Need For Comprehensive Policy Research Articles

Creativity and digital strategies to support food cultural heritage in Mediterranean rural areas

Creativity and digital strategies to support food cultural heritage in Mediterranean rural areas

THE ANALYSIS OF RICE MASSIVE IMPORTING IN INDONESIA BASED ON MACROECONOMICS, MICROECONOMICS, INTERNATIONAL ECONOMICS AND POLITIC ECONOMICS

Abstract - Rice is a crucial staple food in Indonesia, and the country's decision to import 3 million tonnes of rice has significant implications for its economy, agriculture sector, and food security. This study aims to analyze the benefits and drawbacks of this massive rice importation through a comprehensive examination of macroeconomics, microeconomics, international economics, and political economics. The main objectives are to provide recommendations for managerial stakeholders and to develop a vision for rice self-sufficiency. The background problems include the potential impact on Indonesia's trade balance, foreign exchange reserves, market consumption, and the socio-economic effects on local farmers. The novelty of this study lies in the lack of adequate research on the enduring effects of extensive rice imports and the need to explore options for achieving a balance between imports and domestic production. The research methods involve a literature review and analysis of scholarly articles and journals, focusing on economic indicators, trade statistics, and agricultural production data. The findings highlight the macroeconomic and microeconomic implications of rice imports, including potential disruptions in the agricultural industry, income distribution, and market dynamics. The conclusion emphasizes the need for comprehensive policies to address the challenges of rice importation and achieve a balance between food security and economic sustainability. The implications of the research underscore the importance of strategic decision-making to harmonize the needs of customers, farmers, and the broader economy, while safeguarding overall economic stability and social welfare.
 Keywords: Export; Import; International Economics; Macroeconomics; Microeconomics; Politic Economics; Rice Self-Sufficiency

Hygiene Awareness Among Fuchka Vendors and Consumers in Bangladesh: A Study on Social Determinants of Health

The article, "Hygiene Awareness Among Fuchka Vendors and Consumers in Bangladesh: A Study on Social Determinants of Health," delves into the intricate relationships between social determinants of health (SDH) and hygiene practices in the context of street food culture in Bangladesh, with a particular emphasis on the popular snack, Fuchka. Drawing from extensive fieldwork, including focus group discussions with consumers and in-depth interviews with Fuchka vendors, the study seeks to understand the health implications of Fuchka consumption, the reasons behind its widespread appeal, and the lived experiences of both vendors and consumers. Results reveal a substantial impact of factors like income, education, occupation, and gender norms on hygiene awareness and practices. This is particularly evident when assessing the quality and safety of street foods, with issues like lack of sanitation, use of contaminated water, and exposure to environmental contaminants coming to the fore. The study also highlights the varied experiences of consuming Fuchka across socio-economic strata, emphasizing the disparities in hygiene standards between upscale restaurants and street vendors. Moreover, the paper underscores the critical role of city corporations in regulating street food vending and the urgent need for comprehensive policies that address these SDH to improve public health. Through this lens, the article provides a holistic understanding of the interplay between social determinants, hygiene practices, and health outcomes in the vibrant street food scene of Bangladesh.

Extreme heat experience influences public support for local climate adaptation policies in Germany

Extreme heat events, made more frequent and severe by climate change, are negatively impacting human populations across the world. Understanding how populations are being impacted, especially among the most vulnerable, is therefore a policy imperative. We contribute to this understanding by investigating experiences of Germans following the summer of 2022, a season noteworthy for extreme temperatures throughout Europe. We conducted a survey of German residents (n = 2356) and found that a wide majority (85%) reported negative impacts from heat, including difficulty falling asleep, discomfort, and decreased productivity. These impacts occurred more frequently for vulnerable groups, such as the financially insecure. Furthermore, we found that living in areas with more frequent high temperature days (i.e., objective heat experience) corresponded to higher reported impacts from heat. We then identified factors influencing support for local governmental policies related to heat adaptation. We found broad support among those who reported higher levels of heat impacts, with support for some policies, such as subsidizing residential air conditioning, associated with higher objective heat experience. Our research reinforces the urgent need for comprehensive policies that protect Germans from heat, with a focus on the most vulnerable, as heat impacts are projected to only worsen under future warming.

