Sampling Frame Research Articles

Standing out while fitting in: An objective measure of visual branding cohesion across a product portfolio

This research develops a new metric (PBCM) that can identify products within a portfolio that are eroding visual branding cohesion. We show how this new measure gives results equivalent to consumer evaluations of cohesion, without costly and time intensive data collection. The sampling frame for this research is 10 portfolios from five categories (dry dog food, instant coffee, toothpaste, shower gel and chewing gum) in the United Kingdom. In addition, 626 consumers were surveyed to investigate how PBCM affects a consumer’s ability to match an individual product back to its portfolio and recall the brand name. We find that products from high cohesion portfolios have significantly higher (17%) correct brand recall than those from low cohesion portfolios and are matched back to their portfolio by more than twice as many respondents (79% v 35%), significantly faster (2.3 vs. 3.8 minutes).

Exploring Xenocentrism in India: A Study on Millennials

This research intends to recognize antecedents of Xenocentrism and explore xenocentrism’s influence on brand preferences among Millennials. The study’s antecedents, identified through extant literature, are cultural openness, social factors, and lifestyle dimensions. The study focuses on an experimental research design and covers a sample of 250 respondents. The sampling frame for the survey is millennials of India. Exploratory factor analysis was adopted to identify the factors appropriate for the research. The regression result was adopted to explore the impact of moderating variable ‘demography’, ‘duration_of_stay in a foreign land’, between xenocentric tendency and brand preference. The ‘duration_of_stay in foreign land’ moderates the association between xenocentric tendency and consumers’ brand preferences. Thus, the acknowledged antecedents of Xenocentricity/Xenocentrism can support international marketing practitioners in formulating consumer decisions for definite target segments.

Explaining Gender Neutrality in Capital Punishment Research by Way of a Systematic Review of Studies Citing the ‘Espy File’

Peer-reviewed journal articles provide the data for this study, given that their findings undergird the quantitative data referenced by prominent organizations, courts, and policy-makers. The “Espy file”, based on the research of Major Watt Espy, Jr., is used to identify studies due to the dataset’s esteem and prolific usage. It is the largest known dataset of men’s and women’s executions in the United States since 1608 and has been of monumental significance to capital punishment research. The protocol established by the Preferred Reporting of Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) is the methodology followed due to its conformity to scientific standards and acceptance in scholarly communities. The initial sampling frame involved 613 studies which were narrowed to 79 peer-reviewed journal articles that cited or utilized the Espy file. The empirical findings justify the contention that past and current studies, while interdisciplinary, require new voices and approaches to contribute to the study of capital punishment. Mainstream death penalty research does not generally incorporate critical theories including, for example, gender, intersectional, Black feminist, Queer, and other theories that focus less on quantitative data and more on how capital punishment is a reflection of institutional, historical, and social processes that are hierarchical and defined by power. The findings suggest that not only are executed women removed from many analyses, but so are inclusionary methodologies and theoretical approaches that could bolster the legitimacy of academic studies (inside academia as well as the judicial system) and our understanding of capital punishment in general.

Factors influencing managerial challenges for smallholder and emerging sheep and goat farmers in the Thabo Mofutsanyana District, Free State Province, South Africa

This study aimed to identify and analyse the determinants of managerial challenges for smallholder and emerging sheep and goat farmers in the study area by highlighting key factors in order to create an enabling environment for the farmers to improve production and income. A stratified random sampling technique was used to select 145 participants from a pull sampling frame of 251 participants. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect the data by interviewing 145 selected smallholder farmers. The Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS), version 28.0, was used to analyse the data. Descriptive statistics and the probit regression model were used to analyse the determinants of the managerial challenges for smallholder and emerging sheep and goat farmers. The results of the study show that only 19% of the participants had business plans, and the absence of business plans impacted farm and livestock management negatively. The probit results indicated that the age of the respondents, off-farm activities, and access to market information had a positive and significant association with managerial challenges. It is recommended that youth and women be encouraged to engage in sheep and goat farming for better management and that farmers must focus their attention on livestock farming instead of off-farm income-generating activities. The Department of Agriculture and municipalities should initiate extension programs that focus on farm and livestock management as well as access to market information.

Listening Comprehension Concerning Mobile Learning In Listen English Daily Practices Application

This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the Listen English Daily Practices app in enhancing the listening skills of teenage learners at Mulawarman University, East Borneo, Indonesia. This study uses a quasi-experimental method sampling frame using pre-test and post-test. In collecting data, researchers use the listening test as an instrument. The results show that 44% of the participants achieved their goals in accordance with the criteria outlined in the intervention. The study involved 54 students from the English Department who were randomly divided into experimental and control groups. The findings of the hypothesis imply that the use of the Mobile Listen English Daily Practice App improves students' comprehensive understanding of listening skills and could be more widely integrated into English language teaching to enhance students' listening skills.

