Policy Development Research Articles

Models and policies for family development, population control, and family planning: a scoping review

Uncontrolled population growth causes poverty, hunger, disease and death. Ironically, population explosions usually occur in developing countries, while population growth is usually low, zero, or even negative in developed countries. Considering these factors, this research aims to formulate effective family planning and population control methods to improve the quality of family development. In this research we present a scoping review article regarding family development models and policies, population control, and family planning. A comprehensive search was conducted in major databases, including PubMed, EBSCO, ProQuest, and ScienceDirect, via presentation methods using PRISMA-ScR guidelines. As a result, we found 16 articles meeting the eligibility criteria. The findings of this research provide insight to stakeholders and researchers into how family development, population control, and family planning policies can be modeled so that effective results can be achieved.

Antenatal care coverage and early childhood mortality in Zimbabwe: new interpretations from nationally representative household surveys.

Zimbabwe has implemented universal antenatal care (ANC) policies since 1980 that have significantly contributed to improvements in ANC access and early childhood mortality rates. However, Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS), two of Zimbabwe's main sources of health data and evidence, often provide seemingly different estimates of ANC coverage and under-five mortality rates. This creates confusion that can result in disparate policies and practices, with potential negative impacts on mother and child health in Zimbabwe. We conducted a comparability analysis of multiple DHS and MICS datasets to enhance the understanding of point estimates, temporal changes, rural-urban differences and reliability of estimates of ANC coverage and neonatal, infant and under-five mortality rates (NMR, IMR and U5MR, separately) from 2009 to 2019 in Zimbabwe. Our two samples z-tests revealed that both DHS and MICS indicated significant increases in ANC coverage and declines in IMR and U5MR but only from 2009 to 2015. NMR neither increased nor declined from 2009 to 2019. Rural-urban differences were significant for ANC coverage (2009-15 only) but not for NMR, IMR and U5MR. We found that there is a need for more precise DHS and MICS estimates of urban ANC coverage and all estimates of NMR, IMR and U5MR, and that shorter recall periods provide more reliable estimates of ANC coverage in Zimbabwe. Our findings represent new interpretations and clearer insights into progress and gaps around ANC coverage and under-five mortality rates that can inform the development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policy and practice responses and further research in Zimbabwe.

Trends and patterns in green finance research: A bibliometric study

The growing concern about the environment and the demand for the financing of green and sustainable projects have gained the interest of scholars, with hundreds of publications finding space in academic literature. We document a comprehensive outline of the intellectual landscape of green finance research using the Scopus database. We find China as the leading contributor to green finance research and science and environment journals in publishing green finance articles. We identify green financing, environmental protection, environmental regulation, development of green financing policy, green finance instruments, carbon credit, carbon pricing, and carbon emissions as emerging areas that need more attention. Our study is helpful for scholars, policymakers, and funding agencies to prioritize their research for achieving the status of a green economy.

The legal policy in fostering the use of alternative dispute resolution procedures

The complications of social relations contribute to the growth of the number of disputes that result from conflict situations. In these conditions, the role of the state’s legal policy, aimed at stimulating the participants of social relations to choose economical, efficient, and prompt methods of conflict resolution, is significantly increasing. Improving the quality of dispute resolution directly correlates with a drop in the number of cases pending before a judge. This is achievable only through the development of the mechanisms of pre-trial dispute resolution and conciliation procedures. This paper aims to study legal issues and perspectives on the development of alternative dispute resolution based on the analysis of the legal policy of the Russian Federation. To achieve the mentioned goal, comparative legal analysis, a systemic approach, and formal-juridical methods were used to show the current developments of the legal policy of the Russian Federation in the sphere of stimulating and incentivizing alternative dispute resolution. Authors concluded that, unlike the domestic legal order, in foreign states, there is not only a formed normative basis for the procedures of alternative dispute resolution but also political acts of stimulating tone, designed to actively involved in these procedures more and more participants of social relations in a state of conflict. It has been established that the legal policy on introducing alternative dispute resolution procedures in foreign legal orders is characterized by a shifted emphasis on family law.

