Rural Dwellers Research Articles

Audience awareness of radio messages on adopting malaria preventive measures among rural dwellers in Oyo state, Nigeria

Purpose This study aims to examine the audience awareness of radio messages on malaria prevention and how these messages have influenced the adoption of malaria preventive measures among rural dwellers in Oyo State, Nigeria. Design/methodology/approach This research adopted a mixed-method approach, combining surveys and qualitative focus group discussions to gather data on respondents’ attitudes, knowledge and practices related to malaria prevention. The authors used Frequency distribution involving tables to present quantitative data, while we deployed thematic analysis to present qualitative data. Findings Results showed that most rural dwellers (86.5%) were exposed to malaria prevention radio messages. However, findings indicated that awareness alone did not influence the adoption of malaria preventive measures; instead, a positive attitude toward messages influenced the adoption of the malaria preventive measures. Practical implications Radio stations should tailor their messaging to address daily malaria difficulties while considering the target audience’s culture and belief systems. Also efforts should be directed at developing messages that promote awareness and build favorable attitudes toward preventative measures. Finally, radio stations, government agencies and health-care professionals must work together to guarantee that malaria prevention messages are effectively distributed. Originality/value The originality of this study comes from its unique ability to examine audience awareness of radio messages, mainly as it influences the adoption of malaria preventive measures.

Cardiovascular disease risk perception among community-dwelling adults in southwest Nigeria: A mixed-method study.

The rising prevalence of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) remains a global concern. In Nigeria, the current prevalence of CVD was 76.11% with its attendance burden. The CVD risk perception of individuals is a precursor to the desired lifestyle modification necessary for CVD prevention and management. This study assessed the CVD risk perception and sociodemographic determinants among rural and urban dwellers in southwest Nigeria. The study employed a convergent parallel mixed-methods design involving concurrent data collection. The participants' CVD risk perception was obtained using the Perception of Risk of Heart Disease Scale (quantitative data) and a validated focus group discussion (FGD) guide (qualitative data). Quantitative analysis was completed using descriptive statistics, Phi, Cramer's V, and multivariate linear regression, while the FGD was thematically analysed. The quantitative study involved 1,493 participants (62.4% women) with a mean age of 46.90±15.65 years, while the FGD involved 53 participants (52.8% women) with a mean age of 50.10±13.5 years. Over a quarter (28%) of the participants had a poor CVD risk perception; the mean score was 44.40±8.07. Rural residents had a significantly poorer CVD risk perception than their urban counterparts (Mean difference = -3.16, p<0.001). Having tertiary education (β = 0.100, p < 0.001), living in urban areas (β = 0.174, p<0.001), and living in Lagos (β = 0.074, p = 0.013) and in Oyo, other than Ogun state (β = -0.156, p<0.001) significantly predicted having a good perception of CVD risk. FGD produced three themes: knowledge about CVD, CVD risk factors, and CVD prevention. Participants had a fair understanding of the causes and prevention of CVD. Yet, a substantial portion underestimated their own risk of developing CVD, particularly rural dwellers and people with lower education. More public health education is required to improve the CVD risk perception in southwestern Nigeria.

Retraction: Exploring rural inhabitants' perceptions towards food wastage during COVID-19 lockdowns: Implications for food security in Pakistan.

Retraction: Exploring rural inhabitants' perceptions towards food wastage during COVID-19 lockdowns: Implications for food security in Pakistan.

