Regional Inequality Research Articles

An innovative visual approach to the simultaneous study of two dimensions of progress in longevity: an application to French and German regions

BackgroundBoth enhancing life expectancy and decreasing inequalities in lifespan between social groups are significant goals for public policy. To date, however, methodological tools to study progress in both dimensions simultaneously have been lacking. There is also a consensus that absolute and relative inequalities in lifespan must be studied together.MethodsWe introduce a novel graphical representation that combines national mortality rates with both absolute and relative measures of social inequality in mortality. To illustrate our approach, we analyze French and German data stratified by place of residence.ResultsFor all-age mortality, in France we find a steady pace of decline in both mortality and in regional inequalities in mortality over recent decades. In Germany, substantial progress was made in the 1990s, mostly driven by convergence between eastern and western Germany, followed by a period of slower progress. Age-specific analyses for Germany reveal a worrying divergence in regional trends at ages 35–74 in recent years, which is particularly pronounced among women.ConclusionOur novel visual approach offers a way to simultaneously examine two dimensions of progress in longevity, and facilitates meaningful comparisons between populations, even when their current mortality rates differ. The applied methods can be easily reproduced in any country for which long-term mortality series stratified by region, or any relevant socioeconomic characteristic, are available. It is useful for both scientific analysis and policy advice.

Health workforce for oral health inequity: Opportunity for action.

Oral health is high on the global agenda following the adoption of the 2022 global strategy on oral health at the 75th World Health Assembly. Given the global burden of oral disease, workforce development to achieve universal health coverage [UHC] is crucial to respond to population needs within the non-communicable disease agenda. The aim of this paper is to present an overview of the oral health workforce [OHWF] globally in relation to key contextual factors. Data from the National Health Workforce Accounts and a survey of World Health Organization [WHO] member states were integrated for analysis, together with country-level data on population and income status. Data are presented using the WHO categorisation of global regions and income status categories established by the World Bank. Workforce densities for key OHWF categories were examined. Multiple regression was used to model workforce density and contextual influences. Challenges and possible solutions were examined by country income status. There are approximately 3.30 dentists per 10,000 population globally, and a combined OHWF [dentists, dental assistants/therapists and dental prosthetic technicians] of 5.31 per 10,000. Marked regional inequalities are evident, most notably between WHO European and African regions; yet both make greater use of skill mix than other regions. When adjusted by region, 'country income status' and 'population urbanization' are strong predictors of the workforce density of dentists and even more so for the combined OHWF. Maldistribution of the workforce [urban/rural] was considered a particular workforce challenge globally and especially for lower-income countries. Strengthening oral health policy was considered most important for the future. The global distribution of dentists, and the OHWF generally, is inequitable, with variable and limited use of skill mix. Creative workforce development is required to achieve the global oral health agenda and work towards equity using innovative models of care, supported by effective governance and integrated policies.

Measuring urban shrinkage in India using night-light data from DMSP-OLS and VIIRS-NPP satellite sensors

Urban shrinkage, an emerging phenomenon marked by a decline in city population, is experienced by both developed and developing countries. In Asia, India hosts a significant number of shrinking cities. Over traditional population measures, night-light data emerges as a great replacement for advanced measurement of socio-economic and demographic parameters without any constraint of time and administrative boundaries. This study aims to measure urban shrinkage in India using night-light data captured by DMSP/OLS and VIIRS satellite sensors, examine spatial patterns, and verify them using population-based estimates. Despite increased economic development and availability of electricity compared to 1990, there has been a reduction in night light reflection in many parts. The results show that 20 % of cities experienced urban shrinkage in India during 1992–2021. The shrinking cities cluster in eastern, southern, and northern zones, and the spatial pattern matches with population-based estimates. The paradox of urban shrinkage in India signals a need for the enhancement of urban policies and programs. Striving for balanced urban growth is crucial for fostering economic prosperity and reducing regional inequality. An inclusive development approach for all urban settlements may help address the premature issue of urban shrinkage in India and achieve sustainable development goals.

Weaknesses of the existing organization of emergency medical care in European countries

The importance of an emergency medical care system for ensuring affordable and quality healthcare in any country is indisputable. Studying and analyzing existing problems in organizing this system is the first step to solving them. The present study aimed to investigate and outline the possible scope of the problems of emergency medical care, their recurrence, and similarity in 17 European countries. Content analysis of documents was used. The most characteristic organizational problems in providing emergency medical care for each of the countries are identified and grouped into five categories: Direct patient access to hospital emergency departments; Overloading of emergency departments by non-urgent, self-referral patients; Telephone triage by dispatchers - nurses or assistants; Existing and/or impending shortage of doctors in Emergency Medical Services (EMS); Regional and social inequalities in access to emergency medical care. A quantitative measurement of the categories and their relative weight were reported. Based on the analysis, the conclusions of the study were drawn. The identified problems, grouped into categories of weaknesses of the existing emergency medical care organization in European countries, may serve as a basis for undertaking health care reforms.

