Respondent Socioeconomic Characteristics Research Articles

Evaluating the role of spatial landscape literacy in public participation processes and opinions on environmental issues and ecosystem services.

Little is known about how spatial literacy influences mapping and decision-making related to environmental management and ecosystem services. We assessed the role of spatial landscape literacy in participatory environmental management and ecosystem service assessments in peri-urban Bogota, Colombia. Spatial landscape literacy (SL) was evaluated by testing stakeholder's ability to locate specific landscapes and landmarks. We then assessed if opinions on environmental decisions and ecosystem services were significantly related to SL. We used an online instrument to capture 2,397 respondent's socioeconomic characteristics, SL, ecosystem service perceptions, and opinions concerning relevant environmental issues. We evaluated and measured respondents' self-perceived SL and ability to locate four landscapes in an integrated online map. Positional accuracy was calculated using a Spatial Landscape Literacy Index (SLI). We then tested for effects of socio-demographics on SLI, modeled the relationship between socio-demographics and SL, and tested the relationship between respondents' SL and their opinions on relevant environmental issues and ecosystem services. We found that about 75% of the respondents correctly located 2 of the 4 landscapes. The SLI model was also poorly predicted by socio-demographic variables. However, we found significant relationships between SLI and opinions concerning the environment. No relationship was found between respondents' levels of active participation in local governance and SLI. Overall, SL was little affected by education levels. Participatory processes using maps should ideally measure SL and not assume a priori that participants are spatially literate. Further research is needed to evaluate how spatial technologies and understanding stakeholder's values towards the environment can democratize participatory-based decision-making.

Effects of Ebola Virus Disease Outbreak on Bush Meat Enterprise and Environmental Health Risk Behavior Among Households in South-East Nigeria.

The 2014 disease outbreak in West Africa of the Ebola virus was the longest, largest, deadliest, and most complex epidemic of its kind in history. It was believed to have originated from bushmeat consumption and exhibited sustained human-to-human transmission. We assessed the effects of the virus outbreak in West Africa on bushmeat enterprise and environmental health risk behaviors among households in Nigeria. We adopted a multistage sampling technique to select 100 respondents. We structured two sets of questionnaires for both bushmeat sellers and consumers. The questionnaire contained information about the respondent’s socioeconomic characteristics; perceived causes of the Ebola outbreak; risk behaviors; level of sales; and consumption before, during, and after the Ebola outbreak. We found a significant decrease in the levels of sales and consumption of bushmeat during the outbreak. Consumers perceived touching an infected person, but not eating bushmeat, as a significant mode of Ebola transmission. Although respondents knew about some practices that help to prevent Ebola, they did not practice these to a reasonable extent. We also found that females were 25% more likely than males to consume bushmeat during the outbreak. Given these findings, we recommend that the government should sensitize people and educate them on risk prevention behaviors they should adopt to prevent the transmission of the Ebola disease.

Prevalence and risk factors of postpartum depression within one year after birth in urban slums of Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Postpartum depression (PPD) is a serious pubic health concern and known to have the adverse effects on mother’s perinatal wellbeing; and child’s physical and cognitive development. There were limited literatures on PPD in Bangladesh, especially in urban slum context. The aim of this study was to assess the burden and risk factors of PPD among the urban slum women. A cross-sectional study was conducted between November-December 2017 in three urban slums on 376 women within first 12 months of postpartum. A validated Bangla version of Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale was used to measure the depression status. Respondent’s socio-economic characteristics and other risk factors were collected with structured validated questionaire by trained interviewers. Unadjusted Prevalence Ratio (PR) and Adjusted Prevalence Ratio (APR) were estimated with Generalized Linear Model (GLM) and Generalized Estimating Equation (GEE) respectively to identify the risk factors of PPD. The prevalence of PPD was 39.4% within first 12 months following the child birth. Job involvement after child delivery (APR = 1.9, 95% CI = 1.1, 3.3), job loss due to pregnancy (APR = 1.5, 95% CI = 1.0, 2.1), history of miscarriage or still birth or child death (APR = 1.4, 95% CI = 1.0, 2.0), unintended pregnancy (APR = 1.8, 95% CI = 1.3, 2.5), management of delivery cost by borrowing, selling or mortgaging assets (APR = 1.3, 95% CI = 0.9, 1.9), depressive symptom during pregnancy (APR = 2.5, 95% CI = 1.7, 3.8) and intimate partner violence (APR = 2.0, 95% CI = 1.2, 3.3), were identified as risk factors. PPD was not associated with poverty, mother in law and any child related factors. The burden of postpartum depression was high in the urban slum of Bangladesh. Maternal mental health services should be integrated with existing maternal health services. Research is required for the innovation of effective, low cost and culturally appropriate PPD case management and preventive intervention in urban slum of Bangladesh.

