Probability Proportional To Size Research Articles

Effects of Bowel Stoma Care Education Program on Nurses’ Practice at Khartoum State Governmental Hospitals- Sudan

Background: education program plays a major role in teaching, enhancing, and improving nurses' knowledge and practice regarding bowel stoma care. Aim: To study the effectiveness of education program on nurses' performance regarding bowel stoma care at the governmental hospitals in Khartoum state. Methods: A quasi-experimental hospital base study was conducted in three governmental hospitals; fifty nurses were chosen by using Probability Proportional to Size (PPS) sampling technique. Data were collected using checklist for practice assessment in three phases. Data were analyzed using Statistical Packages for Social Sciences (Version 23) presented in tables and figures using descriptive percentages, means and stander deviation, chi sure test used for relation significance and T-test used to show the difference between pre and post means. Results: shows that mean of total practice score changed from poor to good .and there was a highly significant difference at p ˂ .001 between pre- and post-implementing education program. Conclusion: On light of the study results it can be concluded that there was a highly significant improvement in practice items between pre and post education program, and the study recommended that there should be an in-service training and periodic educational programs targeting nurses to improve nurse’s knowledge and practices.

Assessment of Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) practices in rural areas of Dehradun, Uttarakhand.

The practice of infant and young child feeding (IYCF) is critical for a child's growth and development throughout the first two years of life. Poor feeding habits in early childhood contribute to malnutrition and child mortality in India. To assess the IYCF practices in children under the age of 2 years. In rural Uttarakhand, India, a cross-sectional study was undertaken from March 2021 to May 2021. A probability proportional to size (PPS) method was used to select 400 children under the age of 2 years. The World Health Organization IYCF questionnaire, was used to collect house to house data. An appropriate statistical test was used for analysing the data. According to the findings, 47.5 percent of babies under the age of six months were nursed within the first hour of delivery. About 73.9 percent of babies were exclusively breastfed. Approximately 22 percent infants were given pre-lacteal feeds and 20 percent were bottle fed. In addition to breast milk, half of babies aged 6 to 8 months had solid, semi-solid, or soft meals, however minimum acceptable diet was provided to only 33.5 percent children. Odds of male child who were bottle fed in the age group of 6-23 months were 2.02 times higher to that of female child. Also the odds of male child in the age group of 6-8 months to be introduced with solids, semi-solid, or soft food were 4.91 times higher to that of female child. Similarly, odds of male child received minimum dietary diversity (2.35), minimum meal frequency (1.82), and minimum acceptable diet (2.35) in the age group of 6-23 months were found to be higher to that of female child in the similar age group. Total of six mothers reported coronavirus disease (COVID) positive status and only two of them breastfed their babies using COVID appropriate behavior. Exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) has been practiced in more than two-thirds of children, but early breastfeeding is practised in less than half of children. Only one third children of more than six months of age are getting minimum acceptable diet.

Opportunities to Integrate Primary Health Care Digital Innovations in Maternal and Child Health Care Services in Kenya