Ambulance service recognition of health inequalities and activities for reduction: An evidence and gap map of the published literature

Background: Emergency medical services (EMS) are often patients’ first point of contact for urgent and emergency care needs. Patients are triaged over the phone and may receive an ambulance response, with potential conveyance to the hospital. A recent scoping review suggested disparities in EMS patient care in the United States. However, it is unknown how health inequalities impact EMS care in other developed countries and how inequalities are being addressed.Objectives: This rapid evidence map of published literature aims to map known health inequalities in EMS patients and describe interventions reducing health inequalities in EMS patient care.Methods: The search strategy consisted of EMS synonyms and health inequality synonyms. The MEDLINE/PubMed database was searched from 1 January 2010 to 26 July 2022. Studies were included if they described empirical research exploring health inequalities within ambulance service patient care. Studies were mapped on to the EMS care interventions framework and Core20PLUS5 framework. Studies evaluating interventions were synthesised using the United Kingdom Allied Health Professions Public Health Strategic Framework.Results: The search strategy yielded 771 articles, excluding duplicates, with two more studies added from hand searches. One hundred studies met the inclusion criteria after full-text review. Inequalities in EMS patient care were predominantly situated in assessment, treatment and conveyance, although triage and response performance were also represented. Studies mostly explored EMS health inequalities within ethnic minority populations, populations with protected characteristics and the core issue of social deprivation. Studies evaluating interventions reducing health inequalities (n = 5) were from outside the United Kingdom and focused on older patients, ethnic minorities and those with limited English proficiency. Interventions included community paramedics, awareness campaigns, dedicated language lines and changes to EMS protocols.Conclusions: Further UK-based research exploring health inequalities of EMS patients would support ambulance service policy and intervention development to reduce health inequality in urgent and emergency care delivery.

Ensuring Patient Safety in Pediatric Dental Care

This review aims to examine safety concerns in pediatric dental care and underscore the need for comprehensive patient safety initiatives within the Korean Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. Drawing insights from the prevailing patient safety policies of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, case reports, and systematic reviews, this review elucidates issues such as dental fires during sedation, ocular complications from local anesthesia, and surgical emphysema. This review highlights the significance of safety toolkits encompassing infection control, medical error reduction, dental unit waterline infection, and nitrous oxide safety in pediatric dental settings, underscoring the need to foster a safety culture. Furthermore, this study explores the curriculum for pediatric dentistry residency programs, emphasizing concepts such as high-reliability organizations and mortality and morbidity conferences. The study suggests the need for initiatives to enhance patient safety, including establishing safety committees, expanding reporting systems, policy development, and supporting research related to patient safety. In conclusion, this study underlines key messages, emphasizing the utmost priority of patient safety, acknowledging the inevitability of human error, promoting effective communication, and cultivating a patient safety culture. These principles are vital for advancing patient safety in pediatric dental care and improving outcomes among pediatric patients.

Initial Development and Validation of a Questionnaire for Students’ Artificial Intelligence Knowledge in Education

This research investigates students' knowledge in the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in education through the administration of a formulated questionnaire. Drawing upon insights from thematic analysis of qualitative responses and computation of Cronbach's alpha coefficients, the study aims to produce a tool to assess tertiary level students' understanding regarding AI integration in academic settings. Results reveal varying degrees of awareness, knowledge, and confidence among students, highlighting thematic areas such as perceived benefits, ethical considerations, and disciplinary perspectives. While the questionnaire demonstrates validity, reliability, and scalability as a measurement tool, limitations including response bias and generalizability are acknowledged. Implications for educational practice and research are discussed, emphasizing the utility of the questionnaire in informing curriculum development, professional development initiatives, policy decisions, and future research directions. Overall, this research provides valuable insights into students' perspectives on AI in education, offering a foundation for enhancing AI literacy, fostering ethical awareness, and shaping the future of AI integration in educational settings.

Toward Environmentally sustainable surgery: Waste recycling in general surgery operating room. Preliminary cognitive audit.

