Policy Priorities Research Articles

The anti-politics of food in South Africa: Transformation, accountability and the nutrition policy subsystem.

To examine power and governance arrangements in food and nutrition policy formulation and agenda-setting in South Africa. Analysis of the policy implementation environment and in-depth interviews were conducted focussing on: existing policy content and priorities across food system sectors; institutional structures for cross-sectoral and external stakeholder engagement; exercise of power in relation to food system policies; and opportunities to strengthen action on nutrition. South Africa. Interviews were conducted with 48 key stakeholders involved in the food and nutrition policy sphere: government sectors relevant to food systems (n=21), the private sector (n=4), academia (n=10), NGOs (n=11) and farmers (n=2). This study found that there are power dynamics involved in shaping the planning agenda that is inadvertently generating a food system that undermines the right to food. The concept of nutrition governance remains poorly defined and applied in different ways and usually based on a relatively narrow interpretation - therefore limiting policy coherence and coordination. South Africa has strong legal institutions and practices, and social policies that support public provisioning of food, but a non-interventionist approach to the food system. The right to food and nutrition, as outlined in the South African Constitution, has not yet been effectively utilized to establish a robust normative and legal basis for tackling the dual challenges of food insecurity and malnutrition. Currently, the governance of the food system is grappling with substantial obstacles, balancing the influence of powerful stakeholders who uphold the status quo against its responsibilities for food justice.

The Influence of Design Parameters on the Operational Energy Carbon Emissions of a Commercial Building in Pakistan

ABSTRACTBuildings are responsible for 37% of CO2 emissions and 36% of energy use worldwide, making them significant contributors to both energy use and carbon emissions, due to which building energy efficiency is currently a top priority for regional, national, and global energy policy. This study evaluates building design features, such as window wall ratio (WWR), orientation, and shading coefficient (SC) for its single‐, low‐E double‐, and low‐E triple‐glazed windows. The building analyzed in this study is a hypothetical commercial building located in Lahore, Pakistan (ASHRAE zone 1B). The results show that compared to unglazed windows with a SC of 0.2 and 0.3, peak cooling total load (PCTL) and CO2 emissions are reduced by 17.84% and 17%, respectively, for single‐glazed windows. Similarly, low‐E double‐glazed windows reduce 21.3% and 20.9% in PCTL and CO2 emissions, while low‐E triple‐glazed windows result in reductions of 21.8% and 21.1%, respectively. Reducing the WWR from 15.14% to 4.94% results in a 5.35% reduction in PCTL and CO2 emissions. Moreover, Using the optimized orientation of the building (180° clockwise from north) further decreases PCTL and CO2 emissions by 8.63%. This analysis concludes that significant energy and environmental gains can be achieved by higher‐quality windows, utilizing optimized orientation, and reducing the WWR. In addition to ensuring long‐term cost savings, this strategic approach promotes a more sustainable and environmentally friendly future for future generations.

A Standardized Measurement and Valuation Scale of Genomic Utility for Policy Decisions: The GUV Scale.

The multifaceted ways in which genomics can be valuable to clinicians, patients, families, and society are important for informing prioritization decisions by policy makers. This study aims to develop a standardized, cumulative, and preference-weighted genomic utility valuation (GUV) on a scale of 0% to 100%. A multicriteria decision analysis was conducted with experts involved in policy, clinical, research, and consumer advocacy leadership in Australia for the valuation of policy priority indicators of genomic utility. The use of the GUV scale to support policy decisions is illustrated through a stylized example, and benchmark scoring thresholds of genomic utility were identified by mapping evidence from real-world health technology assessments leading to the public reimbursement of genomic testing in Australia onto the GUV scale. In total, 33 (73%) invited experts participated in the study. Clinical utility had the highest priority, followed by societal, diagnostic, economic, and family utilities. Improving health outcomes had the highest preference value (29.5%), followed by improving equity (22.6%), Having high diagnostic yield (22.2%), improving symptom management (15.5%), being cost saving (14.3%), having average diagnostic yield (13.1%), enabling access to clinical trials (12.3%), and enabling reproductive family planning (11.5%). Genomic testing scores from real-world health technology assessments ranged from 46% for syndromic and nonsyndromic intellectual disability to about 60% for mitochondrial conditions and genetic kidney diseases. Comparisons of genomic utility across different clinical contexts may seem difficult because of the multiple criteria required to be weighted to support policy decisions. This comparison is now facilitated in a standardized manner with the GUV scale.