Background: Adequate and quality Maternal and Child Health (MNCH) care is considered essential in reduction of maternal and child mortality. More than half of the global maternal deaths (66%) are in sub-Saharan Africa with infant mortality of 51/1000 live births in the WHO Africa region [1]. There is potential to improve access and utilization of health services through investing in Primary Health Care (PHC) digital innovations [2] especially in underserved settings [3]. In the last quarter of the year 2021 after lifting of the COVID-19 restrictions, Tekeleza project, aims to integrate digital health innovations into MNCH care within PHC settings in Kenya. The project team undertook a baseline survey in three rural counties (Kisii, Kajiado and Migori) characterized with low social-economic status to identify opportunities to leverage on the use of evidence-based digital innovations to reverse the adverse trends in Maternal and Child Health. Methods: A cross-sectional and descriptive study was conducted in 15 Community Health Units (CHUs) in Kenya that were linked to selected Primary Health Care (PHC) facilities from three rural counties. Mixed methods were used to collect data from 404 Households (HHs) selected across the sampled CHUs on Probability Proportionate to Size (PPS). The selected households were assigned unique household or respondent identifiers. The sampling frame for household surveys consisted of all women 18 - 49 years of age, who were either pregnant or in their 18 months post-delivery. From the constructed sampling frame, a simple random sampling procedure was used to select the study sample. An audit was also carried out at the selected PHC facilities and sixty-two (62) Primary Health Workers (PHCWs) including facility managers were interviewed to establish challenges affecting ICT infrastructure and sustainable financing of MNCH services. Findings: The majority of the sampled women (64.9%) were lactating at the time of the study, with 34.4% being pregnant and 0.7% both pregnant and lactating. Despite the high proportions of mothers who received Skilled Birth Attendance, discontinuity in seeking antenatal and postnatal care services was observed in all three counties. The proportion of mothers (n = 404) who reported to have attended at least one ANC was 46.8%. This was attributed to limited access to health facilities, poor staff attitude, and negative cultural practices that got exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. An average of 53.2% of the respondents started attending ANC clinics much later after 12 weeks of gestation to minimize the costs and time they will spend on attending ANC clinics. It also emerged that 68.7% of the respondents had low knowledge levels of selected perinatal and infant care practices. On the making of Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) health-seeking decisions, 54.7% of the respondents said, it is their husbands who decide. The PHCWs expressed limited access to Continuing Professional Development (CPDs), a situation that worsened with the COVID-19 Pandemic. Notably, only 54.9% of the PHCWs reported having access to either a Smartphone or desktop at the point of service delivery. Nearly the same proportion (54.8%) has access to the internet at their workstations. Facilities reported delayed reimbursement of National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) and only 54% of the women interviewed had registered in Linda mama NHIF package meant to enable them to access free maternity care. Only one county (Migori) had significant utilization of CHVs. Conclusion: There is increasing access to Skilled Birth Attendance (SBA) in rural Kenya but discontinuous pregnancy care is still a problem and it got worse during the COVID-19 pandemic. Rural PHC facilities have poor ICT infrastructure and despite the 98% rural access to a phone by women, there is limited bankable usage of handheld technology to improve health information literacy on self and infant care among women of reproductive age. Recommendations: Feasibility studies to be conducted on how to sustainably deploy Primary Health Care digital solutions to improve the quality of, access to, and Utilization of Maternal and Child Health (MNCH) services.

Prevalence of Bovine Rotavirus and Coronavirus in Neonatal Calves in Dairy Farms of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: Preliminary Study.

Background Bovine rotavirus (BRV) and bovine coronavirus (BCoV) are the most common viral agents in neonatal calf diarrhea and result in serious economic consequences. The aim of the study was to determine the epidemiology of those viruses in randomly selected dairy farms of Addis Ababa. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted from November 2018 to April 2019 using a probability proportional to size (PPS) sampling technique. A total of 110 calves, less than 30 days of age, from 57 dairy herds were involved in the study. Associated factors of herds and calves were collected using semistructured interviews from farm owners and through physical observation of selected calves. Fecal samples were collected and analyzed using the sandwich ELISA method. Data generated from both semistructured interviews and laboratory investigation were analyzed using STATA_MP version 15. Results From the total 110 calves, 42 (38.18%) had diarrhea during the survey. The prevalence of bovine rotavirus and coronavirus was 3.64% (4/110) and 0.91% (1/110), respectively. Diarrhea, feeding colostrum timing, and sex of the neonatal calves had statistically significant association with bovine rotavirus infection (p < 0.05). All rotavirus-positive neonatal calves were identified in small scale dairy farms and in dairy farms that reported mortality though they lack statistically significant association. Only one coronavirus case was detected among the neonatal calves. The case was identified among small scale herds and in a herd with diarrheal cases. The sex of the coronavirus calf was female, diarrheic, and among 11-20 days old. Conclusion The prevalence of rotavirus and coronavirus infections in neonatal calves was seldom in dairy farms of the study area. Rotavirus was more common than coronavirus, and further studies should be initiated on other (infectious and noninfectious) causes of neonatal calf diarrhea in the area.