Association between Drug Use and Perception of Mental Health in Women Diagnosed with Fibromyalgia: An Observational Study.

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a chronic syndrome characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain, fatigue, sleep disturbances, and mental health issues. It affects approximately 1.78% of the general population; an estimated 4:1 ratio between women and men is observed. It significantly impacts quality of life and carries both clinical and social stigma. This study aims to evaluate the relationship between drug use and mental health in female patients with fibromyalgia. This study is prospective, observational, and cross-sectional. A questionnaire was administered to 544 subjects, achieving a representative sample size from a population of 800,000 subjects by using an algorithm for proportion estimation with a known sampling frame. The selection was non-random, making the sampling non-probabilistic. Logistic regression models were applied to assess the effect of drug use on perception of mental health; presence of symptoms such as comprehension and memory problems, insomnia, depression, and anxiety; and severity of cognitive symptoms and non-restorative sleep. To quantify the impact, odds ratios and confidence intervals have been observed. The findings indicate the non-recommended use of medications and reveal the ineffectiveness and adverse effects of drug interactions on mental health. The use of benzodiazepines and sedative-hypnotics is significantly associated with a negative perception of mental health. Benzodiazepines do not improve symptoms or significantly reduce their severity. SSRI antidepressants do not enhance mental health perception; however, when used exclusively, they are effective in reducing the severity, but not the prevalence, of cognitive symptoms. The results highlight the complexity of pharmacological management in FM and raise concerns about the inappropriate use of ineffective or counterproductive drug interactions affecting patients' mental health. They underscore the need for multidisciplinary and personalized strategies that include close and careful monitoring, as well as the simultaneous use of non-pharmacological treatments that have demonstrated evidence in improving quality of life without negatively affecting mental health, such as patient education, psychological therapy, physiotherapy, and mindfulness.

Leveraging financial literacy into sustainable business performance: a mediated-moderated model

Purpose – The current study evaluates the linkage between financial literacy and the sustainable business performance model with access to finance and fintech adoption. Further, the moderating role of top management support in the linkage between financial literacy toward access to finance and fintech adoption was verified. Research methodology – This research was conducted in the SME sector in Indonesia. The sample frame were 261 SMEs and 783 respondents from three levels of management. Data was collected in the October-December 2023 period. Data were obtained utilizing Likert-scaled questionnaires and analyzed using SmartPLS. Findings – The results demonstrate that financial literacy is an instrumental driver of access to finance and fintech adoption that promotes sustainability performance. Subsequently, the study highlights the critical role of access to finance and fintech adoption as the mediator and top management support as moderator. Research limitations – The study is solely performed on the SME sector in one country; thus, the findings’ generalization is lacking. Practical implications – SME managers need to upgrade their financial literacy because financially knowledgeable managers are keenly informed of the costs, benefits, and risks related to funding schemes to encourage sustainable performance. Originality/Value – Empirical research that explores the implication of financial literacy on access to finance and fintech adoption in promoting sustainability performance is lacking, reported solely on manufacturing companies and banks. Meanwhile, the SME sector, especially in developing countries, is understudied. Consequently, the initial study leads the examination of financial literacy’s role in enhancing access to finance and fintech adoption to foster the sustainability performance of SMEs.

A STUDY ON THE PROSPECTS TO SUSTAINABLE URBAN REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT IN FREETOWN, SIERRA LEONE

This research addressed the prospects to sustainable urban real estate development in Freetown, Sierra Leone. The study primarily focused on the following objectives: To identify the sources of accessing finance for real estate development by real estate firms. To learn how the land code of practice and population affect real estate development and to investigate technical constraints in providing real estate projects in Freetown. Data for this study were collected using a primary source, from which a semi-structured questionnaire was used for collecting the quantitative data. The study uses a case study design to achieve the study objectives. A non-probability purposively sampling was used to identify the respondents based on their experience after a line listing process of real estate firms and their employees in Freetown. For the quantitative data, a sample frame of 130 participants was drawn, of which 100 were chosen purposively based on their experience and understanding of real estate development, and 98 participated in the study. Data analysis for this study was done using descriptive (percentage, mean, and standard deviation) and inferential (Pearson correlation and regression analysis) statistical analytical methods. The study established that sources of finance, population impact, and technical constraints in real estate delivery have a positive significant association with urban real estate development, while land code of practice has a positive insignificant association with urban real estate development. The study recommends that, the country's financial institutions popularize a scheme that is of low interest to real estate firms so as to increase the source of income for real estate firms to expand their business; that the national land policy should be reviewed so as to create an avenue for access to land for real estate firms who are willing to provide affordable housing to the country; both the government and real estate firms should work accordingly in order to provide affordable housing for the population, and effective institutional capacity strengthening and enhanced collaboration between government parastatals and private real estate firms should be popularized and implemented. For further research, it is recommended that similar wider study should be done, which will be used for a broader generalization.

