Public Policy Priorities Research Articles

An Analysis of Political Contributions From Dietetic Professionals in the United States

ObjectivesThe Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND) created a nonpartisan political action committee, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Political Action Committee (ANDPAC), formerly known as the American Dietetic Association PAC (ADAPAC), to support political candidates backing the Academy's public policy priorities. We aimed to reveal how this political action committee utilized the funding from health care occupations (primarily nutritionists or registered dietitians) by analyzing the patterns of their political contributions.MethodsContribution data collected from the United States Federal Election Commission (FEC) database from 2003 through 2021 was examined. Each contribution from 2003 through 2010 was made to the ADAPAC and thereafter contributions were made to ANDPAC. Occupation lines were used to filter for dietitians. Patterns of funding, unique contributions, and total amount of contributions were collected. Donations from ANDPAC to Democratic, Republican, or Independent candidates in each congressional election cycle was analyzed utilizing Microsoft Excel.ResultsIn 2003, there were 3 unique RD contributions to ADAPAC. By 2017, ANDPAC received contributions from 181 unique RD contributors. This declined to 68 unique RD contributors by 2021. Total RD monetary contributions to ANDPAC also declined from 2017 to 2021 ($24,071.00 to $13,835.61, respectively). From 2003 to 2021, ANDPAC contributed a total of $1,685,977.41 to political parties. Democrats received more contributions than Republicans or Independents from ANDPAC in 14 of 19 years.ConclusionsUnderstanding political contributions in today's society is pivotal to interpreting policy changes. In its 19 years of existence, the ADAPAC/ANDPAC has primarily funded the Democratic political party. Although there have been recent fluctuations, RD contributions to ADAPAC/ANDPAC has substantially grown since 2003.Funding SourcesNone.

Current Challenges in Allocating Financial Resources for Public Investment

Abstract Public investment projects must be linked to the priorities of Cohesion Policy and the Sustainable Development Strategy, highlighting the importance of the investment process and the allocation of funding sources. Therefore, steps such as the evaluation, selection and prioritization of public investment projects are key elements in the public investment process, in order to create a stronger and more sustainable future in the face of crises. This paper aims to clarify some issues related to the current challenges of allocating financial resources for public investment in the context of global economic crises. Public investment management makes the difference in making quality public investment and progress in achieving sustainable development goals. However, the present reality shows that ensuring the efficient management of public investment projects will always encounter difficulties, of which the most threatening are considered to be represented by global economic crises and more recently by the COVID 19 pandemic crisis, through their widespread effects on economies. Therefore, strengthening public investment management must be a priority in public investment policies to maximize the impact of available public resources.

ЗАСТОСУВАННЯ ІННОВАЦІЙНИХ ТЕХНОЛОГІЙ В ОСВІТІ ДОРОСЛИХ В СУЧАСНИХ УМОВАХ СУСПІЛЬНОГО РОЗВИТКУ УКРАЇНИ

The article determines the features of adult education in Great Britain including the historical aspect of development. In general the adult education is the important part of continuous education. Among European countries Great Britain and Denmark are the leaders in distribution of professional studies and adult educations. There have been created new programs and projects of international educational processes supporting in these countries. In such projects considerable attention is paid to planning and training of adult individuals. At the same time, the adult education in Great Britain is one of priorities of public policy and bases on old historical traditions, high-quality indexes, sound scientifically-pedagogical researches, and practice of realization led to the effectiveness. The analysis of scientific literature showed that there have been used plenty of terms of continuous education conception in Great Britain, among them continuing education, andragogy, andragogics, andragology, recurrent education, adult education, permanent education, adult pedagogy, lifelong learning, оpen learning, and further education. The Open University became one of main universities of Great Britain that developed the idea of adult education. The author also admitted, that at the end of 70th the mechanism of government control of adult education system in Great Britain changed enough. These changes touched the part of scientific and technical progress of general economic crisis on a background passing of the country to the system of free market relations. At the same time, in majority universities of Great Britain there were founded centers of adult education. Such centers proposed the academic courses of different forms of studies and offered the ideas of forming knowledge in a counterbalance classic and called as transferring of knowledge from a teacher to the student. The introduction of innovative technologies in the system of adult education will change the reproductive nature of the acquisition of knowledge, skills and abilities of an adult.