Documentation of the traditional hand tools in selected tribal and non-tribal households of Assam

The study aimed to document the various traditional hand tools and implements used in performing different agricultural activities in selected tribal and non-tribal households of Assam. Traditional hand tools and implements are easy to operate, cheap and used manually. A survey was conducted to gather information from the selected 100 households by ‘Probability Proportionate to Size (PPS) technique’ from two districts i.e., Jorhat and Karbi Anglong based on non-tribal and tribal (hill tribe) households population. Data were gathered by observation and interview method conducted with purposively selected informants. The study revealed that farmers of Assam still use traditional tools and implements. The detailed information about each tool was collected and informative notes were taken. A total of 22 tools documented during this study are presented in this paper.

Effectiveness of selected planned adaptations in micro level: Evidence from coastal community in Bangladesh

A community level field survey is conducted in the coastal zone of Bangladesh to assess the effectiveness of five selected planned adaptations against storm surge in micro scale which are already proved effective in macro scale. The five selected planned adaptations are: cyclone shelter, plantation, paka & semi-paka house, loan, and communication infrastructure. The selected study area is well-known for storm surge hazard. The study site and sample size are selected by using Probability Proportional to Size (PPS) and cluster sampling methods. Semi-structured household questionnaire, Focus Group Discussion (FGD), and Key Informative Interviews (KII) were conducted for understanding community perceptions on adaptations. Effectiveness of planned adaptations are assessed by applying an Index developed by using five-point Likert scale. Barriers against the adaptations are assessed by probabilistic analysis and represented by Venn diagram. Interrelationships among the adaptations are assessed through causal relation network. The study results show a mismatch of effectiveness of planned adaptations between the macro scale and micro scale. It is found that cyclone shelter, paka & semi-paka house, loan, and communication infrastructure do not exhibit a similar level of effectiveness in micro scale as these are expected to be effective in macro scale. Among the five selected planned adaptations, plantation is the only adaption which is found to be effective in both micro scale and macro scale because of its high economic return for the community. The reasons for the mismatch of this effectiveness between macro scale and micro scale are – barriers and causal relation for these adaptations in micro scale are not considered in macro scale. A comprehensive analysis is recommended to ensure a similar level of effectiveness of an adaptation both in macro scale and in micro scale.

Socioeconomic Status, Institutional Power, and Body Mass Index among Chinese Adults.

Despite the vast literature on the socioeconomic status (SES) gradient of obesity among adult people, no study has investigated the relationship between institutional power and body mass index. Using national survey data from the “China Labor-force Dynamics Survey 2016” (CLDS 2016), multistage cluster-stratified probability proportional to size (PPS) sampling was employed to select cases from 29 provinces, cities, and autonomous regions in China. This study adopts an institutional approach to explore the influences of SES and institutional power on the state of being overweight or severely overweight (obese) among Chinese adults. It is shown that SES has a non-linear influence on being overweight or obese, higher education has a negative effect on being overweight or obese, income has an inverted U-shaped effect on being overweight or obese, and having a managerial or administrative job has a positive effect on being overweight but less so on obesity. These findings reveal that disparities in health outcome and risks are due to inequality in SES. The work unit is a stronger predictor of adults being overweight or obese than occupation. Working in the public sector has a positive effect on being overweight relative to working in the private sector, and only state institutions and government departments have a positive association with obesity. Our results indicate that institutional structure still has effects on individuals’ life chances in the era of China’s market transition.

Research on Influencing Factors and Dimensions of Health Literacy in Different Age Groups: Before and After the COVID-19 Era in Chongqing, China.