Sustainable Food Consumption in India: A Systematic Review

Purpose: In order to thoroughly review and synthesise the available literature on sustainable food consumption practises in India, the research paper Sustainable Food Consumption in India: A Systematic Review was created. The purpose of the paper is to highlight significant developments, obstacles, and chances in relation to national food consumption, distribution, and production patterns that are sustainable. The study will assess the efficiency of various sustainable food initiatives, policies, and interventions in fostering environmental, social, and economic sustainability in the Indian food system using a systematic review method. The goal of this study is to help policymakers, entrepreneurs, and consumers create a more resilient and sustainable food system in India by analysing the present level of sustainable food consumption in that nation.
 Results: The findings suggest the need for comprehensive policies, support for sustainable agriculture, promotion of local food systems, and collaborative efforts between stakeholders.
 Conclusion: This research contributes to the understanding of sustainable food consumption in India. With this, sustainable food consumption in India can improve food security and the environment, according to the systematic study. This study provides the sources to help policymakers, academics, and stakeholders develop sustainable food consumption practises in India and a more resilient, ecologically friendly food system.

Estimating the causal effects of work-related and non-work-related stressors on perceived stress level: A fixed effects approach using population-based panel data.

Prolonged or excessive stress can have a negative impact on health and well-being, and stress therefore constitutes a major public health issue. A central question is what are the main sources of stress in contemporary societies? This study examines the effects of work-related and non-work-related stressors and perceived social support on perceived stress within a causal framework. Panel data were drawn from two waves (2013 and 2017) of the population-based health survey "How are you?" conducted in the Central Denmark Region. The analytical sample comprised 9,194 subjects who had responded to both surveys. Work-related and non-work-related stressors included major life events, chronic stressors, daily hassles and lack of social support. Perceived stress was measured with the 10-item Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). Data were analysed using fixed effects regression in a fully balanced design. The largest effects on PSS were seen in own disease, work situation and lack of social support. Other stressors affecting the perceived stress level were financial circumstances, relationship with partner, relationship with family and friends, and disease among close relatives. Most variables had a symmetrical effect on PSS. The results point to the need for comprehensive policies to promote mental health that span life domains and include both the individual and the group as well as organizational and societal levels. The study indicates that there are multiple potential entry points for stress prevention and stress management. However, it also shows that disease, work situation and social support weigh heavily in the overall picture. This points to the healthcare system and workplace as key institutional venues for action.

The Phenomenon of Epidemiological Transition in Health and the Necessity to Update

The epidemiological transition is a global shift from communicable diseases to non-communicable diseases and injuries, impacting health and demographic indicators. The four-stage demographic transition model illustrates the evolution of population dynamics, with the epidemiological transition model overlaying disease patterns. Egypt-born demographer Omran classified transitions into “Classic,” “Accelerated,” and “Delayed” models, emphasizing the interplay between mortality decline, fertility, and healthcare demands. The Global Burden of Disease (GBD) assesses causes of deaths, disabilities, and risk factors, revealing a shift from communicable to non-communicable diseases worldwide. In India, a significant portion of the population faces a rising burden of non-communicable diseases, particularly ischemic heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and stroke. Health transitions in diseases, demography, donor assistance, and domestic financing in India have implications for the healthcare system. Epidemiological transition levels (ETL) vary across states, affecting vulnerable populations like the elderly and urban women. Challenges arise from a double burden of disease, emphasizing the need for comprehensive policies, awareness, and improved accessibility. Risk factors like malnutrition, air pollution, and high blood pressure contribute to the disease burden. It is concluded by advocating for tailored interventions, utilizing the socio-ecological model, and emphasizing the importance of ongoing research in addressing emerging health challenges.

Correlation between alterations in degree of urbanization and the dynamics of agricultural land in Karawang regency

Karawang is part of the Jakarta-Bandung conurbation and is the largest rice producer there. Due to its strategic position and high agricultural potential, Karawang is interesting to be researched. This research has two aims: (1)to describe the degree of urbanization in Karawang and (2)to know the correlation between changes in the degree of urbanization in Karawang and the dynamics of rice fields. The classification of the degree of urbanization uses the level 2 classification by the European Union using built-up area and population data. Built-up area is extracted from land cover data and classified using Landsat imagery with Support Vector Machine classification. To find out the correlation, panel data regression is used. The results show that Karawang is dominated by the Suburban or Peri-Urban class. However, changes in the degree of urbanization occurred mostly in the central region, many of which became Urban Centers after 2000. The research revealed major transformations in land cover but surprisingly found no significant correlation between changes in the degree of urbanization and changes in agricultural land. These results emphasize the need for comprehensive policies that consider various economic, social, and policy factors related to the region’s sustainable land management and urban planning.

