Small Island Developing States – the situation in the Maldives

ABSTRACT Speech-language therapists (SLT) support people with communication difficulties to exercise their right to communicate. Yet, children in Majority world countries face great obstacles to accessing these services. Vulnerable countries within the Majority world, such as Small Island Developing States (SIDS) face complex challenges due to particular environmental, social and economic vulnerabilities. Access to services is unlikely to improve in underserved communities unless service delivery approaches take the context into consideration. This preliminary study used mixed methods to explore environmental, social and economic conditions affecting equitable access to SLT services for children in one SIDS, the Maldives. Forty publicly available online documents were analyzed, and online surveys were conducted with 107 teachers and 73 parents of children with communication difficulties to examine the conditions that affect equitable access to SLT services in the Maldives. This data revealed three major characteristics of the Maldivian context: (1) Barriers related to geography, dispersed population and transport, (2) Inadequacy of current services to meet needs, and (3) Significant need to minimize costs.

Epidemiology of Corona Virus in the World and Its Effects on the China Economy

Epidemiology of Corona Virus in the World and Its Effects on the China Economy

Data Journalism beyond Majority World Countries: Challenges and Opportunities

ABSTRACTThis commentary reflects on the state of research on data journalism and discusses future directions for this line of work. Drawing on theory in international development and postcolonial studies, we discuss three critical pitfalls that we encourage future scholarship in this area to avoid. These include using a linear model of progress, in which journalists in Majority World nations struggle to ‘catch up’ to their Minority World counterparts because of the ‘obstacles’ they face; reproducing a simplistic split between the ‘West and the Rest’, thus missing the complex interaction of structures operating at different levels; and failing to examine journalistic agency due to an overemphasis on the technical structuring of the ‘tools’ used in data journalism. We also encourage scholars to engage in more comparative work rather than single case studies; increase dialogic communication between scholarship produced in, or about, different parts of the world; and incorporate more diverse methodologies with the aim of building theory. More broadly, we advocate for greater critical reflection upon—if not the challenging of—our dominant modes of thought in order to build more nuanced frameworks for explaining the complex causes, and potentially mixed effects, of data journalism around the world.

The impact of modification techniques on the rheological properties of dysphagia foods and liquids.

Modifying food and the textures of food has been done for decades within the food science and technology field. More recently, modifying the texture of foods has been used to manage swallowing disabilities (dysphagia). Swallowing disabilities are often associated with dehydration and malnutrition, thus nutritional intervention has formed part of serving texture-modified diets. The question remains whether these modification techniques are viable for individuals with swallowing disabilities living in majority world countries. This study used two modification methods on a widely used specialized nutritious food (SNF) to determine whether it may be modified and used in dysphagia management. The techniques had to be ergonomic and economically appropriate for individuals with swallowing disabilities living in majority world countries. The International Dysphagia Diet Standardization Initiative's (IDDSI) standards were used to determine whether the texturally modified SNF is safe for swallowing. Rheological measurements were performed to determine apparent viscosity and structure recovery of each sample. The effects of two modification techniques, aeration and particle separation, on the rheological properties of the SNF were also measured and analyzed. It was determined that both milk and water could be used with this SNF to create a dysphagia diet, but only under certain conditions. The overall results indicated that heating the samples increased the apparent viscosity and exacerbated lumping. Room temperature samples had less lumps and could be classified to the desired levels of the IDDSI (Level 2 and Level 4). Using a whisk to aerate the samples reduced lumps significantly and using a sieve to separate particles of liquid samples eliminated lumps. This study provides new data on how texture modification techniques and the IDDSI framework could be adapted to individuals living in majority world countries. By using modification techniques that are ergonomic and economically viable and an SNF with longevity, this study could be useful in guiding future training of nursing staff and caregivers of individuals living in poverty or resource-constrained communities. This study also adds to the data on the rheological properties of dysphagia foods, although this study did not make use of commercial thickeners generally used in the modification of diets.