Characteristics of Breast Cancer Patients Who Refused Conventional Treatment in a Teaching Hospital in Southwestern Nigeria

Background Patients’ adherence to treatment recommendations is in the form of a spectrum: complete adherence or total rejection of the offered standard treatments. The aim of this study was to describe the characteristics of breast cancer patients who refused standard treatments in order to engender a focused intervention. Methods This was a retrospective study of breast cancer patients from 2017-2022. Data generated were analyzed using SPSS version 23.0. The results were presented using descriptive statistics. Inferential statistics for subgroup analysis was by chi-square test or risk difference with confidence intervals Results Among 343 patients, 86 (25% (95% CI 21-30) did not initiate conventional oncologic treatment. All were females and their age range was 33–83 years (mean, 49.9±12.0 years). The majority of the women were married (73%), educated (79%), low-income earners (69%), rural dwellers (63%) with advanced disease (81%). None of the patients had government insurance. The mean duration of symptoms was 11.9±9.7 months. Among 71patients with vital information, 50 (70% (95%CI 58-71) were confirmed dead in the last 3 years. The probability of death within 3 years was 38% (95%CI 8.0-68%) and was higher among those diagnosed as late-stage disease. Conclusions A large number of patients still fail to accept conventional treatments after breast cancer diagnosis. Understanding the patients’ characteristics may be necessary to recognize situations where active education and support can help patients accept standard treatment thereby prolonging survival.

Optimizing rural waste management: Leveraging high-resolution remote sensing and GIS for efficient collection and routing

Accurate assessment of distribution patterns and dynamic insights into rural populations is pivotal for comprehending domestic waste generation, recycling, and transportation in rural territories. Given that the dispersion of rural inhabitants exhibits minimal variation and maintains stability, this research endeavors to establish a pragmatic model for rural domestic waste collection and routing, leveraging the capabilities of very high-resolution remote sensing combined with geographic information system (GIS) techniques. Specifically, the Dilated LinkNet model was employed to discern features such as buildings, roads, water bodies, farmlands, and forests from the high-resolution remote sensing imagery. A novel multiple K-means clustering approach was devised for building segmentation. Within these clusters, an assortment of spatial regulations and evaluations facilitated the judicious selection of environmentally-conscious waste collection sites (WCSs). The Pointer Network, augmented with reinforcement learning, executed a traveling salesman analysis on these chosen WCSs, yielding the optimal collection trajectory. Validated in Huangtu Town, a quintessential rural region in China, our model manifested superior recognition precision, recording IoU accuracies of 0.902, 0.926, 0.933, 0.891, and 0.849 for buildings, roads, water bodies, farmlands, and forests respectively. Notably, when compared to our field survey data, the optimized daily collection route in a rural context decreased from 256.40 km before optimization to 140.44 km, reflecting a substantial reduction of 45.23% in total distance. This study furnishes an effective model that relies solely on information from remote-sensing images for efficient rural waste collection and extends invaluable insights to planners and administrators in the realm of rural and township waste management.

Rural versus urban healthcare through the lens of health behaviors and access to primary care: a post-hoc analysis of the Romanian health evaluation survey

BackgroundWorldwide, rural populations are recognized to be exposed to increased health challenges due to their living and working environment, socioeconomic status, and access to health services. According to the Romanian Country Health Profile 2023, approximately 46% of all deaths recorded in Romania in 2019 could be attributed to behavioral risk factors such as tobacco smoking, dietary risks, alcohol consumption and low physical activity. No data on rural versus urban areas are available to date, and research is needed to document health inequalities, identify barriers to health services, and explore solutions.MethodsThis study is an analysis of data collected during the Health Evaluation Survey carried out by the National Institute of Public Health in 2022 and aimed to reveal differences in health risk factors between rural and urban areas. The analysis was carried out under the methodological framework of the Health Evaluation Survey 2022, which is coordinated by the National Institute of Public Health.ResultsOur study’s objectively measured data revealed that the overall health profile of rural communities is characterized by lower education levels, lower incomes, and higher binge drinking rates than those of their urban counterparts. Additionally, rural inhabitants more often have high blood pressure, are more overweight and obese (per body mass index measurements) and have higher fasting plasma glucose. The health profile of the urban population revealed higher education levels and greater proportions of people with adequate monthly income, people with daily alcohol consumption, people who smoke, and people with hypercholesterolemia. Access to primary health care evaluated through proxy indicators was lower in rural areas but was relatively good overall.ConclusionsOur analysis of the health profile of rural communities revealed a greater prevalence of obesity and overweight, especially among women, and an increased prevalence of heavy drinking among men. Access to primary health care evaluated through proxy indicators is lower in rural areas but is relatively good overall. Lower education levels and the possibility of lower health literacy underpin the need for targeted health education campaigns. Sustainable strategies for rural health need to be identified, especially in the field of health promotion and disease prevention programs.Trial registrationThis study is observational research involving human participants where no interventions were applied to the study population.