The People’s Right To Choose their Healthcare Services: View Point of Health Managers

Background: People, as the main recipients of healthcare services, consider themselves entitled to the right to choose in the health system. This study aimed to investigate people’s right to choose and freedom about healthcare services from healthcare managers’ perspective. Methods: This qualitative study was conducted in 2020. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 15 healthcare managers. Then, the snowball sampling method continued until data saturation level was achieved. All interviews were recorded, analyzed, and the main themes were extracted. MAXQDA10 was used for data analysis using content analysis method. Results: The people’s rights to choose their healthcare services were categorized into five main themes: people’s awareness of their right to choose, freedom of choice regarding receiving or not receiving services, government guidelines and policies, choice of hygienic services and medical services in a special way, and barriers to free access to services. Conclusion: Recently, more attention is paid to social values in health systems than in the past, and people have more freedom and choices. On the other hand, to strengthen social justice foundations, there is a need for comprehensive policies and planning in various aspects.

The effects of total factor of productivity, natural resources and green taxation on CO2 emissions in Malaysia.

This study attempts to investigate the environment cleanness between the total factor productivity, natural resources and green taxation on Malaysia's clean environment. Using the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis, this study employs the bootstrap quantile estimates based on the annual data series covering the period of 1970-2018 to analyse the quantile effect factors affecting environment cleanness in Malaysia. The empirical estimates of this study reject the EKC hypothesis throughout the quantile levels, while the green taxation shows a negative sign which indicated government fiscal policies are reducing carbon emission in the upper quantiles. There is also homogeneity slope equality effect between total factor of productivity and green taxation on carbon emissions in the middle and upper quantile levels, while natural resources are indication heterogeneity effect on all quantile levels. From the policy point of view, if Malaysia wants to get environment cleanness, there is a need for comprehensive policies of total factor of productivity with environment innovation-friendly and technological improvement in all major economic sectors of the country.

Communication and a Team Approach for Maintaining Patient, Visitor and Occupational Safety during Administration of Aerosolized Ribavirin

Topic Significance & Study Purpose/Background/Rationale Ribavirin, a broad-spectrum antiviral agent, is used to treat hospitalized patients with severe lower respiratory tract infections due to respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Immunocompromised patients are especially at risk. Aerosolized ribavirin is preferred over oral in order to minimize systemic effects such as hepatotoxicity and nephrotoxicity. However, aerosolized ribavirin presents administration challenges related to its hazardous and teratogenic effects, and its potential for environmental spread. There are many safety considerations for patient's receiving ribavirin, their visitors and the multidisciplinary team of providers caring for them. Even with the use of containment tents and aerosol scavenging devices during administration offering increased protection, a team approach with well-defined roles and clear communication is needed to ensure everyone's safety. Methods, Intervention, & Analysis Communication and coordination among care providers, and with the patient, is critical for safe administration. Providers, and the patient, should understand the indication for ribavirin and how it is administered, and along with their visitors must be aware of safety considerations. Nursing must be clear on interventions before, during and between administrations. Numerous challenges can contribute to poor communication and a reliance on individual action. A lack of clear structure and specific responsibilities in policies and procedures can lead to communication barriers. To overcome these barriers, the nursing clinical practice committee at our facility has created a nursing standard of practice (SOP) outlining the care of the patient receiving aerosolized ribavirin. Roles for nursing, respiratory therapy, and housekeeping are clearly defined and each discipline's role in reducing exposure is discussed. Findings & Interpretation The ribavirin SOP is designed to be used in tandem with our facility's nursing SOP for the safe handling of hazardous drugs. Working together with nursing, our medical leadership simultaneously updated the medical policy for the administration of ribavirin, ensuring hospital-wide consistency. As our discipline prepares for compliance with USP 800 and tighter safety requirements for the handling of hazardous drugs, the need for comprehensive policies and consistent safety standards is increasingly important. Discussion & Implications Aerosolized ribavirin has been in use for 30 years and is still the only FDA approved antiviral for RSV. This hazardous drug with teratogenic effects requires a coordinated effort among health care staff in order to ensure patient, visitor and occupational safety. The best way to accomplish this is through standardized procedures and communication. Sharing our facility's nursing SOP may encourage other facilities to create or revise their own SOP and thereby improve patient, family and occupational safety during the administration of aerosolized ribavirin.