It is common practice to classify waste from the operating theater as "clinical". The development of sustainable policies could have a significant impact. In the first phase, our study aims to measure general surgery waste and to assess the potential financial and carbon savings of appropriate recycling. Based on this information, we will plan for a second phase in which educational interventions will be put in place to promote waste segregation in surgical environments. We conducted a preliminary cognitive audit of the most common general surgery procedures to examine the types and quantity of waste produced. We calculated the economic and environmental impacts of disposing of waste treated as clinical or general, and we measured how much of it could actually be recycled. Then, we attempted a projection of the savings we could expect if recycling policies were implemented. We found that more than 30% of total waste was actually recyclable. Considering a projection based on annual procedures performed in our hospital, we estimated that for each kind of surgical procedure, we could expect a reduction of the carbon footprint by approximately 6%, and an average 3% reduction in costs every year, only by improving waste segregation in the general surgery operating rooms. There could be a great potential for reducing environmental and economic footprint of the operating rooms by promoting waste recycling protocols. Surgeons are in a unique position to implement for these protocols. Interventions should be codesigned with theater staff to create a "green culture".

Assessing the Feasibility of Climate Policies of Japan, Latvia and Lithuania to Reach the Targets of the Paris Agreement

The study compares the most recent developments in energy policies of Japan, Lithuania and Latvia as a way to mitigate climate change. Latvia, Lithuania and Japan have all pledged to reach net zero by 2050 but face significant challenges, namely the dependence on energy imports in the form of fossil fuels, as they keep dominating the final energy supply. All three countries have a goal to sharply reduce this dependence, with Lithuania and Latvia even striving to become net energy exporters by focusing almost entirely on renewable energy. Japan, on the other hand, also aim to boost a renewable energy share, yet focuses more on the diversification of imported energy sources. The study attempts to discuss the differing approaches in climate change mitigation in Japan as compared to Latvia and Lithuania. The ambition of each country is estimated by Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs), the roadmap to reduce the emissions in different sectors as enshrined in the climate strategy of each country, and the penetration of the renewable energy sector, estimating the scope of the ambition and implementation gaps compared to the goals set by the Paris Agreement. The study also estimates the impact of external impacts, namely the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine in shaping climate change policies. Therefore, this study offers a comprehensive outlook on what needs to be achieved so that all three countries could be role models to follow in the climate policy. All three countries could collaborate on solar power, off-shore wind power, and hydrogen technologies. There have already been joint projects between Japan and the EU on advanced biofuels and the new generation of concentrator photovoltaics. However, there are significant differences regarding the role of ammonia and hydrogen production in the Climate change policy strategies of the three countries. Some contributing sectors are left behind and the current climate change strategies, even if properly implemented, may not be 2°C-compatible, let alone 1.5°C-compatible. The policies look even direr for a fair share target, and the implementation gap generally remains wide for the 2024-2030 period.

More is not always better: Profiles of perceived frequency of parental involvement among Chinese students and associations with resilience and academic achievement

This study adopted a person-centered approach to explore heterogeneous patterns of home-based parental involvement frequency among elementary, middle, and high school students, and examined how such patterns were associated with resilience and academic achievement. The sample comprised 105,641 Chinese students, with analyses conducted using latent profile analyses (LPAs) and multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA). The results revealed consistent profile emergence across all cohorts- four profiles distinctly described the students' perceived patterns of parental involvement. These encompassed three universally identified profiles: “low involvement in life and study,” “moderate involvement in life and study,” and “high involvement in life but low in study.” For the 8th and 11th graders, the fourth profile was denoted as “high involvement in life and study,” while for 4th graders, it was termed “moderate involvement in life but moderately low in study.” MANCOVA results revealed statistically significant differences in students' resilience and academic achievement across profiles after controlling students' gender and family socioeconomic status (SES). The findings of this research highlight that parents' more frequent involvement in students' everyday lives, coupled with less frequent involvement in their study matters, may effectively foster academic success and enhance the development of resilient traits. Educational relevance statementThis study sheds light on the impact of diverse frequency of parental involvement profiles on the academic achievement and resilience of Chinese students across different grade levels. The findings highlight students who perceive their parents as a ‘high involvement in life but low in study’ are associated with greater academic achievement and resilience. These insights emphasized the need for teachers, parents, and policymakers to consider the nature, frequency, and domains of parental involvement, offering significant implications for teaching strategies, parenting practices, and educational policy development, particularly in the Chinese context.