Innovation Capacities of Mexican States

Objective: The objective of this study is to investigate the innovation performance of Mexican states to identify the factors that explain the unequal performance of Mexican states in terms of innovation generation. Theoretical Framework: The study design is based on the regional innovation capabilities (RICs) proposed by Muller et al (2008). Method: The impact of the RICs on the generation of innovations in Mexican states is analyzed using 17 indicators under a multiple regression model based on data from official Mexican sources for each of the 32 states. Results and Discussion: The results show that regional technology absorption capacity is the factor that has the greatest impact on the innovation performance of Mexico's states. Research Implications: These results highlight the relevance of factors associated with technological learning for the patenting rate performance of Mexican states. These implications could include the designers and decision-makers of public policies on science and technology, as well as the institutions that produce research and development. Originality/Value: This research can be a very particular reference for future research to address and propose new conceptual frameworks for the study of regional inequalities in the generation of innovations. In addition, this study evidences the need for greater availability of data related to innovation processes in the country.

Социальная поляризация и дифференциация доходов населения по оси «Север-Центр»

The article focuses on the problem of social polarization in the global context and on the level of particular countries. The subject of the study is the economic and social parameters of functioning mechanisms of territorial development in the conditions of existing instability and social risk. Income differentiation is considered as a key factor of social distancing of society and as a determinant of social instability. The authors compare data from reports of international economic organizations, statistical bulletins and publications of the scientific community. The proportions of income inequality are analyzed in the cross-country and intra-country contexts; as an example, the regional differentiation of the Russian Arctic territories, as well as the urban and rural population of China, are assessed. Dynamic changes in absolute and relative terms of living standard indicators confirm the hypothesis of increasing social polarization. The development of the Russian Arctic territories demonstrates an imbalance between the living standards of the population and the perceived quality of life, while the main trends of regional inequality in China have clear group characteristics. The identified patterns can be used to adjust social and regional policies, to determine the parameters of development strategies and the content of government programs and projects.

Analisis Faktor-faktor yang Mempengaruhi Ketimpangan Wilayah di Provinsi DKI Jakarta dan Provinsi Kalimantan Timur Tahun 2010-2020

Regional inequality is a development problem experienced by Indonesia. DKI Jakarta Province as the capital city of Indonesia and East Kalimantan Province which is designated as a candidate for the new capital city of Indonesia has a high inequality. This study aims to analyze the effect of investment, agglomeration, unemployment rate, primary sector GRDP distribution and road length on regional inequality in DKI Jakarta Province and East Kalimantan Province in 2010‒2020.This study uses the Ordinary Least Square (OLS) regression analysis method and uses a data processing tool in the form of the Eviews 10 application. The data used in this analysis is time series data in 2010-2020 obtained from the BPS, BPS DKI Jakarta and BPS Kalimantan Timur.The study indicates that in the Province of DKI Jakarta the investment variable has a positive and significant influence on regional inequality. The agglomeration variable, the unemployment rate has a negative and significant effect on regional inequality, while the primary sector GRDP distribution and road length variables have no significant effect on regional inequality. Meanwhile, in East Kalimantan Province, the variables of agglomeration, unemployment rate and distribution of GRDP in the primary sector have a positive and significant effect on regional inequality, while the investment variables and road length have no significant effect on regional inequality. Investment variables, agglomeration, unemployment rate, primary sector GRDP distribution and road length together have a positive and significant impact on regional inequality in DKI Jakarta Province and East Kalimantan Province in 2010-2020.

Exploring economic activity from outer space: A Python notebook for processing and analyzing satellite nighttime lights

Nighttime lights (NTL) data are widely recognized as a useful proxy for monitoring national, subnational, and supranational economic activity. These data offer advantages over traditional economic indicators such as GDP, including greater spatial granularity, timeliness, lower cost, and comparability between regions regardless of statistical capacity or political interference. However, despite these benefits, the use of NTL data in regional science has been limited. This is in part due to the lack of accessible methods for processing and analyzing satellite images. To address this issue, this paper presents a user-friendly geocomputational notebook that illustrates how to process and analyze satellite NTL images. First, the notebook introduces a cloud-based Python environment for visualizing, analyzing, and transforming raster satellite images into tabular data. Next, it presents interactive tools to explore the space-time patterns of the tabulated data. Finally, it describes methods for evaluating the usefulness of NTL data in terms of their cross-sectional predictions, time-series predictions, and regional inequality dynamics.