Impact of socioeconomic characteristics local community on forests outside protected areas of Sudan

This study investigates the relationship between some respondent's socioeconomic characteristics and forests’ uses in the Nuba Mountains region of Sudan. A total of 100 respondents were randomly selected from 4 localities. Data were obtained through interview schedule and observation. Frequency distribution, means and standard deviation, independent T-test, correlation and analysis of variance (ANOVA) methods were used for data analysis. On a 5 point scale, the study results revealed that 64% of respondents were highly dependent on forest to obtained fuel wood with mean 3.3 and SD 1.0702. There is a negative correlation statistically significant between respondent's income and forest's uses for building materials, grazing, hunting, and charcoal and beekeeping. No significant correlation between income level and forest's uses for fuel wood, furniture and entertainment. The findings also revealed significant and negative relationship between some forests’ uses not significantly correlated to forest's distance. Independent T-Test results revealed statistically significant differences, and/or non-significance between male and female in for forests’ such as fuel wood, building materials, furniture and others . Results also identified statistically significant and/or not significant differences between rural and urban residence in forests uses for some variables. One-way analysis of variance identified factors that are significantly and/or not significantly affect forests’ uses regarding respondents’ occupations. The study recommended introduction of relevant forestry management systems, extension activities on development and forest protection, adoption and dissemination of alternative energy sources such as cooking gas and others.

Local environment characteristics associated with walking and taking transit to shopping districts

Mixed logit modeling was used to identify local environment characteristics associated with walking and taking public transit to and from shopping districts. The analysis was based on 388 intercept survey responses and local environment data from 20 San Francisco Bay Area shopping districts. This study makes methodological advances by 1) evaluating an extensive set of explanatory variables (travel time and cost, socioeconomic characteristics, attitudes, perceptions, and local environment characteristics) within the same modeling process and 2) analyzing shopping mode choice within a tour-based framework. Travel time, travel cost, and respondent socioeconomic characteristics had expected relationships with mode choice. Walking to and from shopping districts was associated with shorter trip distances (i.e., shorter travel time relative to other modes). Transit use was associated with shopping district population density and proximity to a transit station. Automobile use was discouraged by higher employment densities and smaller parking lots. The results support strategies such as developing high-density, mixed-use activity hubs; reducing surface parking; and increasing the price of on-street parking to increase walking and taking transit to shopping districts.

Information and communication technologies as drivers of growth: experience from selected small-scale businesses in rural southwest Nigeria

The pervasiveness of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) from cell phones to low cost videos, digital cameras, television, internet and laptops to mention just a few has transformed the lives of many especially the rural folks. Recent advances in ICTs have resulted in expanding existing jobs and creating new opportunities some of which were unimaginable only a few decades ago. The result has been significant worldwide and especially in developing countries like Nigeria where over three-quarter of her inhabitants rely on small-scale non-farm businesses and agriculture as means of livelihood. ICTs have therefore become an indispensable tool in fighting poverty and actualizing pro-poor growth. The result presented here relied on data collected from a random sample of 350 small-scale business owners in Southwest Nigeria. Analysis of respondents� socioeconomic characteristics revealed average age to be 44 years. Respondents� distribution by educational status showed that only about one-quarter were educated up to tertiary level with about 43% having no formal education. Occupational distribution of respondents showed farming as the highest employer of labour providing livelihood for over 67% of those interviewed. Analysis of available ICTs facilities revealed mobile phones, internet, television, radio, video cameras, digital cameras and cam-coders as the most widely used. Results further indicated cost reduction, ease of marketing and a quantum leap in the incomes of small-scale business owners as outcomes of ICTs penetration in the study area. Ranking of livelihood activities showed that small-scale businesses like trading, carpentry, brick-laying, barbing/hair-dressing, okada riding, carhiring, video clubbing, and vulcanizing as the most patronized. It is therefore suggested that effort should be intensified at building capacity of respondents through education. This is because education enhances adoption of new technologies and earning potentials of people. Improvement in the existing state of infrastructures should be made a policy priority to enhance accessibility to and affordability of ICTs.

EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON POULTRY PRODUCTION IN ONDO STATE, NIGERIA

The study assesses the effects of climate change on poultry production in Ondo State, Nigeria. Eighty three (83) poultry farmers were interviewed to elicit relevant information in line with the objectives of the study. Descriptive statistics and inferential statistical tools were used for data analysis. Findings revealed that majority (93.3%) of the are aware of climate change, 78%, 98.8% and 86.7% of the agreed that temperature fluctuation, increased in sunshine intensity and global warming has a negative effects on poultry production, 72.4% of the agreed that prices of feed grains are usually high in hot and dry seasons which may affect cost of production and number of birds to raise for egg and meat production in the farm, 73.5% of the agreed that climate change has effect on feed grain availability, this implies that high temperature and low rainfall are climatic factors that affect general grain harvest, their supply to the market and ultimately cost of poultry production. the findings further revealed that 94% of the agreed that climate change affects egg and meat production pattern and 95.2% of the agreed that moist climatic conditions encouraged the distribution and development of diseases. Infrential statistics shows that there is a significant relationship between respondents socio-economic characteristics and perception of poultry farmers on effects of climate change on poultry production since p > 0.05 (r = 0.454, p= 0.001), the findings also shows that there is a significant relationship between socio-economic characteristics of and their level of awareness of climate change since the p > 0.05 (r = 0.652, p = 0.001). it is recomended extension agents and other development agencies need to educate the poultry farmers more about the effects posed by climate change on poultry production and intensify awareness campaign to poultry farmers on how to reduce the effects of climate change on poultry production.

Willingness to use and pay for options of care for community-dwelling older people in rural Vietnam

BackgroundThe proportion of people in Vietnam who are 60 years and over has increased rapidly. The emigration of young people and impact of other socioeconomic changes leave more elderly on their own and with less family support. This study assesses the willingness to use and pay for different models of care for community-dwelling elderly in rural Vietnam.MethodsIn 2007, people aged 60 and older and their family representatives, living in 2,240 households, were randomly selected from the FilaBavi Demographic Surveillance Site. They were interviewed using structured questionnaires to assess dependence in activities of daily living (ADLs), willingness to use and to pay for day care centres, mobile care teams, and nursing centres. Respondent socioeconomic characteristics were extracted from the FilaBavi repeated census. Percentages of those willing to use models and the average amount (with 95% confidence intervals) they are willing to pay were estimated. Multivariate analyses were performed to measure the relationship of willingness to use services with ADL index and socioeconomic factors. Four focus group discussions were conducted to explore people's perspectives on the use of services. The first discussion group was with the elderly. The second discussion group was with their household members. Two other discussion groups included community association representatives, one at the communal level and another at the village level.ResultsUse of mobile team care is the most requested service. The fewest respondents intend to use a nursing centre. Households expect to use services for their elderly to a greater extent than do the elderly themselves. Willingness to use services decreases when potential fees increase. The proportion of respondents who require that services be free-of-charge is two to three times higher than the proportion willing to pay full cost. Households are willing to pay more than the elderly for day care and nursing centres. The elderly are more willing to pay for mobile teams than are their households. Age group, sex, literacy, marital status, living arrangement, living area, working status, poverty, household wealth and dependence in ADLs are factors related to willingness to use services.ConclusionsCommunity-centric elderly care will be used and partly paid for by individuals if it is provided by the government or associations. Capacity building for health professional networks and informal caregivers is essential for developing formal care models. Additional support is needed for the most vulnerable elderly to access services.

Efficiency of onions marketing Ikeduru rural markets of Owerri area, Imo State, Nigeria

This study examined the performance of onions marketing in Ikeduru rural markets of Owerri area of Imo State, Nigeria. The study measured market structure using gross margin analysis and the productive efficiency using the production function analysis. Percentages and means were used to measure the respondents socioeconomic characteristics. Samples of 120 respondents were used. The study revealed that the respondents had a mean age of 37.2 years, 5 years in formal school and 15 years experience in onions marketing. Trading stock and transportation contributed the highest to total variable cost with 82.48% and nine percent respectively. A gross margin of 14.14% of sales receipts or 16.47% total variable costs was realized. The productive efficiency as measured by the production function showed that onions' marketing in Ikeduru rural markets was in the early stage one of the production surface with a return to scale of 0.8824. This means inefficiency in the application and use of the productive marketing resources. The implication of these results is that as long as resources are not fully used and appropriately applied in onions marketing, the respondents would continue to earn low profit in the structurally inefficient rural markets with its attendant poverty related implications. Variables such as trading stock, transportation cost, educational attainment, marketing experience, index of relative importance of onion in the food system and storage and security were found to have positive and significant effect on sales receipts of the onion marketers. International Journal of Natural and Applied Sciences Vol. 2(1) 2006: 55-60

Potential Impact of the Mass Media on Family Planning in an Urban Community in South Western Nigeria