Health optimization of older people in prison.

This article examines the leadership challenges of prison healthcare, specifically focusing on the ageing inmate population. It highlights the distinct health burdens faced by this demographic, including higher disease prevalence and an accelerated ageing process. The concept of prison activities of daily living is central to addressing these challenges, emphasizing the need to tailor health assessments and care plans to the unique prisoner-environment interactions. This article advocates for inclusive person-centred care. It suggests that involving older prisoners in their care planning, aligned with the "ageing in the right place" principle, can significantly improve their quality of life. Additionally, it explores strategies to combat social isolation and loneliness among older prisoners, such as intergenerational activities and prison-community partnerships. Health leaders can echo these findings in policy development and incorporate collaborative, inclusive, diverse, and intergenerational models that address the complex health needs of older prisoners.

Indigenous, ethnic, and racial diversity and climate justice: New Zealand's climate adaptation policies and policy approaches

Abstract This research paper interrogates the extent to which indigenous, ethnic, and racial diversity is substantively integrated into climate justice discussions with a focus on New Zealand’s climate change adaptation policies. A qualitative research design is used, employing a documentary analysis and summative content analysis to scrutinise New Zealand climate change adaptation policies and their responsiveness to indigenous, ethnic and racial diversity within the ambit of climate justice. This study aims to measure the extent to which these policies promote inclusive and equitable climate adaptation outcomes. This study makes a significant contribution to the nuanced understanding of climate justice research, particularly regarding indigenous and ethnic minority communities. The study is expected to contribute to the existing knowledge base and inform the formulation of inclusive policies that integrate the diverse perspectives of these communities into climate adaptation and policy-making processes. The research findings highlight existing gaps and emphasise the importance of incorporating indigenous, ethnic, and racial diversity into policy development and implementation. The aim is to shape climate adaptation strategies that are representative of aware of insights from various communities in contemporary cities.

The Social Determinants of Health Industry: Two Years On.

Social determinants of health (SDOH) have been insufficiently addressed by payers and providers despite increased prioritization at the national level. This led to the development of a separate, for-profit "SDOH industry" found to have a valuation of $18.5 billion (all dollar amounts in U.S. dollars) with $2.4 billion in funding as of July 2021. The purpose of this article is to determine the growth of the industry from 2021 to 2023 and provide a multifaceted explanation for this development. The authors conducted an analysis of 57 SDOH industry companies using a third-party market research platform. Over the previous two-year period, 10 out of 57 (18%) companies were acquired, and the industry gained an additional $1.1 billion (46% increase) in funding and $13.7 billion (74% increase) in valuation. The authors propose four contributing factors to explain the nature of this industry's evolution. They include developments in national health care policy favoring SDOH, standardization of SDOH information as actionable claims data, multi-source investment in SDOH, and improved methods of industry intervention measurement. These trends appear likely to continue, requiring additional scrutiny by all relevant stakeholders to ensure maximum improvement of rampant SDOH disparities that impact millions of individuals daily.

CEO power and corporate tax avoidance in emerging economies: does ownership structure matter?