ECONOMIC AND LEGAL JUSTIFICATION OF THE METHODOLOGICAL APPROACH TO THE ASSESSMENT OF THE STATE OF BUDGET AND TAX SECURITY OF UKRAINE

The purpose of the article is to study the problematic aspects of economic and legal justification of the methodological approach to assessing the state of the budget and tax security of Ukraine. The methods of economic analysis, synthesis, comparison, generalization, and systematization are used in the research. The intensification of financial and economic instability and the emergence of crisis phenomena in the financial system of the state have led to the activation of destabilizing factors that significantly affect the functioning of the budget and tax sphere of Ukraine. Due to the inefficient implementation of the budget and tax policy for a long time, there is a deterioration of the financial component of economic security and the emergence of destructive processes and phenomena in the economy of the state. Given this situation and the violation of macroeconomic stability, the need for timely response and prevention of internal and external risks and threats to budget and tax security, as well as protection of national interests of the state in the financial sphere becomes especially important. At the same time, the desire to ensure the stable development of the budget and tax sphere necessitates a revision of methodological tools for assessing the level of budget and tax security, which, in turn, requires revision of existing Methodical recommendations for calculating the level of economic security of Ukraine and supplementing them with tax security indicators. It is becoming obvious that ensuring and strengthening the budget and tax security of Ukraine is one of the priorities of public policy, which highlights the research topic. The article defines the essence of budget and tax security of the state, their interdependence outlines the main problems of the budget and tax security of Ukraine and considers regulatory and legal security of budget and tax sphere. A study of threats and risks to budget and tax security in the context of identified indicators is conducted. Evaluations of the methodological approach to assessing the level of budget and tax security of the state are carried out, and the method of calculating weights and integrated indicator of budget and tax security is analyzed. The main approaches to assessing the level of tax security are systematized and the calculation of its indicators is proposed. In order to strengthen the institutional support of budget and tax security, it is proposed to develop the concept of tax security of the state and supplement the current Methodical recommendations for calculating the level of economic security of Ukraine with the tax component.

The People's Money: Pensions, Debt, and Government Services

Although not a history of public policy nor budgetary priorities, this volume of collected analyses of governmental services and expenditures deserves scholarly attention for several reasons. First, voters and taxpayers expect accountability of state institutions, and the ability of our principal higher education institutions to interpret and report on governmental functionality is necessary. Second, those same consumers of public information deserve to know the ability of public colleges and universities to transcend seemingly esoteric discourse to engage in debates over public policy. Third, while historians seek to interpret contemporary historical trends, the analyses of social scientists and business professionals offer fertile data. Finally, in Illinois, as political and budgetary mismanagement continues to imperil public sector pensions, interested parties deserve some sense of history.The College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) focuses on urban studies, policy, and advocacy, which is reflected in this collection of essays analyzing public policy and budgetary priorities in the contemporary era. Editor Michael A. Pagano, dean of the college, has organized a volume including contributions by not only UIC scholars but leading academics at the University of Texas, Michigan State University, and various policy think tanks. The collected essays focused on the “paradox of fiscal challenges for cities and other local governments in a time of improving economic conditions,” which was the subject of a UIC Urban Forum in the late 2010s, which, considering the parlous financial conditions of the ensuing pandemic period may have become even more dire (p. vii). The state of Illinois, which is featured prominently in the comparative studies of this work, is particularly of interest to not only scholars of state public policy and financial planning but also academics and state employees, including library, museum, and archival workers, whose future retirement plans are affected by contemporary and future political realities.While the discerning reader may be discouraged by a disorganized introduction written by a UIC graduate student, a survey of “white papers” presented at the urban affairs conference offers a view of diverse analyses of the policy issues at hand. The conceptual devise of “people's money,” of course, provides a pejorative view of public sector employment, which suggests that alternative labor schemes might best benefit taxpayers. While reviewing the politics and policies behind the creation of public pensions and their impact on municipal and state budgets, the various authors provide historic, comparative, and reformative ideas. The various essays examine government long-term liabilities, comparative municipal fiscal challenges, benefit-based financing, self-organized collaborative networks, and public pension reforms.While The People's Money is not strictly a historical study and might be considered one of those works published to pad professors’ vitae, it is nevertheless worth more than a casual glance. In the twenty-first century, the question of tax dollars to support public sector employees is a legitimate area of debate. Particularly, in the politicized environment of the present pandemic, American citizens question the role of public health officials, scientists, educators, intellectuals, local officials, and other authority figures. This work, which reflects merely a portion of these urban and public policy scholars and their peers, suggests to a learned audience the complexities of contemporary American life that all of us must contemplate whenever casting our votes.