Health Care Expenditure Burden of Cancer Care in the United States.

Using nationwide data, this study estimated and compared annual health care expenditures per person between noncancer and cancer patients, and among patients with the 4 most common cancers. Two-part models were used to estimate mean expenditures for each group by source of payment and by service type. We found that cancer patients had nearly 4 times higher mean expenditures per person ($16 346) than those without cancer ($4484). These differences were larger among individuals aged 18 to 64 years than those ≥65 years. Medicare was the largest source of payment for cancer patients, especially among those ≥65 years. Among the 4 most common cancers, the most costly cancer was lung cancer. Ambulatory care visits accounted for the majority of health care expenditures for those with breast cancer, while for those with other cancers, inpatient services also contributed to a significant portion of expenditures especially among younger patients. This study demonstrates that cancer patients experience a substantially higher health care expenditure burden than noncancer patients, with lung cancer patients having the highest expenditures. Expenditure estimates varied by age group, source of payment, and service type, highlighting the need for comprehensive policies and programs to reduce the costs of cancer care.

Food Insecurity and Mental Health among Females in High-Income Countries.

Food insecurity is a persistent concern in high-income countries, and has been associated with poor mental health, particularly among females. We conducted a scoping review to characterize the state of the evidence on food insecurity and mental health among women in high-income countries. The research databases PubMed, EMBASE, and psycINFO were searched using keywords capturing food insecurity, mental health, and women. Thirty-nine articles (representing 31 unique studies/surveys) were identified. Three-quarters of the articles drew upon data from a version of the United States Department of Agriculture Household Food Security Survey Module. A range of mental health measures were used, most commonly to measure depression and depressive symptoms, but also anxiety and stress. Most research was cross-sectional and showed associations between depression and food insecurity; longitudinal analyses suggested bidirectional relationships (with food insecurity increasing the risk of depressive symptoms or diagnosis, or depression predicting food insecurity). Several articles focused on vulnerable subgroups, such as pregnant women and mothers, women at risk of homelessness, refugees, and those who had been exposed to violence or substance abuse. Overall, this review supports a link between food insecurity and mental health (and other factors, such as housing circumstances and exposure to violence) among women in high-income countries and underscores the need for comprehensive policies and programs that recognize complex links among public health challenges.

English

Among the wide array of macroeconomic problems confronted by Pakistan, foreign debt servicing, has occupied a substantial place. Persistent fiscal deficit since the independence, turned out to be the ground for various governments to rely on the internal or external borrowings. The acquisition of more external debt instead of internal resource mobilization results in higher level of debt stock. Due to soaring level of debt, Pakistan has been allocating a major chunk of resources to debt repayment, which is tarnishing its economic growth. The present study has been conducted to discover the impact of foreign debt servicing on per capita income growth rate of Pakistan for the period 1981 to 2010 by applying relatively new technique, called auto-regressive distributed lag (ARDL) of co-integration. The results confirm that the foreign debt servicing has adversely and significantly affected the per capita income growth rate of Pakistan in both short-run and long-run in the specified period. There is an ardent need for comprehensive policy on part of the government of Pakistan to salvage the economy of such a financial loss. Key words: Per capita income, growth rate, debt, debt servicing, ARDL and co –integration.

Social Stability and Health: Exploring Multidimensional Social Disadvantage

Social stability is an understudied construct in public health that offers a useful framework for understanding social disadvantage across multiple domains. This study investigated prevalence and patterns of cooccurrence among a hypothesized set of social stability characteristics (housing, residential transition, employment, income, incarceration, and partner relationship), evaluated the possibility of underlying subgroups of social stability, and investigated the association between social stability and health outcomes. Data were from comprehensive interviews with primarily African-American low income urban women and their female social network members (n = 635) in Baltimore. Analysis included exploratory statistics, latent class analysis, and latent class regression accounting for clustered data using Stata and Mplus software. Social stability characteristics cooccurred in predictable directions, but with heterogeneity. Respondents had an average of three stability characteristics (S.D.: 1.4). Latent class analysis identified two classes of social stability: low (25%) and high (75%), with the higher class less likely to experience each of the included indicators. In controlled models, higher social stability was significantly correlated with social network characteristics and neighborhood integration. Higher social stability was independently associated with reduced risk of chronic illness (AOR: 0.54, 95% C.I.: 0.31, 0.94), mental illness history (AOR: 0.24, 95% CI: 0.15, 0.39), and current depressive symptoms (AOR: 0.35, 95% C.I.: 0.22, 0.57). The current set of social stability characteristics appears to represent a single construct with identifiable underlying subgroups and associated health disparities. Findings suggest a need for comprehensive policies and programs that address structural determinants of cooccurring social disadvantage and help to mitigate the likely spiral effect of instability experiences.