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to study how CEO power impact corporate tax avoidance. In particular, this paper aims to empirically examine the moderating impact of institutional ownership on the relationship between CEO power and corporate tax avoidance.Design/methodology/approachThe multivariate regression model is used for hypothesis testing using a sample of 308 firm-year observations of Tunisian listed companies during the 2013-2019 period.FindingsThe results show that CEO power is negatively associated with corporate tax avoidance and that institutional ownership significantly accentuates the CEO power’s effect on corporate tax avoidance. This implies that CEOs, when monitored by institutional investors, behave less opportunistically resulting in less tax avoidance.Practical implicationsOur findings have significant implications for managers, legislators, tax authorities and shareholders. They showed that CEO duality, tenure and ownership can mitigate the corporate tax avoidance in Tunisian companies. These findings can, hence, guide the development of future regulations and policies. Moreover, our results provide evidence that owning of shares by institutional investors is beneficial for reducing corporate tax avoidance. Thus, policymakers and regulatory bodies should consider adding regulations to the structure of corporate ownership to promote institutional ownership and consequently control corporate tax avoidance in Tunisian companies.Originality/valueThis study differs from prior studies in several ways. First, it addressed the emerging market, namely the Tunisian one. Knowing the notable differences in institutional setting and corporate governance structure between developed and emerging markets, this study will shed additional light in this area. Second, it proposes the establishment of a moderated relationship between CEO power and corporate tax avoidance around institutional ownership. Unlike prior studies that only examined the simple relationship between CEO power and corporate tax avoidance, this study went further to investigate how institutional ownership potentially moderates this relationship.

Changing the Trade and Development Consensus: Evidence Building from Little, Bhagwati, Krueger, and Balassa in the 1960s

Abstract Economists became skeptical about the benefits of free trade for developing countries during the Great Depression, but in the 1960s some had come to recognize the problems with import substitution policies and the benefits of encouraging exports. This article examines how four economists who led this transition—Ian Little, Jagdish Bhagwati, Anne Krueger, and Bela Balassa—came to their views and helped build a new professional consensus on trade policy and economic development. In each case, practical experience, and empirical observation, particularly from India, helped shape their opinions, persuading two of the four to revise their previous beliefs.

Implementing Canada’s first national virtual phone based overdose prevention service: lessons learned from creating the National Overdose Response Service (NORS)

The opioid epidemic remains one of the largest public health crises in North America to date. While there have been many diverse strategies developed to reduce the harms associated with substance use, these are primarily concentrated within a few large urban centers. As a result, there have been increased calls for equitable access to harm reduction services for those who cannot or choose not to access in-person harm reduction services. In December 2020, Canada’s National Overdose Response Service (NORS) a telephone based overdose response hotline and virtual supervised consumption service, was established in collaboration with various agencies and people with lived and living experience of substance use (PWLLE) across Canada to expand access to harm reduction services using novel Opioid Response Technology. In this manuscript we explore the lessons learned from the establishment and continued operation of the service exploring topics related to the initial establishment of the service, securing a phone line, routing technology, EMS dispatch solutions, peer and volunteer recruitment, legal and ethical support, policy and procedure development, securing funding, and marketing. Furthermore, we detail how this service has grown and changed in response to the various needs of service users.

Reasonable adjustment for inclusive development: a cautionary case study of Australian VET teachers’ experience

PurposeVocational education and training (VET) in Australia has for some time been driven by an agenda of “reasonable adjustment”, in which practices are modified to ensure equitable access and participation by disadvantaged students. However, the growing marketization of VET has instead encouraged the use of more flexible approaches to attract and retain students from diverse backgrounds. They have thus paralleled and confounded reasonable adjustment practices for inclusive development. This study sought to identify the moral dilemmas experienced by VET teachers arising from implementing reasonable adjustment practices.Design/methodology/approachThis phenomenological research project used in-depth conversational interviews with 19 experienced VET teachers from a diversity of teaching fields to identify moral dilemmas experienced as arising from changes in their workplace contexts.FindingsOne of the identified dilemmas was responding flexibly to heightened student diversity, to which study participants largely responded by prioritising the economic imperative over social inclusion. Well-intended actions thus led to unintentionally damaging outcomes, raising important ethical questions about the relative value of economic and social development outcomes and the role of reasonable adjustment in their attainment. The study also highlights the lack of appropriate VET teacher training in managing ethical conflicts to minimise risks to themselves and their employing organizations.Originality/valueAs a case study of inclusive development policies in practice, this research may be seen as a cautionary tale for inclusive development policies in other countries with similarly strong VET economic and socially inclusive development policies for sustainability. The paper thus opens a dialogue for critical reflection on the current problems in a reasonable development approach in the field of comparative and international education. Those two parallel agendas have presented VET teachers and trainers with ethically challenging situations in which the economic and social development imperatives are experienced as being conflict with each other.