Background: Understanding the levels of health literacy among different groups is essential for better public health interventions targeting specific subgroups of the population. Additionally, this article explores the prevalence and influencing factors of the health literacy levels of different age groups during the COVID-19 epidemic.Methods: Multistage stratified cluster random sampling and the Probability Proportion to Size (PPS) method were used to select permanent residents aged 15–69 in Chongqing (54,706) for the questionnaire survey. The survey period is from July 2019 and July 2020. Single-factor analysis and logistic regression models were used to study the relationship between demographics, socioeconomic factors, other independent covariates, and health literacy.Results: The health literacy levels of residents declined with age, and there were significant differences in health literacy levels between age groups (χ2 = 3332.884, P < 0.05). As far as the factors affecting health literacy level are concerned, high education and high income are the protective factors for health literacy level for residents of all ages. For adolescents (OR = 1.383, 95% CI: 1.217–1.571), young adults (OR = 1.232, 95% CI = 1.117–1.358), and middle-aged people (OR = 1.096, 95% CI = 1.017–1.182), residence in rural areas was a protective factor. In terms of the dimensions of health literacy, in particular, elderly health literacy in 2020 in Scientific Health Concepts, Safety and First Aid, Basic Medical Care decreased significantly compared with 2019.Conclusions: For adolescents, young adults, middle-aged people, to solve the problem of urban and rural health quality gap, we should not only use the geographical division, but also consider the social population and socio-economic differences. For the elderly, the following four dimensions of health literacy need to be paid more attention than those of other age: Basic Knowledge and Concepts, Scientific Health Concepts, Safety and First Aid, and Basic Medical Care. A lack of knowledge on the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases is the main reason for the recent decline in health literacy. And the health literacy among residents in major public health emergencies is needed.

Credibility of Different Agricultural Information Sources Utilized by Farm Women of Uttarakhand

Credibility of agricultural information sources affects the adoption of new or improved agricultural practices by farmers. Credibility refers to perceived trustworthiness accorded to a source by its audience at any given time and situation. Therefore, Credible sources of agriculture information play major role in diffusion of agriculture innovations. This study was carried out in Nainital district of Uttarakhand state with specific objective to explore the relative credibility of information sources as accorded by the farm women of the region. A sample of 120 farm women was selected by PPS (Probability proportional to size) sampling method. The agriculture information sources were categorized into three broad heads namely personal localite, personal cosmopolite and mass media. It was found that majority (62.5%) of respondents had „medium‟ credibility towards agriculture information sources followed by 20 per cent having low credibility and only 17.5 per cent had high credibility to different agriculture information sources. It was further found that family members, KVK officials and newspaper were considered as the most credible sources of agricultural information among personal localite, personal cosmopolite and mass media sources.

Determinants of Risk Factors Associated to Pregnancy and Delivery in Maasai Community in Kiteto District, Tanzania

The objective of this study was to determine risk factors associated to pregnancy and delivery. The purpose was to find out whether danger signs during pregnancy and delivery motivate the respondents to attend and seek for maternal health services. The study employed cross-sectional research design in four villages in Kiteto District namely Partimbo, Kimana, Engusero and Ngipa to find out the determinants of risk factors associated to pregnancy and delivery. The study employed a three stage sampling technique. A simple random sampling technique was used to identify wards in the first stage. In second stage, four villages were purposively selected from two different wards. In third stage, households as a unit of analysis were obtained through random sampling, since the population was homogenous. However, in order to get population sample within each village, probability proportional to size (PPS) was applied. Cross tabulation and Chi-square were tested to determine the association of the variables and factors influencing maternal health utilization. The findings showed that 53 percent of the respondents were aware of danger signs associated with pregnancy and delivery. About 87 percent delivered at home due to various reasons mentioned like distance and transport costs. Also from the findings majority of the respondents by 64.6 percent suffered from anemia during the first pregnancy. However, the level of antenatal clinic visits was not significantly correlated with any other socio-demographic variables, but place of delivery and assistance during delivery showed a significant association with socio- demographic variables (p &lt; 0.005). Indeed, a lot could be gained by simple prevention, in particular regular antenatal visits, vaccinations, and quick referral in case of complications. Also TBAs should be taken as part of RCH in these pastoralist communities because of their cultural believes. Regular training and seminars should be conducted so as to help mothers in those remote areas.