PERFORMANCE MEASURES OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES IN IFELODUN LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF KWARA STATE

The study assessed the performance measures of rural development strategies in Ifelodun LGA of Kwara State. The instruments used in this study are questionnaires, key informant interviews, and observation. The adopted sample size for the study is 384 persons. Simple random sampling was used to distribute questionnaires proportionally to the nine districts according to population size. Data analysis for this research was descriptive and inferential. Multiple regression analysis was used to measure the performance of development strategies in the study area. The result from the socio-economic characteristics of respondents revealed that 66% of the respondents were male, while 34% were female. Most (51.3%) of the respondents are within the age bracket of 31-45 years. It was also observed that over 90% of the respondents have attained one level of formal education or the other and apart from 17.13% and 28.73% that engage in civil service and business enterprises other than farming, 44.20% of the respondents are solely farmers and 94.5% earn above ₦20,000 monthly. Furthermore, the State Government was the major contributor to health, transport, agriculture, and education with a percentage contribution of 28.2%, 30.4%, 29.6%, and 44.8% respectively. The regression analysis result revealed that 82% of the impact of development strategies implemented in the study area could be explained by the transport, health, and agricultural sectors. Therefore, the study recommends that the federal government be more involved in the development of the study area and rural dwellers should be involved in the initiation, planning, and execution of development programs.

Atypical neonatal cutaneous myiasis: A diagnostic challenge mimicking pustular rash in a resource-limited setting.

Neonatal cutaneous myiasis is a rare disease in newborns. Although it is unlikely, the level of suspicion for this condition should be high, especially in tropical regions. Treatment may deviate from the standard approach when necessary, and chemical debridement can be considered, particularly for smaller lesions. Ultimately, clinical judgment plays a key role in decision-making. Myiasis is the infestation of the skin of a mammal by larvae or maggots. The skin is the most affected organ. However, it can also affect other organs of the body. Gasterophilus and Hypoderma are two flies that produce creeping myiasis, a type of cutaneous myiasis our patient had. The infestation is common in Sub-Saharan Africa and most especially among rural dwellers. We report on a case of a 7-day-old term neonate who reported to St. Mary's Hospital Lacor, a Private-not-for-Profit hospital situated in the Northern region of Uganda, who was admitted as a case of neonatal sepsis with a focus on the skin initially, however, while on the ward was eventually diagnosed with Cutaneous Myiasis. The management plan included chemical debridement with Hydrogen peroxide, IV antibiotics, and other supportive therapies, and the neonate was ultimately discharged home after 9 days in the NICU. This case report aims to inform healthcare workers of the importance of heightening the index of suspicion of myiasis for neonates who present with sudden-onset rash that can resemble pustules and be mistaken for a pustular rash. Additionally, chemical debridement, in this case, underscores the importance of an innovative approach to managing cutaneous myiasis in resource-limited settings. Mass education and awareness programs focusing on proper hygiene practices, safe handling of newborns, and early recognition of symptoms can help mitigate the risk of myiasis.