Introduction: Regional inequality and political discontent in Europe

ABSTRACT What is the relationship between regional inequality and political discontent in Europe? This special issue addresses this question by studying the influence of the subnational context. Specifically, it examines the impact of unequal social conditions and economic growth on political discontent with national and international politics, as expressed in political behaviour, public opinion and policy preferences. This introduction outlines a research agenda that establishes the context of the special issue. It explains the key concepts of interest, summarises significant empirical trends, outlines explanatory models and discusses methodological challenges. In addition to establishing the research agenda that serves as the analytical framework, this introduction also presents the core findings of the special issue and discusses broader implications for future research and practice.

Addressing Maternal Perinatal Mortality: State Responsibility in Primary Health Care in Perú

Using data from the Comprehensive Health Insurance, this study examined Primary Health Care (PHC) and disparities in maternal-perinatal health in Peru. Its primary goal was to assess how PHC affected the decline in high and persistent maternal and perinatal mortality. The investigation also encompassed regional inequities and unequal access to health services. The study used a technique that integrated a qualitative approach, a review of scientific literature, and data analysis. It made clear how crucial it is to address inequality characteristics such as sociocultural accessibility, geographic, and economic in order to enhance care in the nation. The findings demonstrate the necessity of resolving these disparities in order to improve prenatal and maternal care. The present study offers a robust basis for subsequent inquiries and the development of evidence-based health policies. The Ministerio de la Mujer y Poblaciones Vulnerables (2021) recommended changes in health policy, which this study supports in order to enhance the health of vulnerable people and reduce inequities in access to maternal-perinatal care. The study also highlights the critical necessity of PHC in Peru. Its primary contributions are to deepen our understanding of disparities in obstetric treatment and to set the stage for future studies and national health policy.

Closing the North–South divide, for good

Productivity is key to the regional inequalities in the UK. Following work published last year by Metro Dynamics1 on Greater Manchester, this paper seeks to understand productivity trends in neighbouring regions which have also managed to start to close the productivity gap in the decade to 2020. The paper also unpacks the differences in productivity trends within the North of England’s various economic sub-regions.

Levelling Up: Challenges and Opportunities in Addressing Regional Inequality

Levelling Up: Challenges and Opportunities in Addressing Regional Inequality

The attitudes of general practices towards clinical research.

During the financial year 2021/2022, the PANORAMIC study utilised the primary care setting to provide vital research into oral antivirals for COVID-19, recruiting more than 26 000 participants. Alongside the relentless work conducted by practices in supporting vaccine research, the number of GPs recruiting to National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) portfolio studies in England remains consistently around 45% year on year despite the support offered by the NIHR. This figure varies across regions, falling to 23% in Greater Manchester, and rising to 95% in Northwest London, in 2022/2023. These figures suggest a regional inequality in access to potentially life-changing research from primary care providers. To identify the barriers and challenges facing practices that reduce their likelihood of engaging in clinical research, as well as potential incentives and motivators that would support or encourage them to take part. Various factors must be considered as contributing to these figures, such as funding, regional deprivation, and the workload and workforce crisis; however, very little literature exists regarding GPs' attitudes towards research that is backed by data. To address this, a series of online and face-to-face data collection activities will take place, in Greater Manchester, and later from a sample of the GPs across all NIHR regions. Data collection to begin summer 2024. Knowledge gained from these activities will help inform researchers and research organisations, such as the NIHR, to provide support and opportunities for GPs across England, ensuring that more of the population has access to clinical research opportunities through their GP.

Measuring regional inequality using nightlight satellite data and population density for Nigeria

Measuring regional inequality using nightlight satellite data and population density for Nigeria

Promoting the Achievement of Carbon Neutrality Targets: Systematic Review of Research Dimensions and Measure Methods on Carbon Equity in China.

Carbon equity is the balance between carbon reduction responsibilities and development rights. The review of carbon equity in China can help it achieve carbon neutrality targets and provide valuable insights to other emerging countries. This study aimed to systematically sort, classify, compare, and prospect the research dimensions and measure methods for carbon equity. The research dimensions were first classified into intergenerational, regional, trade, and income carbon equity by literature analysis. Intergenerational carbon equity explores the balance of carbon emission rights among generations using integrated assessment models (IAM). Regional carbon equity analyzes the socioeconomic effect of regional carbon emission rights allocation by IAM or regional differences under a specific allocation assumption by the Theil index. Trade carbon equity studies the relationship between carbon emissions and economic benefit transfer embodied in inter-regional trade, which is more suitable for calculating by methods with comparable results, such as the optimized regional environmental inequality index. Income carbon equity investigates the carbon footprint heterogeneity among income groups by the carbon Gini coefficient. This paper further discusses potential research directions for each dimension. Notably, all research dimensions did not consider promoted strategies for carbon equity, which should be a priority for future studies.