Epidemiological trends and sociodemographic factors associated with acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis in mainland China from 2004 to 2018

BackgroundAcute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis (AHC) is classified as a class C notifiable infectious disease in China and poses a great threat to public health. This study aimed to investigate the epidemiological trends and hotspots of AHC in mainland China. Sociodemographic factors that could contribute to early warning of AHC were further explored.MethodsYearly and monthly incidences of acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis by date and region from 2004 to 2018 were extracted from the Data Center of China Public Health Science. Joinpoint regression and spatial autocorrelation analysis were performed to explore the epidemiological trends and hotspots of AHC. A generalized linear model was then applied to explore the relationship between sociodemographic factors and AHC incidence.ResultsThe average annual AHC incidence was 3.58/100,000 in mainland China. The first-level spatial and temporal aggregation areas were distributed in Guangxi, Hainan, Guangdong, Guizhou, Hunan, Jiangxi, Fujian, Chongqing, Hubei, Anhui, and Zhejiang, with gathering times from 2010/1/1 to 2010/12/31 (RR = 20.13, LLR = 474,522.89, P < 0.01). After 2010, the AHC incidence was stable (APC = − 8.37, 95% CI: − 23.02–9.06). However, it was significantly increased in low- and middle-income provinces (AAPC = 10.65, 95% CI: 0.62–21.68, AAPC = 11.94, 95% CI: 0.62–24.53). The peak of AHC occurred during the August to October period. Children who age 0–3 years are identified as high-risk group with AHC incidence significantly increased (APC = 31.54, 95% CI: 0.27–72.56). Birth rate, population ages 0–14 (% of total population), passenger traffic, and urban population (% of total population) were positively associated with the AHC incidence, while per capita gross domestic product was negatively associated with the AHC incidence.ConclusionOverall, the AHC incidence was stable after 2010 in China, but it was significantly increased in low- and middle-income provinces. Regions with a high birth rate, population ages 0–14 (% of the total population), passenger traffic, urban population (% of the total population) and low per capita gross domestic product are at high risk of incidences of AHC. In the future, public health policy and resource priority for AHC in regions with these characteristics are necessary.

Housing the Poor? A Comparative Study of Public Housing Provision in New York, Hong Kong, and Shenzhen

ABSTRACT Governments in cities and countries around the world are faced with housing affordability problems, which acutely affect lower income residents. Prior comparative work adopts a national perspective that primarily draws upon theories of the welfare state and Western political ideologies to understand government responses to social problems. However, such work often overlooks alternative political systems, the distinctive role of housing policy, and local government strategies. This article compares the provision and role of public housing across three global cities that are experiencing major housing affordability challenges: New York, Hong Kong, and Shenzhen. Based on a review of agency documents and housing and demographic data, we describe public housing policy priorities and examine how the respective governments administer public housing programs. We find each case shows a strong demand for public housing, a broad interpretation of target population, and evolving relationships between the public and private sectors. There are important differences in policy priorities, program eligibility, management, and overlap with the private housing market. The findings suggest standard frameworks may miss variation within countries and the changing role of cities in providing housing for low- and middle-income households.