HIV-related perceived stigma and internalized stigma among people living with HIV/AIDS in Africa: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

HIV-related stigma has significant adverse impacts on people living with HIV/AIDS, such as psychological distress, decreased quality of life, a reluctance to get screened and treated, and a reluctance to disclose their status due to fear of stereotypes or rejection. To determine the pooled prevalence and factors associated with HIV-related perceived stigma and internalized stigma among people living with HIV/AIDS in Africa. Articles that assessed the prevalence and associated factors of HIV-related perceived stigma and internalized stigma were reviewed. PubMed, EMBASE, Google Scholar, African Journal Online, CINAHL, and Science Direct were the databases used to search the primary studies. The data was extracted through a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet and exported to STATA version 14 for further analysis. The I2 test was applied to test heterogeneity, whereas Egger's test and funnel plot were used to check publication bias. In this study, the total sample size was 28,355 (for perceived stigma) and 22,732 (for internalized stigma). The overall pooled prevalence of HIV-related perceived stigma and internalized stigma was determined to be 41.23% and 35.68%, respectively. Based on the subgroup analysis results, the highest pooled prevalence of perceived stigma was observed in Nigeria (50.04%), followed by Ethiopia (41.72%), while the highest prevalence of internalized stigma was observed in Ethiopia (56.13%), followed by Cameroon (44.66%). Females (OR = 1.63: 1.31, 2.02) and rural dwellers (OR = 1.93: 1.36, 2.74) had more odds of experiencing HIV-related perceived stigma. This study concluded that four in ten and more than one-third of people living with HIV/AIDS suffered from perceived and internalized stigma. Thus, special considerations must be given to women and rural dwellers. It is recommended to implement multi-level interventions and foster empowerment and support for individuals living with HIV.

Simulated GP clinic closure: effects on patient access in the Irish Mid-West.

Rural communities can experience more barriers to accessing health care than their urban counterparts, largely due to fewer healthcare staff and services, and geographical isolation. The purpose of this study is to examine the availability of GP practices in rural communities across the Mid-West of Ireland and the potential impact of practice closure on patient access. GP clinic locations were identified in Ireland's Mid-West, specifically counties Limerick and Clare. Administrative subdivisions of both counties, Small Areas (SAs), were identified and their XY geographic centre coordinates recorded. SAs were indexed into six levels of rurality according to Irish Central Statistics Office urban/rural classifications (1, cities; 2, satellite urban towns; 3, independent urban towns; 4, rural areas with high urban influence; 5, rural areas with moderate urban influence; 6, highly rural/remote areas). The direct linear distance from the centre of each SA to its respective closest GP clinic was calculated. Simulated closure of each GP clinic was assessed programmatically by removing practices from the overall dataset and calculating the new direct linear distance from each SA to the next closest GP clinic. The majority of the SAs in County Clare (63%) and County Limerick (66%) are classified as rural (rurality index &ge;4), with the exception of Limerick City, where all SAs were defined as urban. Rural SAs have longer travel distances to GP clinics than their urban counterparts, and these distances are greater with increasing rurality of a population. Simulated closure of GP clinics revealed increasing travel distances to the next closest clinic with increasing level of rurality in a stepwise fashion (r2=0.31). Rural community dwellers across the Mid-West of Ireland face longer travel distances to GP clinics than their urban counterparts. Thus rural communities will be, on average, more adversely affected should their local GP clinic close. While these findings are unsurprising, our methodology calculates a discrete number that can be used to rank vulnerability of local communities. Rural areas are particularly vulnerable to GP clinic closure, and maintaining a solid foundation of primary care in these areas will require careful service and workforce planning.