The Pronounced Loneliness Pandemic: A Systematic Review and Thematic Synthesis of Qualitative Studies

Human beings are not meant to be lonely, but being lonely is human. From a prevalence estimated to be 11% to 17% in the 1970s, loneliness has increased to over 40% in middle-aged and older adults. There is consensus in the existing body of literature on risk factors for loneliness, which shows that demographics, socioeconomic status, mental health, disabilities, societal participation, and social contact are all correlates of loneliness. Since its designation as a pandemic in the 1990s, loneliness has been characterized in many ways: it has been referred to as 'the leprosy' of the 21st century; called a silent pandemic and a public health concern; and as a behavioral epidemic in the year 2020. Loneliness has been framed as the 'antithesis of happiness', increasingly regarded as a key global public health challenge; as well as being officially recognized by the World Health Organization as a priority policy matter, in particular, for older persons. Whereas most instances of loneliness are transient and may be dealt with through individual commitment and effort, persisting loneliness may require treatment from specialists. A comprehensive review of the literature on the effects of loneliness during pandemics was conducted through an extensive search using a variety of search engines. This used a combination of keywords and Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) terminology to capture the relevant literature. In a time of great social upheaval and unexpected pandemics, it becomes all the more important to understand how chronic loneliness shapes our physical and emotional health behaviors.

Reforming Doctoral Education in Uzbekistan: Models, Rules and Norms of Behaviour

Abstract Doctoral education (DE) plays a crucial role in nurturing the next generation of scholars and thought leaders and serves as a means for frontier knowledge creation and innovation within the economy. The centrality of DE to knowledge creation and skilled workforce development makes it a policy priority for governments worldwide. While emerging economies like Uzbekistan seek to replicate aspects of successful DE models from developed countries, their policy borrowing approach often overlooks important national conditions. Instead of improving DE outcomes, the recent DE reforms in Uzbekistan resulted in the proliferation of unfair practices. This study examines these reforms using relevant national regulatory documents, secondary data, and primary data collected through semi-structured interviews. Drawing on institutional economics as our theoretical framework, we explore how incentive mechanisms, rules, norms of behaviour, and capacity constraints interact, explaining the persistent mismatch between policy goals and policy outcomes. We argue that effective DE reforms require not only well-defined rules but also credible enforcement mechanisms and supportive norms of behaviour. We highlight the need for reforms to address incentive structures, building trust in institutions, and overcoming path dependence challenges to sustainably improve DE outcomes.

Mental health of volunteers: origin of psychosomatic disorders in PTSD conditions

Background. Numerous studies in various scientific areas deal with to the problem of mental health of Ukrainians: the theory and practice of psychological and pedagogical research, psychophysiological concepts and theories, a systematic approach in psychology, the psychophysiological aspect of the emotional background, as well as psychosomatic features of optimal personality functioning. Preservation of mental health has become a priority of the state policy of Ukraine to support the country’s stability and fighting capacity. The study of the impact of psychoemotional factors on the functional state of the body for the restoration and optimization of life support among volunteers who provide free psychological assistance and support the mental health of the population is relevant. The research was aimed at studying the origin of psychosomatic disorders in volunteers with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), as well as determining the impact of these disorders on their mental health and psychosocial status. Materials and methods. The following psychodiagnostic tools were used: emotional burnout diagnosis method according to V. Boyko, NEWS questionnaire, PCL-5 questionnaire and post-traumatic growth questionnaire. According to the results of the study, it was found that emotional burnout in volunteers manifests itself in three phases: tension, resistance, and exhaustion according to indicators of a high level of stress and severe depression in respondents with signs of PTSD (23.9 %). Results. Mental disorders such as asthenic, anxiety-phobic, hysteroform and depressive syndromes are observed in all groups. Conclusions. The psychosomatic mechanism of the relationship between mental activity and behavior in PTSD includes the influence of a traumatic psycho-emotional factor that causes a constant feeling of danger, panic attacks or fear of repeating the situation, a feeling of hopelessness, low mood, apathy, loss of interest in usual activities, aggression, irritability, frequent conflicts and anger outbursts, feelings of detachment, social isolation, relationship problems and guilt for experiencing PTSD symptoms.