The impacts of time of day pricing on car user behavior: findings from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey’s initiative

This paper discusses the key findings from a research project that assessed the impacts of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey’s Time of Day Pricing Initiative on the behavior of passenger car users. The survey data, comprised of 505 observations, show that 7.4% of passenger trips changed behavior because of the time of day pricing initiative, and that demand is inelastic to tolls with elasticities in the range of −0.11 to −0.24. Passenger car users who changed behavior responded to time of day pricing by implementing multidimensional strategies (3.23 different behavioral changes per user on average), involving behavioral responses such as changes in facility usage, changes in time of travel, changes in the payment type, and changes in mode/occupancy. The most frequently cited behavioral response was to shift mode, either to transit or carpool, and maintain the original time of travel (done in 2.55% of trips), instead of changing time of travel and maintaining the use of the passenger car (0.69% of trips). This reluctance to change travel schedules is undoubtedly a reflection of the limited time of travel flexibility that, on average, was estimated to be 20.4 and 12.3 min for early and late arrival for work-related trips. This, in turn, suggests the need for comprehensive policies, possibly involving incentives or regulations to foster employers’ participation in staggered/flexible work hour programs. Such approaches, combined with time of day pricing, are likely to be more effective in balancing car traffic during the day. Other behavioral responses of significance were reduce the number of trips made during the weekday peak-hours (1.65%), and switching to EZ-Pass to take advantage of the toll discounts (0.81%).

HIV epidemic in Central India: trends over 18 years (1986–2003)

In this report, we present the occurrence of HIV seropositivity and trends over last 18 years in a heterogenous group of people attending Voluntary Counselling and Testing Centre (VCTC) in Central India. The first Indian HIV positive person was reported in 1992 at the Centre. The occurrence of HIV infection increased from nil in 1986 to 19.9% in 2003. The HIV seropositivity was higher in males (6.9%) than in females (3.3%). Highest prevalence was seen in the age group of 25–29 years in both males and females. Heterosexual route was the commonest route of transmission. Relative decline was observed as regards to the blood borne transmission. No intravenous drug abuser was reported. The study highlights a need for comprehensive policies to control the HIV epidemic in Central India.

Trends in mortality attributable to current alcohol consumption in east and west Germany

There is emerging awareness of alcohol as a cause of the persisting health divide between east and west Germany. This study quantifies the burden of alcohol attributable mortality in the two parts of Germany in the 1990s, taking account of both adverse and beneficial effects of alcohol. We used an epidemiological approach that applies cause-specific alcohol attributable fractions derived from published relative risks and data on the distribution of alcohol consumption in east and west Germany in 1990/1992 and 1998 to mortality data for the two regions in 1992 and 1997, thus producing an estimate of the number of alcohol attributable deaths ‘caused’ or ‘prevented’. Including the cardio-protective effect of alcohol, there were about 1.4% more deaths among men aged 20+ in 1992 in Germany than would have been expected in a non-drinking population, while there were 0.1% fewer deaths among women. By 1997, this had increased to 1.8% excess male deaths and 0.1% excess female deaths. In 1997, alcohol ‘caused’ 9.0% of all deaths in east German men compared with 5.6% in the west (women east: 2.5%; women west: 2.2%). At the same time, alcohol ‘prevented’ 5.2% deaths in east German men compared with 4.3% in the west, while there were 2.9% and 2.0% fewer deaths in women. This resulted in a net excess of deaths due to alcohol, except east German women, where 0.3% deaths were estimated to have been averted by alcohol. Although by 1997 net deaths ‘caused’ by alcohol had increased in the west and declined in the east, the burden of mortality due to alcohol among men remained highest in the east whereas in women the order had reversed. Mortality attributable to alcohol contributes considerably to overall mortality and to the east–west gap in Germany. This study points to the need for comprehensive policies on alcohol in Germany to close the persisting east–west health gap.