Child Access Prevention Laws and Firearm Storage: Results From a National Survey

Child Access Prevention Negligent Storage (CAP-NS) laws seek to reduce pediatric firearm injury by imposing sanctions on gun owners if children gain access to unlocked guns. Whether these laws affect the storage behavior they aim to encourage is not known because historical panel data on firearm storage do not exist. As a result, assessing how much, if at all, firearm storage changed because of CAP-NS laws requires an indirect approach. Data for this study came from a web-based survey conducted by the research firm Ipsos from July 30, 2019 to August 11, 2019. Respondents were adult gun owners drawn from an online sampling frame comprising approximately 55,000 U.S. adults recruited using address-based sampling methods to be representative of the U.S. The primary outcome was the proportion of gun owners in CAP-NS versus non-CAP-NS states who had ≥1 unlocked firearm. Estimates are presented by CAP-NS status, for gun owners overall and for those who live with children, before and after adjusting for potential confounders. Data were analyzed in 2021. In adjusted analyses, gun owners in CAP-NS states were no more likely to lock firearms than were those in states without these laws. In addition, most gun owners reported not knowing whether they lived in a state with a CAP-NS law. CAP-NS laws have at best modest effects on firearm storage. If the storage effect is as small as this study indicates, the mortality benefits previously attributed to CAP-NS laws are overstated. As such, developing interventions that effectively reduce firearm mortality by reducing access to firearms remains an urgent clinical and public policy priority.

Современные тенденции развития человеческого потенциала

Theoretical aspects of the formation and practical implementation of human potential as a complex scientific category, the key component of which is education, are being studied. The purpose of the article is to identify the features of the accumulation of human potential, manifested in the objective aspirations of various actors in the context of the transformation of geopolitical and mega-economic reality. The object of the study is the Russian education system, its characteristic features and influence on the accumulation of human potential. The subject of the study is the transformation of economic relations in the field of education in the context of changing goals of social development. The evolution of the essential characteristics of human potential and its relationship with educational potential and human intellectual capital is considered in the works of various scientists. Based on scientific publications and information sources, key indicators have been identified that characterize the contribution of the education system to the functioning and development of human potential; for a number of positions, the indicators were compared with the countries of the BRICS coalition and other foreign countries. It has been established that to measure the educational potential of the population, it is advisable to use such qualitative indicators as: 1) the level of education of the adult population and its component - the level of vocational education, 2) the number of students per 1000 people of the population; to reflect the demand for the educational potential of the population in the labour market, indicators of employment and unemployment are acceptable (in relation to the level of education); The rating of the domestic education system at the international level is characterized by the number of foreign students studying in Russian universities. Conclusions about the timeliness of updating the priorities of public and state policy in the direction of the internationalization of education and the intensification of activities to attract citizens of friendly foreign countries to receive professional education in Russia are made.

Impact of COVID-19 on the prescription of contraceptives in a city in São Paulo.

In the beginning of the pandemic, measures, such as social distancing, lockdown strategies, and restrictions on mobility, as well as the fear of transiting through health facilities, raised concerns about the impact of COVID-19 on women's ability to continue using contraceptives. This is a retrospective cohort study, which evaluated reports of medication distribution spreadsheets in Bauru - SP, from January 2019 to June 2021. Our study showed that the municipal dispensation of contraceptives in the SUS was markedly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, suffering reductions that can impact on an increase in unplanned pregnancy rates. It is possible to note a significant decrease in the distribution of combined oral contraceptives (44.18%), combined injectable contraceptives (47.58% reduction), and medroxyprogesterone acetate (13.98%). This fact may be associated with the reduction in offers of face-to-face consultations in gynecology, due to the social isolation necessary at the time of the pandemic. Ensuring access to contraceptives during health emergencies should be a public health policy priority. Thus, it is essential to draw up strategic plans to encourage full access to reproductive planning services even in times of health emergency, so that the occurrence of unplanned pregnancies can be adequately prevented.