Mapping refugee populations at high resolution by unlocking humanitarian administrative data

BackgroundInforming local decision-making, improving service delivery and designing household surveys require having access to high-spatial resolution mapping of the targeted population. However, this detailed spatial information remains unavailable for specific population subgroups, such as refugees, a vulnerable group that would significantly benefit from focused interventions. Given the continuous increase in the number of refugees, reaching an all-time high of 35.3 million people in 2022, it is imperative to develop models that can accurately inform about their spatial locations, enabling better and more tailored assistance.MethodsWe leverage routinely collected registration data on refugees and combine it with high-resolution population maps, satellite imagery derived settlement maps and other spatial covariates to disaggregate observed refugee totals into 100-m grid cells. We suggest a deterministic grid cell allocation inside monitored refugee sites based on building count and a random-forest-derived grid cell allocation outside refugee sites based on geolocating the textual geographic information in the refugee register and on high-resolution population mapping. We test the method in Cameroon using the registration database monitored by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.ResultsUsing OpenStreetMap, 83% of the manually inputted information in the registration database could be geolocated. The building footprint layer derived from satellite imagery by Ecopia AI offers extensive coverage within monitored refugee sites, although manual digitization was still required in rapidly evolving settings. The high-resolution mapping of refugees on a 100-m grid basis provides an unparalleled level of spatial detail, enabling valuable geospatial insights for informed local decision-making.ConclusionsGathering information on forcibly displaced persons in sparse data-setting environment can quickly become very costly. Therefore, it is critical to gain the most knowledge from operational data that is frequently collected, such as registration databases. Integrating it with ancillary information derived from satellite imagery paves the way for obtaining more timely and spatially precise information to better deliver services and enhance sampling frame for target data collection exercises that further improves the quality of information on people in need.

User-resistance behaviours toward electronic health records: uncovering the determinants of perceived threats

ABSTRACT This study uncovers the determinants of perceived threats that have long been associated with resistance to healthcare information technology in general, and electronic health records in particular. Conceptualised as perceived dissatisfaction with outcomes and perceived helplessness over process, these threats are discussed from the perspective of the Psychological Reactance Theory. Study participants consisting of a diverse group of healthcare professionals were drawn from sample frame of health practices. Data from a sample of 217 participants were used to test the model. Using structural equation modeling, the model relationships were analyzed, and hypotheses were tested. The study results show that perceived threats to electronic health records are triggered by two types of factors: namely, intrinsic stimuli like self-efficacy and performance expectancy; and extrinsic causes such as social enabling effect and social influence. The implications of these findings are particularly useful to both research and practice. Managers and informaticians in both healthcare and non-healthcare settings will find the results both instructive and helpful in mitigating resistance. Theorists will be enriched by the insights from the antecedents of perceived threats to advance research.

Implications of Monitoring and Evaluation Systems for SMEs in some Selected Metropolis in Ghana

The purpose of this research was to examine how monitoring and evaluation systems affect small and medium-sized businesses in selected Ghanaian metropolises. The research design used was explanatory. The population for this study comprised owner-managers of SMEs in Ghana captured in the GEA and the AGI databases. From these two sources, a sampling frame was created for those in the selected metropolis. This gave a total population size of 1,189. For this frame, a sample of 423 SMEs was selected comprising SMEs from the Sunyani, Accra, Kumasi, Cape Coast, and Tamale metropolitan areas. The sample size for the study was 423 SMEs. The primary data collection tool was a self-administered questionnaire. Data was collected, cleaned, and coded before being entered into statistical software programs like SPSS and Smart-PLS. For the study's key findings, it was noted that the SMEs that took part in the study had monitoring and evaluation practices in place. The third and fourth objectives showed that monitoring and evaluation systems had a significant effect on both business resilience and business sustainability, respectively. It was discovered that monitoring and evaluation systems had a large and favourable effect on business growth and the digitalisation business respectively, for objectives 5 and 6. The study recommended that managers of SMEs within the selected area improve upon their monitoring and evaluation systems. This will increase the effect it will have on their resilience, growth, sustainability and digitalisation.

Sexual Victimization and Sexually Transmitted Infections Among a Nationally Representative Sample of Adolescents and Young Adults in Haiti.