A Community-Led Approach to Understanding How Service Providers Can Support ‘Ageing well’ for Older Aboriginal People in Australia

ABSTRACT Supporting older people to age well is a global policy priority, however the development and implementation of strategies to support ageing well for older Aboriginal people must be determined by the communities affected. This is necessary in colonial contexts, where socio-political structures impinge on Aboriginal rights and mainstream policy and practice creates and maintains health and social inequities. This article reports on research conducted in partnership with the Dharriwaa Elders Group, an Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation. The research focus was how service provision can support Aboriginal people to age well in a remote community in New South Wales, Australia. Interviews were conducted with 11 staff members from health, aged care, and Aboriginal Community Controlled services. The analysis produced four themes: Ageing well is collective and a shared responsibility; Racism and discrimination are pervasive in mainstream services; Intersectional barriers and enablers to ageing in place; Trust and cultural safety are integral to service accessibility. Our discussion explores the cultural and socio-political context of these findings and highlights implications for policy and practice.

News Media Effects on Policy Priorities: A Second-Level Agenda-Setting Analysis of Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) Projects in Myanmar

This study investigates the impact of the media’s secondary agenda-setting on public perception and policy priorities regarding the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) projects in Myanmar from to 2011–2024. Three hypotheses (Hs) were examined: H1 posits that media coverage aligns with public and policy perspectives; H2 proposes that media emphasis on specific attributes influences their prominence in public opinion and policymaking; and H3 suggests that public opinion mediates the relationship between media coverage and policy priorities, indicating an indirect media influence on policymaking. This study employed a cross-sectional research design, utilizing both quantitative content analysis and survey methodologies. The content comprises the analysis of two news outlets’ coverage (n = 144), surveys with 385 respondents (n = 385), and in-depth interviews with 30 participants (n = 30), and the findings revealed a significant positive correlation between media coverage and public opinion and policy priorities (r = 0.86, r = 0.81, respectively). SEM path analysis reveals that the media agenda indirectly shapes the policy agenda through the public agenda, with an indirect effect path coefficient of 0.718, highlighting the media’s role in policymaking processes. This is evidenced by a significant correlation between media coverage and public opinion (p < 0.05), and a strong direct association between public opinion and policy priorities (p < 0.05). This study extends the agenda-setting theory by empirically demonstrating the media’s indirect effect on policy formation in global infrastructure projects within a developing Southeast Asian country. Future studies should examine the evolution of media patterns across different administrations, including the current one. The results also suggest examining the broader media portrayal of governance issues and conducting extensive research on the media’s impact on public opinion.

Building a Broad Partnership: The Evolution of Armenia–UAE Relations

This article aims to examine the relations between the Republic of Armenia and the United Arab Emirates. Using statistical data, official statements, archival materials, and other relevant sources, it discusses the motives of the Republic of Armenia and the United Arab Emirates for developing bilateral relations, analyzes factors impacting those relations, and evaluates the dynamics of their relationships. It employs a multifactor analytical framework that delves into the nuances of bilateral relations and discusses bilateral cooperation in four areas—political ties, economic cooperation, security and defense, and domestic factors and perceptions. They are analyzed in the context of both states’ international environment and foreign policy priorities. The study finds that the two states have consistently grown and broadened their relations, particularly in economic cooperation. On the other hand, this partnership lacks depth and strategic engagement.