VirtualPharm: Bridging healthcare through telepharmacy

The word "telepharmacy" refers to a type of pharmaceutical care in which patients and pharmacists communicate by information and communication technology (ICT) even though they are not in the same location. Telepharmacy has been used to solve the scarcity of pharmacists and offer pharmaceutical services to underprivileged communities. Due to geographic and demographic constraints, however, rural inhabitants and towns frequently may not have easy access to healthcare services. A more recent term for pharmaceutical service delivery is telepharmacy, which allows patients who live far from a hospital, pharmacy, or other healthcare facility to receive healthcare services from a qualified pharmacist, including medication review, patient counseling, and prescription verification. Increased comfort with the medication-use system, patient safety, and job satisfaction were shown by nurses' survey results.Actually, after a pharmacist's intervention, there has been evidence of better control over hypertension, dyslipidemia or diabetes, successful smoking cessation, and a decrease in hospitalization among heart failure patients. Telepharmacy services are developed and offered using a range of technology, care models, and interventions, catering to a diverse range of individuals with various clinical conditions. Video conferencing is used in pharmacy for management, instruction, and training needs. The telephone has evolved from a device for dialing and speaking to a multimodal communication tool. Refill authorization, prior authorization, prescription counseling, and formulary compliance monitoring are all provided by call centers, while medical equipment are being connected to phone lines to provide remote monitoring and therapy. Telepharmacy is a useful tool for community pharmacies to improve drug dispensing safety and lessen the strain on the healthcare system.

Disparities between rural and urban communities: Response to 18-months of diet and exercise versus control for knee osteoarthritis and overweight or obesity.

The study objective was to determine whether the clinical response of older adults with knee osteoarthritis and overweight or obesity to 18 months of diet and exercise or attention control interventions differed between participants from rural versus urban communities. Participants were 823 older adults (mean age, 64.6 years; 77% women) with knee osteoarthritis, overweight or obesity, who resided in rural (N = 410) and urban (N = 413) counties in North Carolina. All were enrolled in the WE-CAN clinical trial that randomly assigned participants to either 18-months of diet and exercise (D+E) or attention control (C) interventions. General linear models were used to examine differences in clinical outcomes between rural and urban groups after adjusting for covariates. The rural group had significant differences (P<.05) at baseline in clinical outcomes, education, comorbidities, medication use, and income compared to the urban dwellers. After adjusting for baseline differences, the group (rural, urban) by treatment (D+E, C) interactions for WOMAC pain (rural: D+E-C= -0.63,95%CI,-1.31 to 0.06; urban: D+E-C= -0.29,95%CI,-0.99 to 0.41;P=.50) and WOMAC function (rural: D+E-C = -4.60,95%CI,-6.89 to -2.31; urban: D+E-C = -1.38,95%CI,-3.73 to 0.94;P=.054) indicated that the groups responded similarly to the interventions. Among participants with knee osteoarthritis and overweight or obesity, diet and exercise compared to attention control led to similar pain outcomes in rural and urban dwellers that favored diet and exercise; the possibility there may be greater differential efficacy in functional outcomes among rural participants needs further study.

Rural health care access and financing among cooperative members in rural Nigeria

Rural areas in developing countries have limited access to inclusive healthcare delivery and financing. Membership in cooperatives has been suggested as a pathway to rural health inclusiveness. However, whether cooperative membership supports rural health access and financing remains unclear. This study appraises rural healthcare access and financing, and whether membership in cooperative societies offers healthcare advantages to rural households in Nigeria. Primary data were collected in 45 rural communities consisting of 900 households as respondents. Healthcare access is limited among rural households with only 1.1% of pregnant women having access to maternity healthcare. Traditional healthcare access and self-medication exist (27%), in addition to the use of medicine stores (23.2%) and poorly equipped private medical facilities (13.8%) in rural areas. Cooperative organisations provide limited support to healthcare access (74%) for the members. Similarly, rural health financing support from the cooperative is almost non-existent (73.6%). There is a near absence of health insurance (90.8%) in rural areas. However, rural healthcare financing support for the employed exists (31.7%). Rural households find support for healthcare access from family (1.3%), personal savings, and sales of assets (16.2%) while the majority (82.5%) use herbs at no quantifiable cost to meet healthcare needs. Cooperative societies must be educated on the need to incorporate healthcare packages into their products for members. Rural healthcare policies should pay significant attention to how long it takes rural inhabitants to reach existing healthcare facilities.