Contributions of Small Scale Paddy Irrigation Schemes to Household Food Security in Mvomero District, Tanzania

The Agricultural and Livestock Policy of Tanzania gives high priority to the promotion of food sufficiency and security through irrigated agriculture. The objective of this study was to assess the contributions of small scale irrigated rice production to household’s food security in Mvomero District; specifically on household’s food security status, the extent to which small scale irrigated rice production contributes to household’s food security and ways to improve sustainability of household’s food security situation in the study area. The study employed cross-sectional research design in two villages namely Sungaji and Mkingo in Mvomero District. Demographic characteristics and assets of households as well as agricultural production were collected using structured questionnaires from 55 irrigation scheme users. A systematic random sampling technique were used to obtain usersof irrigation schemes from the Village Registry Book (VRB) in the village and sampling process useda skip interval at every 8th household using random number table repeatedly. However, in order to get population sample within each village, probability proportional to size (PPS) was applied.Descriptive statistics methods were applied to analyze the data and to determine the association of the variables among irrigation scheme users in the study area. The findings indicates that 32 percent of the respondent acknowledged that irrigation schemes have increased agricultural production per unit area while almost 56.4 percent of the rice produced were served for food. However, monthly income weresignificantly correlated with the number of meals taken per day at p&gt;0.041. Level of education and household size indicated a significant association with the number of meals per taken per day at p&lt; 0.000 and p&lt;0.002 respectively. On the basis of the findings, it is recommended that careful action is needed to improve irrigation infrastructure, extension services to farmers to increase productivity, market for their produce as well as access to loans/credit. Collaboration with all agriculture stakeholders is needed so as to improve the productivity to enhance household food security and community livelihood at large.

A Study to Evaluate and Assess the Prevalence and Risk Factors of Smoking among Young Males

Introduction: Smoking is known to be the single most preventable cause of death and disability. According to the WHO, 50% of the total population are young adults who consume 6 trillion cigarettes per year. It has been found that smoking kills nearly 6 million people each year, leading to a total of 100 USD economic loss globally. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 807 participants, selected using probability proportionate to size (PPS) sampling method. The main objectives of the study were to find out the prevalence and to assess the risk factors in the young group of population. Results: It was observed from our study that the overall prevalence of smoking came out to be 20.44%, out of which, 15.73% were current smokers and 4.70% were ever smokers. Conclusion: There is a need for establishing a smoking cessation clinic in every university which would help in motivating students to quit.

Sleep Quality and Its Correlates among Adolescents of Western Nepal: A Population-Based Study.

Sleep quality has a long-term impact on health leading to depression among adolescent students. We conducted a cross-sectional study to assess the prevalence of sleep quality and its associated factors among adolescents of western, Nepal. 514 adolescents from different schools were selected by the probability proportionate to size (PPS) method. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was used to assess the sleep quality among adolescents. The collected data were entered in EpiData 3.2 version, then extracted to excel 2019 and was analyzed with the help of RStudio (version 1.2.5033). Frequency distribution and percentage were identified as descriptive analysis whereas chi-square test was done. Variables that were found statistically significant (P < 0.05) were further analyzed using the logistic regression model. The prevalence of sleep quality in this study was 39.1%. In a bivariate analysis, ethnicity, religion, place of residence, drinking status of father, reason for selecting the currently studying faculty, satisfaction with academic performance, use of tobacco, relationship with friends or classmates, more use of internet per day, and use of internet before falling asleep were found to be statistically significant with sleep quality. Those students who left their home without informing their parents were more than three times at the risk of sleep quality than those students who never ran away from their home without informing their parents (AOR = 3.435, CI: 1.237-9.540). The overall prevalence of sleep quality among school going adolescent students was 39.1 percent which was comparatively high.

Serosurvey of Avian Influenza Viruses (H5, H7, and H9) and Associated Risk Factors in Backyard Poultry Flocks of Lahore District, Pakistan.