Analysis of Wood Density to Compare the Amount of Accumulated Carbon Dioxide in the Stems of Selected Non-Native Tree Species in Poland

One of the priorities in European policy is the greater use of wood. In this context, it is important to know the total amount of CO2 absorbed by the tree and accumulated in the wood. In the timber industry, butt logs are mainly processed. The aim of this study is to analyze diameter at breast height (DBH), wood density (WD), and the amount of CO2 in grand fir (GF), Douglas fir (DF), northern red oak (NRO), and black locust (BL) wood. The DBH and bark thickness were measured, and cores were taken to study WD and calculate the amount of CO2. Analyses were conducted in three age classes of trees. It was found that in the youngest age class, DF had a significantly larger DBH compared to NRO and BL, and GF had a significantly larger DBH compared to NRO. The wood density of coniferous species was significantly lower compared to broadleaved species. DF absorbed the most CO2. In Class III, DF had significantly larger DBH and significantly lower wood density compared to NRO and BL. DF absorbed significantly more CO2 compared to NRO. In Classes IV and V, DF had larger DBH compared to NRO and lower wood density. The amount of CO2 absorbed by both species was similar. Taking into account the amount of absorbed CO2, the durability of the wood, and aspects related to sustainable forest management of the four studied non-native tree species, Douglas fir seems to be the best choice for cultivation in Polish forests.

Gender Equity in Municipalities: Understanding Local Policy Priorities

The purpose of this research is to examine policy priorities of municipal legislation designed to promote gender equity. We ask the following research question: How does municipal policy address gender equity? To answer this question, we identify New York City legislation that targets gender equity passed under the DeBlasio administration (2014–2022). Using Atlas.TI, legislation is organized around The New York City Commission on Gender Equity’s goals to identify policy priorities. Our findings indicate that despite progressive policy efforts, policy priorities remain focused on gender stereotypes and long-standing issues, particularly sexual harassment and violence.

Investigating the conditions in which women GPs thrive: a realist review protocol.

Women now make up approximately half of the GP workforce. However, many are leaving the profession. This could be because they experience higher rates of burnout, stress and anxiety, suicide, and lower rates of career progression. They also take on a greater load of emotional labour. Retaining this staff group is one of five priorities for future policy and research. This research aims to synthesise the available evidence on how general practice workplaces can best support women GPs to thrive at work. We propose to undertake a realist review, which seeks to understand why an approach may work in specific contexts. This involves building an understanding of how contextual factors affect the activation of mechanisms (ie, changes in participant reasoning or behaviours) to produce their outcomes. We will locate available evidence on the topic, and, using a realist logic of analysis develop an understanding as to how, why, for whom and in what contexts women GPs thrive at work. Evidence will include: academic literature, policy documents, media items and guidelines. Findings will be co-disseminated with PPI and stakeholder members to all key groups including policymakers, employers, the public, and academic audiences by a wide variety of means. This review is intended to improve understanding of how working environments affect women GPs. It is anticipated that findings will support the implementation of strategies to better support this group to thrive at work.

Digital Nomadism and the Emergence of Digital Nomad Visas: What Policy Objectives Do States Aim to Achieve?

Digital nomads who travel internationally while working remotely with digital technologies constitute a small but increasing migrant population that has attracted significant research attention lately. Since 2020, there is also a corresponding rise of “digital nomad” visas adopted by several countries around the world to cater for this type of global mobility and even to attract digital nomads. This paper reviews the resurgence of digital nomadism and a concomitant emergence of digital nomad visas to analyze how and why they emerged. The findings allow for categorizations of such policies in terms of their heterogeneity of designs, objectives, and implications. Our findings reveal that the states offering digital nomad visas have designed their visas either through creating a brand new or an adaptive policy approach — the choice of the policy design approach explains the states’ policy priorities. Our analysis shows that digital nomad visas are motivated by three broader socioeconomic interests of the visa issuing countries which include the promotion of tourism, attraction of foreign investments and entrepreneurship, and talent acquisition through a migration policy model. Furthermore, the digital nomad visas invoke the notion of “hypermobility” and permeability of state borders in light of widespread adoptions of digital technologies in work and employment; however, there are paradoxes and contradictions embedded within these policies which manifest through restrictive and exclusionary criteria based on wealth, skills, and nationality. The paper concludes with some critical observations on the novelty of digital nomad visas as a novel migration regime.