Sociodemographic correlates of fear-related attitudes toward the wolf (Canis lupus lupus). A survey in southeastern Norway

The recent increase in the grey wolf Canis lupus population in Norway has led to an intense debate about the management of this species. A telephone survey of fear-related attitudes toward the wolf was conducted in four counties in south eastern Norway. 52% claimed that they not at all, or to a small degree, would become concerned about their own or their family’s safety when being outdoors if wolves were living in their area, while 31% said they clearly would become more concerned. 36% of the sample expressed that they definitely would become more careful when walking in the fields and forest, 25% partly agreed to this, while 38% said they would not become more careful. 25% said they were very much afraid of wolves, 30% were somewhat afraid, while 43% were not afraid at all. Generally, women, the elderly, persons with short education, and rural inhabitants expressed more negative, fear-related attitudes than did other sociodemographic groups. Parents with young children expressed more fear of wolves compared to equally old parents without children at home, but this finding applied only to residents in the city. People who had a dog in their household were less afraid of wolves than those who did not have a dog; this applied only to rural residents. In general, the level of self-reported fear and concern equals what has been found in Sweden and Finland, but the attitudes found in Norwegian rural areas were more negative than attitudes of rural residents in Sweden. The results are discussed on the background of evolutionary/genetic, cultural, and political influences.

Individual and joint exposures to PM2.5 constituents and mortality risk among the oldest-old in China.

Cohort evidence linking long-term survival of older adults with exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) constituents remains scarce in China. By constructing a dynamic cohort based on the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Study, we aimed to assess the individual and joint associations of major PM2.5 constituents with all-cause death in Chinese oldest-old (.80 years) adults. Time-dependent Cox proportional hazards models were adopted to estimate death risks of long-term exposure to PM2.5 constituents. Among 14,884 participants, totaling 56,342 person-years of follow-up, 12,346 deaths were identified. The highest mortality risk associated with an interquartile range (IQR) increase in exposure was 1.081 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.055-1.108) for sulfate (IQR=4.1 μg m-3), followed by 1.078 (95% CI: 1.056-1.101) for black carbon (IQR=1.6 μg m-3), 1.056 (95% CI: 1.028-1.084) for ammonium (IQR=3.2 μg m-3), 1.050 (95% CI: 1.021-1.080) for nitrate (IQR=5.8 μg m-3), and 1.049 (95% CI: 1.024-1.074) for organic matter (IQR=10.3 μg m-3). In joint exposure, each IQRequivalent rise of all five PM2.5 constituents was associated with an 8.2% (95% CI: 4.0%-12.6%) increase in mortality risk. The weight analysis indicated the predominant role of sulfate and black carbon in driving PM2.5-related mortality. Octogenarians (aged 80-89 years) and rural dwellers were at significantly greater risk of mortality from individual and joint exposures to PM2.5 constituents. This study suggests that later-life exposure to PM2.5 constituents, particularly sulfate and black carbon, may curtail long-term survival of the oldest-old in China.

Multilevel survival analysis of the age at first birth among women in Ethiopia.

The age at first birth refers to the age at which a woman has her first child. It can significantly influence the demographic behavior of women and the general community. Moreover, teenage childbearing is a serious public health and social problem. The main objective of this study was to identify factors associated with age at first birth among women in Ethiopia. Secondary data on women were obtained from the 2019 Ethiopia Mini Demographic and Health Survey (EMDHS). These population-based cross-sectional data were downloaded from the Measure Demographic and Health Survey website (http://www.measuredhs.com). The study included a random sample of 8,885 women aged 15-49 years from 305 enumeration areas. A multilevel survival analysis was employed to identify the factors associated with teenage childbearing among women in Ethiopia. The majority (67.7%) of randomly sampled women were subjected to teenage childbearing. Women being rural dwellers [hazard ratio (HR) = 1.27, 95% CI: 1.05, 1.54]; women from middle-income families (HR = 1.43, 95% CI: 1.18, 1.74); and women from higher-income families (HR = 1.40, 95% CI: 1.15, 1.70) were associated with a higher risk of teenage childbearing. Conversely, contraception method users (HR = 0.87, 95% CI: 0.77, 0.99), Muslims (HR = 0.75, 95% CI: 0.64, 0.89), Orthodoxes (HR = 0.68, 95% CI: 0.57, 0.80), women with secondary education (HR = 0.53, 95% CI: 0.43, 0.65), women with higher education (HR = 0.28 (95% CI: 0.22, 0.37), and the higher age of household head (HR = 0.99, 95% CI: 0.98, 0.99) were associated with a lower risk of teenage childbearing among women in Ethiopia. Since the median age of women to have their first child was 18 years old, this study strongly suggests that stakeholders at the federal and regional levels must work closely toward enforcing the legal age of marriage and implementing national adolescents' and youths' targeted sexual and reproductive health programs.