Rural poultry constitutes 56% of the total poultry population in Pakistan; however, epidemiological information about avian influenza viruses (AIVs) in backyard poultry flocks is lacking. A cross-sectional survey of villages of Lahore district was conducted from July 2009 to August 2009 using two-stage cluster sampling and probability proportional to size (PPS) sampling to estimate seroprevalence and its associated risk factors. A random selection of 35 clusters from 308 villages of Lahore were considered, and from each cluster, six chickens aged >2 months were selected. A total of 210 serum samples were collected and examined by the hemagglutination inhibition (HI) test for specific antibodies against AIV subtypes H5, H7, and H9. Overall weighted seroprevalence for AIVs was 65.2% (95% CI: 55.6–74.8%), and for subtype H5, H7 & H9 was 6.9% (95% CI: 10.8–23.0%), 0% (95% CI: 0–1.7%), and 62.0% (95% CI: 52.2–71.8%) respectively. However, none of the samples were positive for H7. The average flock size was 17.3 birds, and the main purpose of keeping poultry was for eggs/meat (70.6%, 95% CI: 59.7–81.4). A majority of them were reared in a semi-caged system (83%, 95% CI: 74.5–91.3). Backyard birds were received from different sources, that is, purchased from the market or received as a gift from friends or any NGO, and were 5.7 times more likely to become avian influenza (AI) seropositive than those that were not exposed to these sources (CI 95%: 2.0–716.0). Backyard birds which were received from different sources, that is, purchased from the market or received from friends or any NGO, were 5.7 times more likely to become AI seropositive compared to those that were not (CI 95%: 2.5–18.7). To reduce the risk of AIV in Pakistan, continuous surveillance of backyard poultry would be needed.

ON SAMPLING WITH PROBABILITY PROPORTIONAL TO SIZE WITH REPLACEMENT

ON SAMPLING WITH PROBABILITY PROPORTIONAL TO SIZE WITH REPLACEMENT

Estimation of finite population mean under PPS in presence of maximum and minimum values

<abstract> This article deals with the estimation of the finite population mean under probability proportional to size (PPS) sampling using information on the auxiliary variable along with the rank of the auxiliary variable. We propose a ratio, product and regression type estimators by incorporating the maximum and minimum values of the study variable and the auxiliary variable. The mathematical expressions of the proposed estimators are derived up to first order of approximation. Efficiency comparisons are made on the basis of real data sets. </abstract>

Hazardous use of alcohol among men in the tribal population of Jawadhi Hills, Tamil Nadu: Nature, prevalence, and risk factors.

Background:Worldwide, hazardous use of alcohol is common among many cultures and societies and adversely impacts families and communities, with significant morbidity and mortality. Scheduled Tribes (STs) who are socially deprived and marginalised have higher rates of alcohol use.Aim:We attempted to determine the nature, prevalence, and risk factors associated with hazardous consumption of alcohol in the tribal community.Methodology:A cross-sectional study was conducted among adult male and permanent residents of Jawadhi hills. A total of 1200 men were interviewed. Study participants were chosen by Probability Proportionate to Size (PPS) sampling method. The questionnaire that documented socio-demographic characteristics and patterns of alcohol use was used. AUDIT tool was used to assess the hazardous use of Alcohol. Data were analysed using SPSS.Results:Majority of the men were middle-aged, married, and were from lower socio-economic strata. A large proportion of men (65%) had a history of alcohol consumption in the last one year using one-year, of whom a quarter showed hazardous use (29%) and another quarter exhibited alcohol dependency (24%). Tobacco use, higher income and local alcohol production were found to be significant risk factors for Hazardous alcohol use.Conclusion:Alcohol consumption needs to be treated as a social problem and has to be tackled at the policy level. Population-based interventions, legislation, taxation, policies regarding the manufacture and sale of alcohol, are some of the ways to address this problem.

Socioeconomic Determinants of Income Inequality Among Smallholder Arable Crop Farmers in Nigeria

Income is one of the yardsticks for measuring standard of living, and the inequality in its distribution makes smallholder crop farmers more trapped in abject poverty. In this paper, we examined the influence of household income sources on the overall income inequality and the contributions of households' socioeconomic characteristics to income inequality. We sourced our data from the 2nd wave of LSMS-Integrated Surveys on Agriculture General Household Survey Panel 2012/2013 conducted by the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and the World Bank (WB). The survey used a two-stage sampling technique; the first stage involves the selection of Enumeration Areas (EAs), which represent the primary sampling unit, using probability proportional to size (PPS) of the EAs in each state and the FCT. A total number of 1888 smallholder crop farmers with complete information were considered for this study. The methods adopted in analyzing the data were: Gini-coefficient decomposition by income sources and regression-based factor decomposition of inequality. To better reflect households' welfare, we used per adult equivalent household income as an alternative to total income. The result showed that the total income was ₦249,874,122.90 ($1,588,418.6) with an average income per adult equivalent of ₦132,348.60 ($841.30). The Gini decomposition revealed that the overall Gini index is 0.713, which indicates high-income inequality among farming households. Among all the income sources considered, crop income, non-farm income, and transfer income decreased income inequality while livestock income increased income inequality. The regression-based decomposition shows that majority of the variables selected to represent the socioeconomic factors have an increasing effect on income inequality. In contrast, variables such as age, gender, marital status, farm size, education, and dependency ratio have a significant impact on the adult equivalent household income. This study recommends that a land redistribution policy that will increase the farm size of farmers to boost small-scale crop production is necessary to bridge the gap of income inequality, promotion of improved technologies that will enhance farm household productivity. Lastly, policymakers should lay more emphasis on the mobility of transfer income from within and outside the country to fight inequality, given its decreasing effects on the overall inequality.