Cultivating Resilience: Multiple Case Study of School Heads’ Leadership in Integrated Senior High Schools

School leaders must be resilient in order to navigate the always shifting challenges in the field of education. This study employed a qualitative multiple case study, having three (3) distinct cases aimed to explore the perspectives of the school heads on resilient leadership in integrated senior high schools of Division of Davao de Oro. There were three (3) participants and six (6) informants underwent in-depth interviews. Participants were chosen through a purposive sampling technique. Each data was analyzed through thematic analysis and cross-case analysis. Case 1’s unique characteristics were resource management and optimization, hierarchical communication and strategic delegation, and crisis management and contingency planning. Participant experiences were complex stakeholder management, innovative problem-solving, and resilience amidst bureaucratic challenges. In times of challenges, the coping mechanism was structured decision-making processes delegation and team empowerment professional support networks. The policy recommendations were promotion of interpersonal communication skills, development of community engagement strategies, and investment in staff well-being programs. Further, Case 3’s unique characteristics were the following: strategic financial management and sustainability, stakeholder engagement and partnerships, brand differentiation and market positioning. The experiences were cultivating philanthropic relationships, navigating parental expectations, and ensuring financial sustainability. The coping mechanisms were strategic partnerships and fundraising initiatives, ethical leadership and values integration, and self-care and well-being practices while the policy recommendations were introduction of ethics and values integration policies, creation of leadership succession plans, and investment in infrastructure and technology. Moreover, cross-case analysis shows each case about distinct characteristics and commonalities such as strategic vision and planning, effective communication and collaboration, and resource management and optimization. Each case has distinct experiences, the common themes were resourcefulness and creativity, and community engagement and collaboration. Their coping mechanisms were effective leadership practices and ethical leadership and well-being. Their policy recommendations were leadership development policies and data-informed policies. This suggests that resilient leadership was crucial for school heads in managing and leading integrated senior high schools, despite the challenges and circumstances they faced in their workplace. Both teachers and learners benefit from the leadership styles promoted by the school heads.

Blackmailing and Identity Profiling? The Behaviour of Populist Radical Right Governments in EU Development Policy

EU development policy has in recent years become more contested and politicised. One key factor driving this trend is the increasing influence of populist radical right parties (PRRPs). Previous studies have focused on PRRPs as opposition parties. This contribution breaks new ground by exploring the behaviour of PRRP-led governments in EU development policy. More specifically, the article analyses how and to what extent this behaviour is characterised by “unpolitics,” an approach to undermining EU policymaking. We define “cross-policy blackmailing” and “identity profiling” as two potential strategies of unpolitics in EU development policy and probe these in two case studies. The first case concerns the New European Consensus on Development and the second is the EU’s positioning in the negotiations and signing of the Samoa Agreement. In the first case, we find that PRRP-led governments fundamentally rejected the decision-making rules as well as the norms on migration, gender, and sexual and reproductive health rights, using a strategy of identity profiling. In the second case, PRRP-led governments significantly stalled the conclusion of the agreement by combining cross-policy blackmailing and identity profiling. Based on this analysis, we generalise on the scope conditions of unpolitics in EU development policy.

Research on Talent Policy and Optimization Path of Wuhan City based on SWOT Analysis

This study adopts SWOT analysis to analyze Wuhan's talent policy in depth, aiming to explore its advantages, disadvantages, opportunities and challenges. The study finds that Wuhan has significant geographical location and resource advantages in terms of talent policy, as well as outstanding performance in policy innovation and talent cultivation. However, there are also problems such as talent drain and insufficient policy implementation. In the face of fierce competition for talents at home and abroad, Wuhan should seize the opportunity to strengthen policy promotion and implementation, optimize the talent service system, and enhance the attractiveness of talents. This study proposes targeted optimization paths, including improving the talent policy system, strengthening the construction of talent teams, and improving the quality of talent services, with a view to promoting the sustainable development and optimization of Wuhan's talent policy.