Implications of COVID-19 relief packages on livelihoods of rural dwellers in border towns along Southwestern Ghana

The global efforts to curtail the livelihood crises brought about by the eruption of the COVID-19 pandemic witnessed the adoption of livelihood strategies in the form of relief packages. Using a quantitative analytic framework, the article sheds light on recipients’ perspectives on the various government interventions in Ghana, focusing on how socio-economic and political inequalities in Ghana shaped access to pandemic relief support for rural dwellers in border towns in Southwestern Ghana. The findings suggest that, despite the partisan twist, the relief packages positively impacted intended beneficiaries in their short-term income-generation activities. Furthermore, it reduced the vulnerability of rural start-up businesses and brought the establishment of new health facilities to augment the infrastructural development of the area. The article concludes that the pandemic provided insight into how rural communities can better leverage relief packages to improve their livelihood conditions.

Challenges to Provision of Water at District Level by Local Government: the Case of Goromonzi District

This study investigated challenges undermining the provision of water in the Goromonzi District of Zimbabwe. Interviews were conducted on a sample of thirty respondents drawn from rural and rural-urban residents of the district to determine conditions that affect water provision at district level. Thematic and content analysis was used to analyse data. The findings reveal that some rural dwellers travel distances that exceed 2 kilometres to fetch water from boreholes, especially during the hot but dry months of the year. The results further revealed that some wells in homesteads dry up during the year, forcing the villagers to scout for water outside their villages. The Goromonzi Rural District Council bears the responsibility of constructing boreholes in the district. However, this task is shared between ward councillors and the local Member of Parliament who are expected to lobby for funding towards the constructing of boreholes in their areas of jurisdiction. The inflationary economy Zimbabwe is experiencing erodes the district’s capacity to implement community development projects, including borehole drilling. This study recommends the adoption of radical fiscal policies that could curb inflation, including the adoption of stable currency that is less susceptible to inflation.

Nutritional status of HIV-infected children at Federal University Teaching Hospital, Owerri, Nigeria: A prospective analysis of rural and urban dwellers: Retraction.

Nutritional status of HIV-infected children at Federal University Teaching Hospital, Owerri, Nigeria: A prospective analysis of rural and urban dwellers: Retraction.

When Group Appeals Backfire: Explaining the Asymmetric Effects of Place-Based Appeals

Abstract Group-based identities are an important basis of political competition. Politicians consciously appeal to specific social groups, and these group-based appeals often improve the evaluation of parties and candidates. Studying place-based appeals, we advance the understanding of this strategy by distinguishing between dominant and subordinate social groups. Using two survey experiments in Germany and England, we show that group appeals improve candidate evaluation among subordinate (rural) voters. By contrast, appeals to the dominant (urban) group trigger a negative reaction. While urban citizens’ weaker local identities and lower place-based resentment partly explain this asymmetry, they mainly dislike group-based appeals because of their antagonistic nature. If the same policies are framed as benefiting urban and rural dwellers alike, candidate evaluation improves. Thus, people on the dominant side of a group divide reject a framing of politics as antagonistically structured by this divide, even if they identify with the dominant group.