Decoding Global AI Governance: A Computational Linguistic Analysis of National Regulations

Artificial Intelligence (AI) regulations addressing rights, usage limits, bias, and accountability mechanisms have been adopted by governments worldwide. My research examines global AI governance through a comparative analysis of regulatory documents from over 60 countries. Using mixed methods, including advanced computational linguistics techniques to support qualitative analysis, this work evaluate changes in AI regulation over time and similarities in policy priorities. Our findings reveal significant alignment with EU regulations, highlighting its influence on global governance, and indicate regulatory capture by industry in the Americas and decolonial dissent in Africa. This research contributes to the multi-modal understanding of AI governance, offers practical policy recommendations, and outlines future research directions, including ongoing data collection and exploration of public dialogue's impact on regulatory frameworks.

Female reproductive health after treatment of intrauterine pathologies: uterine synechiae and fibroids

Improving the reproductive health of the population is one of the priorities of the state policy of the Russian Federation. In recent decades, there has been an increase in the incidence of reproductive system organs, and the infertility rate is about 17.5 % and has no downward trend. Intrauterine pathologies such as uterine fibroids and intrauterine synechiae are common causes of infertility. Evaluation of the effectiveness of treatment of these diseases plays an important role in monitoring the quality of medical care and improving the reproductive health of the population. In this regard, the purpose of this work is to study and evaluate the state of a woman’s reproductive health after treatment of intrauterine pathologies: synechiae and uterine fibroids.

Facilitators and barriers of accessing community health services for children in the early years: An Australian qualitative study.

Foundations for health are set in the first years of life, however many children in Australia do not attain optimal development due to inequitable access to specialist care through impacting social determinants of health. There is a research gap in evidence for sustaining early years services that address these barriers. This study aimed to understand experiences and priorities of parents/carers and service providers around access to specialist early years health services in low socioeconomic areas of Armadale, Western Australia. Thematic analysis was used to interpret meanings across focus group discussion data and find priorities for access to care and service delivery using a multilevel socio-ecologic model. Facilitators and barriers to access were identified related to each theme. Two major themes were identified. Within theme 'Finding Help', facilitators to access included extended family, community, and childcare. Barriers included social isolation, and overwhelm. In theme 'Structural Factors', facilitators included safe places and practices, political action and universal care. Barriers included social determinants of health, institutional bias, and fiscal policy. Findings will inform policy, service delivery, and research priorities toward facilitating timely access to integrated care for vulnerable families with young children. Health equity will focus on co-design to remove structural barriers using a "one-stop-shop" model with soft entry, triage capacity, and a key worker to coordinate care for at risk families. To promote structural equity, a focus on access will include continuing engagement with families, facilitated by relational models of care to scaffold and support families toward autonomy.

Burden of disease attributable to high body mass index in Belgium: a comparative risk assessment analysis

Background and methodsHigh body mass index (BMI) is a major risk factor for several non-communicable diseases. The increasing concern about the health and economic burden of BMI makes it essential...

Environmental Management and Public Budget: An Analysis of Public Expenditure Budgeted and Executed to Achieve Environmental Protection

Purpose: This study aims to analyze the implementation of the right to an ecologically balanced environment with a focus on environmental management and the public budget. Methodology: The bibliographic and documentary methodological approach allowed the comparison of budget values ​​by function and the descriptive analysis based on data collected from the official website of the state government. Results: The study of budget execution for the environmental function demonstrated that its procedures appear to be aligned, in general, with its planning. However, when compared to the participation of the environmental function in the general budget of the State, the amounts do not exceed 1% in any of the years of this study, and expenditures on general administration occupied a large portion of the budget planned and executed in the period. Therefore, the implementation of the right to an ecologically balanced environment is not considered a priority of public policies in Amazonas. Contributions: The analysis of the budgeted and executed values ​​in relation to the environmental management function in the State of Amazonas, which has the largest hydrographic basin and the largest coverage of humid tropical forest, in the period from 2020 to 2023, contributes to the academic discussion by identifying how state investments behave in relation to spending on environmental preservation and management.