Технологическое предпринимательство как фактор развития России

Technological entrepreneurship is a potential driver of Russia’s socio-economic development. But an optimal combination of environment and business networks (entrepreneurial ecosystem) to be formed is very rare and depends on many factors. The article discusses the potential role of technology start-ups in diversification, economic and employment growth, and adaptation to technological changes. The number of start-ups in Russia had decreased since 2015, and there is a low entrepreneurial activity in comparison with other countries. In general, the change in the industry structure of startups in Russia is consistent with the global trends; the role of knowledge-intensive business services and ICT is high and growing, the share of manufacturing is declining. We revealed the determining role of socio-cultural factors, human capital and universities, business climate and access to foreign markets in the creation and success of technology companies, as well as the contradictory impact of state support. Significant and increasing role of immigrants and diaspora abroad is underestimated for Russia. We noted the inability of the widespread development of successful technology companies (“gazelles”, “unicorns”); identified regional and sectoral priorities for public policy. We examined the main elements and models of national entrepreneurial ecosystems, limitations and prospects for their application in Russia.

Criminal liability for corruption offenses

Combating corruption offenses is one of the priorities of public policy not only in Ukraine but also in many foreign countries. The object of the study is the criminal law measures to combat and resistance corruption in Ukraine and some foreign countries. In carrying out this research, a comparative legal method is widely used. This method allows for a two-level analysis (empirical and theoretical) of legal systems of Ukraine and some foreign countries in terms of combating corruption by criminal law means. It also allows identify regularities of development of the criminal legislation of several countries and to establish correlation with the international standards of counteraction and prevention of a corruption criminal offense. During the conducted research it is revealed some disadvantages and advantages of Ukrainian legislation in terms of criminal law supply of effective means of preventing and combating corruption in Ukraine, it is found that modern criminal law of Ukraine meets international standards of anti-corruption policy generally, but there are some disadvantages in terms of unambiguous understanding of the elements of compositions of criminal corruption offenses, definition of terminological features, lack of a single conceptual approach within the legislative regulations at the level of criminal law and legislation.

Applying collective impact in Aboriginal health services and research: three case studies tell an important story.

Co-design is the latest buzzword in healthcare services and research and is ubiquitous in Australian funding grants and policy documents. There are no standards for what constitutes co-design and it is often confused with less collaborative processes such as consultation. Collective impact is a co-design tool used for complex and entrenched problems. It uses a systematic approach and requires power and resource sharing. We applied collective impact to three research projects with Aboriginal communities. This paper explores how collective impact can enhance participation and outcomes in healthcare services and research. We evaluated the collective impact process and outcomes in three translational health research projects with Aboriginal people and communities using a case study approach. We adapted the model using an iterative co-design approach. We adapted the collective impact model in three ways: 1) replaced the precondition of 'problems that are urgent' with 'problems that are complex and entrenched'; 2) added to the 'common agenda' the requirement to establish a planned exit and long-term sustainability strategy from the outset; and 3) added the delivery of a public policy outcome as a result of the collective impact process. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health is an important public policy priority that requires new and different approaches to service delivery and research. This study adapted the collective impact approach and developed the Rambaldini model through three translational health research case studies and found that a modified collective impact approach is an effective tool for engagement and outcomes.

Trend of the Burden of Larynx Cancer in Brazil, 1990 to 2019.