Context: The role of radio and television message is an important factor in creating and changing the values, ideas and attitudes of people in Public Health. Fertility regulation in Nigeria is still yet to meet the optimum level. Objectives: The research therefore is designed to assess the role of mass media, radio and television in family planning messages. Study Design, Setting and Subjects: The study involved 503 females and males of child bearing age at Ife Central District, South Western of Nigeria. Information on respondents socio-economic characteristics family planning practices, their knowledge and attitude, source of information and use of family planning methods including habits and media preference of the respondent were also collected. Results: Radio was found to be the most common source of information. Fifty-three percent reported that they got family planning messages through the radio as against 10.1% through the television in spite of the fact that 68.5% of the respondents had television and 89.1% had radio. Seventy-two percent of the respondents had never visited family planning clinic. The most favourite programme on T.V. was drama while that of the radio was the news. Conclusion: The need to intensify and integrate family planning message into television drama and radio news was identified as this could play a significant role in family planning. Key Words: Family Planning Messages, Radio, Television, Mass Media. [ Trop J Obstet Gynaecol, 2004;21:88-90]

Using factor analysis to identify consumer preferences for the protection of a natural area in Portugal

This paper focuses on the application of factor analysis so as to identify consumer preferences for the protection of a Natural Area. We combine the use of factor analysis with the valuation data obtained by contingent valuation survey. The survey, conducted via in-person questionnaires in 1997, is targeted at the economic valuation of the protection benefits of the Parque Natural Alentejano e Costa Vicentina, a natural protected area along the southwest coastline of Portugal. Factor analysis results show that the consumer is characterized by a three-factor motivational structure: use, warm glow and non-use motivation factor, respectively. We introduce these motivation factors, together with the respondent's socio-economic characteristics, in the economic valuation function of such natural protected area. Estimation results show that consumer motivation factors have an econometrically robust role. Therefore, consumer motivations are interpreted as crucial information for accurate social cost-benefit analysis of alternative protection scenarios, and thus serve as an important cornerstone in designing an effective and broadly accepted management policy for the Parque Natural Alentejano e Costa Vicentina.

Decomposing the Black‐White Wealth Gap: The Role of Parental Resources, Inheritance, and Investment Dynamics

Much research has shown that even after controlling for income, African Americans suffer from drastically lower net worths than their white counterparts; these differences in net worth have important implications for the overall well‐being of blacks and whites. If not directly from labor market disadvantages–i.e., income differentials–then from what does this racial gap in wealth arise? The current study assesses two complementary accounts of this race difference in asset holdings. The first, the historical legacy thesis, suggests that net wealth differences in the current generation are largely a result of discrimination in past generations; that is, they can be traced to the “head start” that whites have enjoyed in accumulating assets and passing them on. The second theory, the contemporary dynamics thesis, holds that current dynamics of institutional racism in the housing and credit markets are more responsible for the gap. The current study tests the relative impact of multi‐generational forces and contemporary property and credit dynamics by using two‐generational data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics. It finds that parental wealth and income levels and inheritance all have a significant impact on the wealth levels of the current generation net of respondent socioeconomic characteristics; however, parental wealth and inheritance fail to explain the black‐white gap. Further, this study shows that even predicting net worth from that same family's net worth five years prior (also controlling for savings during the interim), there remains a significantly negative effect of African American race. However, breaking out initial net worth into asset types shows that it may be different investment types and returns that explain the difference in asset accumulation over a five‐year period.

The Effects of Parental Divorce on Adult Tobacco and Alcohol Consumption

I use data from the 1977-1994 National Opinion Research Council General Social Survey to examine the impact of parental divorce on the alcohol and tobacco consumption of adult offspring. Divorce greatly increases the likelihood of being a smoker and, for men, a problem drinker. Parental remarriage completely offsets the effects of parental divorce on men's drinking but does not substantially affect cigarette use. Respondent socioeconomic characteristics accounted for a portion of the relationship between parental divorce and smoking but did not affect rates of problem drinking. Social control and psychosocial adjustment--two established explanations for the effects of parental divorce--could not adequately explain my findings.

An index and model of human response to air quality.

This study undertook an empirical Investigation of human response to air quality. Home interviews of 475 respondents living in 22 neighborhoods of Los Angeles County had elicited information on respondent socioeconomic characteristics, behavioral patterns, and measures of human response to air quality. This data base was then augmented with nine measures of actual air quality for six time frames for each neighborhood. An observer-based air quality index (OBAQI) was constructed based upon which combination of air quality variables correlated best with the percentage of neighborhood respondents who perceived “smoggy air.” The best combination (OBAQI 3) consisted of prevailing visibility, O3, and SO2, each measured as the annual number of days that a selected standard had been equalled or exceeded. Subsequently, multiple regression models were constructed using this index as a predictor of aggregated perception of air quality. In addition to a general model for all neighborhoods, separate models were constru...