ФІНАНСОВІ ІНСТРУМЕНТИ ЯК ВАЖЛИВА ДОМІНАНТА ЗАБЕЗПЕЧЕННЯ ІНКЛЮЗИВНОГО РОЗВИТКУ ТЕРИТОРІАЛЬНИХ ГРОМАД

Introduction. In the context of the latest transformational challenges, the problem of ensuring inclusive development of territorial communities is becoming increasingly relevant, and it is advisable to develop innovative approaches to the use of financial instruments in managing socio-economic development at the local level. The purpose of the article is to develop the conceptual framework for the use of financial instruments by public authorities as a means of management to ensure the inclusive development of territorial communities. Methods. The methodology of the study is based on the use of dialectical and process approaches, methods of induction and deduction, analysis and synthesis - when considering the content and specification of the essence of the concept of “inclusive development of territorial communities” and determining the imperative of this type of socio-economic development; structural and functional approach and methods of theoretical generalization, scientific abstraction, systematization, argumentation - to develop a conceptual model of the use of financial instruments as a dominant factor in ensuring inclusive development of territorial communities. Results. Based on the generalization of scientific views and the use of the process approach, the author's own definition of the concept of “inclusive development of territorial communities” is formed. The study of the key aspects of the concepts of inclusive development, barrier-free, integrated and sustainable development, and current global challenges and threats made it possible to outline the imperatives of inclusive development of territorial communities that should be taken into account by public authorities when choosing financial instruments. The use of the structural-functional approach made it possible to consider financial instruments for the inclusive development of territorial communities as a means of managing socio-economic phenomena and processes, which result in the implementation of the principles of financial policy aimed at the inclusive development of territorial communities. The article reveals the dualistic nature of the impact of financial instruments for inclusive development of territorial communities on the object of management from the standpoint of their provisioning, allocative and regulatory effects. Conclusions. Financial instruments are an important dominant of the inclusive development of territorial communities. It is through the dualistic nature of their impact on the object of management, taking into account the imperative of inclusive development, the priorities of the State regional policy and strategies for the development of territorial communities, that the goal of managing socio-economic development at the local level is achieved.

Networks of climate obstruction: Discourses of denial and delay in US fossil energy, plastic, and agrichemical industries

The use of fossil-derived hydrocarbons in fossil energy, plastic production, and agriculture makes these three sectors mutually reinforcing and reliant on sustained fossil fuel extraction. In this paper, we examine the ways the fossil fuel energy, plastics, and agrichemicals industries interact on social media using Twitter (renamed X as of 2023) data analysis, and we explore the implications of these interactions for policy. Content analysis of the text of tweets from the two largest US corporations and a major trade association for each sector (three discrete social media accounts for each sector) reveals coordinated messaging and identifies synergistic themes among these three sectors. Network analysis shows substantial engagement among the three sectors and identifies common external entities frequently mentioned in each sector. To understand the discursive strategies of the twitter networks of these three petrochemical derivative and fuel sectors, we propose the discourses of climate obstruction framework, adapted from and expanding on Lamb et al.’s (2020) discourses of climate delay framework. Our framework integrates both discourses of delay and discourses of denial because an integration of both were found in our analysis suggesting coordinated efforts to obstruct climate action. Our analysis suggests that discourses to deny and delay climate policy are aligned and coordinated across the three sectors to reinforce existing infrastructure and inhibit change. Exceptions in this alignment emerge for a few distinct sector-specific goals, including contrasting messages about biofuel. Despite some disparate views and different policy priorities among these three sectors, similar efforts to reinforce existing extractive petrochemical hegemony and undermine climate policy are clearly evident in each sector. These findings suggest that more research is needed to understand collaborative efforts among fossil energy, plastic, and agrichemical producers to influence climate and energy policy.