Contemporary Slavery and Inequality in Brazil Pureza’s Complaint and Struggle

This article briefly presents the feature film Pureza, which is based on a true story, to help analyse the contemporary forms of slavery in Brazil that reveal the permanent movements of capital expropriation, noticeable in the exploitation and oppression of a race-based labour force characterized by patriarchy, that migrates in order to survive. In this sense, we examine regional inequalities, social polarization and the particular aspects of the Brazilian social formation for the discussion of contemporary slavery, which is seen as the most visible expression of superexploitation, as well as the result of the reinvention of hybrid forms of exploitation of the labour force.

Infrastructure Development and Regional Disparities

This paper delves into the intricate relationship between infrastructure development and regional disparities. Recognizing the pivotal role of infrastructure in catalyzing economic growth, this study investigates how uneven distribution and accessibility to infrastructure can exacerbate existing regional inequalities. Through an exploration of challenges and opportunities, the paper underscores the need for strategic planning and inclusive policies to ensure equitable infrastructure development. The research provides valuable insights for policymakers seeking to bridge the gap between urban and rural areas, fostering a more balanced and sustainable trajectory of development. As nations globally prioritize infrastructure investments, understanding and addressing regional disparities become imperative for fostering inclusive and resilient societies. Keywords: infrastructure development, economic growth, regional disparities

Regional Disparities in Prehospital Delay of Acute Ischemic Stroke: The Korean Stroke Registry.

Late hospital arrival keeps patients with stroke from receiving recanalization therapy and is associated with poor outcomes. This study used a nationwide acute stroke registry to investigate the trends and regional disparities in prehospital delay and analyze the significant factors associated with late arrivals. Patients with acute ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack between January 2012 and December 2021 were included. The prehospital delay was identified, and its regional disparity was evaluated using the Gini coefficient for nine administrative regions. Multivariate models were used to identify factors significantly associated with prehospital delays of >4.5 h. A total of 144,014 patients from 61 hospitals were included. The median prehospital delay was 460 min (interquartile range, 116-1912), and only 36.8% of patients arrived at hospitals within 4.5 h. Long prehospital delays and high regional inequality (Gini coefficient > 0.3) persisted throughout the observation period. After adjusting for confounders, age > 65 years old (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.23; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.19-1.27), female sex (aOR = 1.09; 95% CI, 1.05-1.13), hypertension (aOR = 1.12; 95% CI, 1.08-1.16), diabetes mellitus (aOR = 1.38; 95% CI, 1.33-1.43), smoking (aOR = 1.15, 95% CI, 1.11-1.20), premorbid disability (aOR = 1.44; 95% CI, 1.37-1.52), and mild stroke severity (aOR = 1.55; 95% CI, 1.50-1.61) were found to independently predict prehospital delays of >4.5 h. Prehospital delays were lengthy and had not improved in Korea, and there was a high regional disparity. To overcome these inequalities, a deeper understanding of regional characteristics and further research is warranted to address the vulnerabilities identified.

Analysis of Economic Growth, Regional Inequality and Poverty Levels among Provinces on The Island of Kalimantan

The economic growth of a region is reflected in GDP and GRDP. It is important to achieve economic growth and economic equality so that prosperity increases evenly. Economic inequality can cause social problems and risk regional disintegration. Even though high economic growth can occur, it does not always mean that people's welfare increases automatically, especially for the poor. Differences in development and infrastructure between regions also affect people's income. This research aims to examine the economic situation, regional inequality and poverty levels in Kalimantan Province. It is hoped that the results of this research will provide useful information for local governments in future policy making. This research is descriptive in nature and uses a qualitative approach to understand social phenomena through secondary data from the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) and related regional institutions. Economic growth in Kalimantan province experienced fluctuations during the 2014-2023 period. Although there are annual variations, in general there is an upward trend after 2020. The Williamson Index in Kalimantan province experienced small variations from year to year during the 2014-2023 period. The poverty level in Kalimantan province tends to vary from year to year during the 2014-2023 period.

Inovasi Perekonomian Digital dalam mengatasi Disparitas Regional Strategi Baru dalam Kebijakan Perekonomian di Indonesia

This research explores a new approach in Indonesia's economic strategy that specifically prioritizes digital economic innovation as a tool to address regional inequality. The background to the problem highlights the gaps in economic development in various regions in Indonesia and the importance of economic transformation through the use of digital technology. The literature study in this research presents a conceptual framework that describes the relationship between digital economic innovation, economic policy, and efforts to mitigate regional imbalances. The research process involved secondary data analysis, surveys, and interviews with relevant stakeholders. The research results show that the integration of digital economic innovation in economic policy has the potential to reduce regional imbalances by accelerating economic growth, creating job opportunities, and supporting market penetration for local companies. Conclusion, This research makes an important contribution to the development of future-oriented, data-based and technology-focused policies to address regional inequality, accelerate equitable economic growth and improve the welfare of the Indonesian population. Keywords: Regional Disparity, Economy, Digital Economy