INTRODUCTION: Larynx cancer is one of the most common head and neck cancers, whose main risk factors are smoking and alcohol use, and its occurrence and prognosis depend on adequate and timely preventive measures. This study aimed to investigate the burden of larynx cancer in Brazil and its states. METHODS: Using estimates from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019, this study analyzed the trends of incidence, mortality, and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) for larynx cancer between 1990 and 2019, besides the mortality-to-incidence ratio and the socio demographic index. RESULTS: Incidence and mortality due to larynx cancer in Brazil, which are approximately eight-fold higher for men, showed a declining trend between 1990 and 2019 (APPC: -0.4% and -1.0%, respectively). The DALYs also showed negative variation between 1990 and 2019 for both sexes in Brazil, mainly due to the decrease in premature deaths, with the greatest reduction in the state of São Paulo. For the states of Brazil in 2019, the higher age-standardized incidence rate (Rio Grande do Sul, 3.83 cases per 100,000 inhabitants) is twice the lowest rate (Piauí, 1.56 cases per 100,000 inhabitants). CONCLUSIONS: A fall in the burden of larynx cancer was observed in Brazil over the past 30 years, which may be attributed to a reduction in smoking and to an improvement in treatment. However, the regional inequalities in the country remain evident, especially for males. This data can guide public policy priorities to control the disease in Brazil.

Higher Education System in Central Asia (On The Example of Kazakhstan)

Abstract: Reforming the national education system is a priority of public policy and guarantees development. In this regard, any state will give priority to policy in this regard. The complexity of the matter is that this policy does not always yield the expected results. But countries around the world are striving to implement effective higher education reforms. There is a similar trend in our region. In this article, we will focus on the higher education system in Kazakhstan. Zero Kazakhstani higher education is the most developed system in the Keywords: Kazakhstan, higher education, system, legal framework, achievements, challenges, higher education, program, reforms, region, public policy, global education, knowledge capitalization, bachelor, master, distance education.region.

Social Rights and the Turkish Constitutional Court

Through a brief examination of the Turkish experience, this article endeavors to illuminate the debate on the role of constitutional courts in interpreting social rights. The Turkish Constitutional Court has in many cases rejected applications for the annulment of legislation related to social rights, on the grounds that it is within the legislature’s discretion to determine public policy priorities based on economic resources and economic stability. This article suggests the Turkish Constitutional Court has narrowly interpreted constitutionally recognized social rights within the boundaries of the Turkish Constitution, with the notable exception of labor rights in individual applications.

Перспективні напрями розвитку державної політики щодо збереження та зміцнення репродуктивного здоров'я в Україні

Improving access to family planning and reproductive health services around the world can help prevent maternal death and reduce unwanted pregnancies. Approximately 295,000 women die each year from complications during pregnancy and childbirth. This situation is observed in almost all low- and middle-income countries. Access to family planning and reproductive health services is crucial for the health of women and children around the world. About a third of maternal deaths could be avoided each year if women who did not want to become pregnant had access to and used effective contraception. Worldwide, 218 million women have an unmet need for modern contraception. Governments in developed countries have been supporting global efforts for more than 50 years to promote and maintain reproductive health worldwide. Evidence suggests that the COVID-19 pandemic has adversely affected access to reproductive health services, causing some disruptions in basic services and leading to approximately 1.4 million unplanned pregnancies. Reducing the workload and providing access to basic services provided by global programs during the ongoing pandemic is a constant challenge for the global community. The quality and volume of reproductive health services have improved significantly over the last decade. However, support and expansion of reproductive health measures should remain a public policy priority, and proactive primary health care should be central to preventive measures, as poor reproductive health has a major impact on mortality, morbidity and well-being in general, and lead to significant expenditures on health care and local government budgets. The above testifies that the formation and preservation of reproductive health necessitates the increase of efficiency of medical care, provision of the appropriate level of social security, which will ultimately ensure the development of the Ukrainian nation and sustainable development of the state. The purpose of the study is to theoretically substantiate the state policy on the preservation of reproductive health and to develop practical recommendations for improving its implementation. Results and conclusions. It is established that the issue of forming conscious parenthood should become one of the priority tasks that require a comprehensive solution and the formation of a balanced public policy. The formation of responsible and conscious parenting should begin in the school years, as this problem is closely intertwined with reproductive health issues and will ultimately have a significant impact on the overall public health of the Ukrainian nation. The article out-lines the priority areas for the development of state policy on reproductive health in Ukraine. No conflict of interest was declared by the authors. Key words: state policy, reproductive health, family, women.