A Structural Equation Model on Happiness among Adolescents in South Korea

Purpose This study was conducted to develop a unified structural model that defines relationships among the factors that affect happiness in adolescents in South Korea. Methods This study was performed using the dataset from the 2018 Korean Children and Youth Panel Survey (KCYPS). The study participants were 2590 adolescents recruited through probability proportional to size (PPS) sampling. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson’s correlation coefficient, and structural equation modeling to determine the factors that influence adolescents' happiness. Results Our proposed structural model demonstrated a fine fitness level. Our proposed structural model was also able to describe happiness for adolescents with 68.2% accuracy. Positive social support, high self-esteem, and low depression were confirmed as key factors that influence happiness among adolescents. Meanwhile, physical symptoms were not shown to influence happiness for adolescents in South Korea. Conclusion We suggest that intervention is required to increase happiness in adolescents. Specifically, there is a need for combinational interventions that help adolescents in South Korea increase their social support and self-esteem while reducing their depression. Key words: Happiness; Models; Structural; Adolescent; Social support 주요어: 행복감, 구조모형, ì²­ì†Œë „, ì‚¬íšŒì  지지

Iodine nutrition and prevalence of sonographic thyroid findings in adults in the Heilongjiang Province, China.

BackgroundThyroid disease and thyroid nodules are common clinical problems. Iodine nutrition plays an important role in thyroid disease evolution. Here, we aimed to estimate the iodine nutritional status and prevalence of thyroid disease in the adults of the Heilongjiang Province in northeast China.MethodsWe performed a cross-sectional ultrasound (US)-based survey on volunteers aged 20–70 years from 30 regions of the Heilongjiang Province. The participants were recruited using the probability proportional to size (PPS) method, and consent for US screening was obtained from them. The survey was performed by trained technicians using the same US equipment with a 6–15 MHz linear transducer (MyLab 30 cv, Italy) and was hosted in public community locations such as local hospitals and outpatient departments. Information on basic demographic characteristics, such as urinary iodine and iodine intake were collected. The age- and sex-adjusted prevalence of thyroid disease was determined through direct standardization and reported using the province’s population in 2016 as reference.ResultsFrom December 12, 2017, to March 10, 2019, 3,754 participants with a mean age of 48.65 (±12.39) years participated in the study. Of them, 3,643 had reliable urinary iodine data. The median urinary iodine and salt iodine concentrations within the normal range were 163.30 µg/L and 24.30 mg/kg, respectively. The age- and sex-adjusted prevalence of thyroid disease was 52.91%. Diffuse thyroid disease (DTD), focal thyroid lesions (FTL), and coexistence of both diseases were prevalent in 8.68%, 36.58%, and 7.65% of the participants, respectively. The prevalence of the five categories according to US-based survey features in the ACR TI-RADS (i.e., TR1, TR2, TR3, TR4, and TR5) was 7.71%, 14.53%, 3.44%, 14.82%, and 3.51%, and the prevalence of nodules that needed fine-needle aspiration was 2.55%.ConclusionsIn Heilongjiang Province, adults aged 20–70 years belong to the optimal iodine status. Further, the salt iodine levels are in the normal range. Thyroid diseases are highly prevalent in this age group; however, the intervention rate is low. We provided population-based estimates of the prevalence of thyroid disease and the iodine status in adults of Heilongjiang Province. These findings are useful to support effective intervention planning for thyroid disease.