Implementation of innovations in the public administration system for the social sphere: reform of the deinstitutionalization process in Ukraine

The main purpose of the research is to identify problems of public administration in the context of achieving strategicgoals of the deinstitutionalization process for children’s social care in Ukraine to ultimately implement innovative changes inthe children’s social care. In terms of the theory and practice of public administration in Ukraine these issues remainunresolved and require further development and research. The article examines the reform of the national system ofinstitutional child care in the following logical sequence: analysis of the main stages of the reform of the deinstitutionalizationprocess for the children’s social care starting from the Ukraine’s independence; assessment of the results of the reform andthe level of its efficiency; identification of problems of public administration in the context of achieving the strategic goalsof the reform of the deinstitutionalization process for children’s social care in Ukraine; development of proposals for theadaptation of public administration system for the children’s social protection to comply with the European standards. Thearticle provides an analytical review of the implementation of the reform of deinstitutionalization process of child care andshowed the gap between the current model of child care deinstitutionalization in Ukraine with today's needs that requires aradical change in the priorities of public policy for the social care sphere. As the results of the research process the authorshave proposed the main directions for the implementation of innovations in the public administration system for the children’ssocial care, namely: introduction of multilevel governance; creation of a new network of social care institutions both in theterritorial dimension and in the functional direction; introduction of new tools for social investment. The achieved results mayserve as a basis for further research on modernization of public administration for the children’s social care.

Участь громадськості у прийнятті державних рішень, захист навколишнього природного середовища та демократія

Аргументовано, що підвищення рівня інформаційної обізнаності громадськості з питань охорони довкілля та забезпечення її широкої участі у прийнятті державно-управлінських рішень щодо охорони навколишнього середовища має бути пріоритетом держави, яка прагне налагодити ефективну взаємодію з громадськістю. Зазначено, що, своєю чергою, участь громадськості при розробленні державної політики допомагає вирішенню складних соціальних та екологічних проблем суспільства. Доведено, що зазначене є однією з основних передумов розвитку демократії. Розглянуто основні міжнародні та національні нормативні акти у сфері охорони навколишнього природного середовища. Наведено рівні участі громадян на різних етапах процесу прийняття державно-управлінських рішень. Розглянуто поняття екологічної демократії та визначено, що розвиток освіти і поширення екологічної інформації стимулюють відповідальність громадськості у вирішенні екологічних питань.

Experience of Vulnerable Women Narrated through the Body-Mapping Technique.

Vulnerable women are considered a priority in public policies and research agendas. It is necessary to understand better the specificities of their daily lives and the meanings they attribute to their experiences, as this undoubtedly contributes to more grounded and culturally appropriate practices. Additionally, innovative techniques in qualitative research are demanded in academia. This narrative research study was carried out with fourteen women from a Brazilian socioeconomically vulnerable neighborhood. We used the body-mapping technique to investigate the experiences of women with mental health disorders or psychosocial distress. The aim was to analyze the self-perception about daily stressors and discuss the feasibility of this technique to facilitate this group’s storytelling. Data collection was performed through focus groups, guided by the body-mapping technique steps, and supplemented with individual interviews. Interpersonal conflicts and violence were the main stressors. These strongly impacted the well-being of these women and their children. Some important personal qualities and resilience were identified. Body-mapping played a fundamental role in facilitating storytelling. It amplified the linguistic possibilities for participants to express their feelings and promoted reflections about the present, past, and glimpses into the future.