Sexual assault victims are at major risk of being infected by sexually transmitted infections (STI). This article aims to examine and compare the prevalence of eight STIs (e.g., chlamydia, gonorrhea, hepatitis B, HIV/AIDS, human papillomavirus) among victims and non-victims of sexual abuse. A national cross-sectional study was conducted in Haiti, using a multistage sampling frame, stratified by geographical department, urban or rural setting, gender, and age groups (15-19 and 20-24years). The final sample included 3586 household participants (47.6% female). A weighted sample of 3945 individuals was obtained and used in the following analyses. Overall, 21.75% (95% CI 19.91-23.59) of participants reported having been diagnosed with at least one STI in their lifetime, with a higher prevalence among men (25.70%; 95% CI 22.89-28.52), compared to women (18.11%; 95% CI 15.73-20.49), χ2 = 16.43; p < 0.001). Sexual abuse victims were more likely to report STIs (31.27%; 95% CI 29.21-33.34), compared to non-victims (18.40%; 95% CI 16.68-20.13), χ2 = 27.89; p < .001. Sexual abuse was associated to an increased risk of contracting at least one STI (OR = 1.74; 95% CI 1.35, 2.24). The results demonstrate that sexual abuse is associated with a general increase of reporting STIs. They indicate the need for national sexual abuse prevention programs at early ages. These programs should be implemented in schools and churches, focusing on the role of families in sexuality education. Finally, programs must be developed to eradicate community violence-especially in the cities-as increased political and social violence has always been associated with increased sexual abuse in Haiti.

Blood biomarkers of trans-fatty acid intake among Nigerian adults in the Federal Capital Territory: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundIntake of trans-fatty acids (TFAs) is an established risk factor for cardiovascular disease. In April 2023, Nigeria passed regulations limiting TFA content in foods, fats, and oils, but the current level of TFA exposure in the Nigerian population is unknown. We assessed TFA biomarkers in dried blood spots from Nigerian adults in the Federal Capital Territory before policy enforcement to establish a baseline for future evaluation. MethodsWe used gas chromatography to measure TFA content in dried blood spots from adults participating in a cross-sectional household survey using a representative sampling frame. Individual TFA (t-16:1, t-18:1, and t- 18:2) and their total were expressed as percentage of total fatty acids. We assessed differences in TFA levels between subgroups based on sex, age, body mass index (BMI), education, income, and local government area using multivariable-adjusted linear regression models. Mean TFA levels were compared with samples from individuals in 30 countries. ResultsIn 213 adults (62% females; mean age: 36 y, mean BMI: 25.9 kg/m2), the mean TFA level in dried blood spots was 0.61% of total fatty acids (range: 0.23%–1.31%). In multivariable-adjusted models, TFA levels were higher in younger adults {<30 y compared with ≥42 y, 0.07% [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.00, 0.15], P = 0.047}, those without a high school degree [compared with higher education, 0.08% (95% CI: 0.01, 0.16), P = 0.023], and residents of Abuja Municipal Area Council [compared with residents in Gwagwalada, 0.12% (95% CI: 0.05, 0.20), P = 0.001]. Total TFA levels were comparable with international samples, but t-16:1 and t-18:1 appeared lower, whereas t-18:2 appeared greater (52% of all TFA), in the Nigerian samples. ConclusionsThese results provide a baseline assessment of TFA exposure in Nigerian adults to evaluate implementation and effect of national regulation passed in 2023. The observed subgroup differences may help identify subpopulations for targeted interventions to reduce TFA intake.

Effect of a cash transfer intervention on memory decline and dementia probability in older adults in rural South Africa

Evidence on cash transfers as a population-level intervention to support healthy cognitive aging in low-income settings is sparse. We assessed the effect of a cash transfer intervention on cognitive aging outcomes in older South African adults. We leveraged the overlap in the sampling frames of a Phase 3 randomized cash transfer trial [HIV Prevention Trial Network (HPTN) 068, 2011-2015] and an aging cohort [Health and Aging in Africa: A Longitudinal Study of an INDEPTH Community (HAALSI), 2014-2022] in rural Mpumalanga Province, South Africa. In 2011/12, young women and their primary caregivers were randomly assigned 1:1 to receive a monthly cash transfer or control. In 2014/2015, 862 adults aged 40+ y living in trial households were enrolled in the HAALSI cohort, with cognitive data collected in three waves over 7 y. We estimated the impact of the intervention on rate of memory decline and dementia probability scores. Memory decline in the cash transfer arm was 0.03 SD units (95% CI: 0.002, 0.05) slower per year than in the control arm. Dementia probability scores were three percentage points lower in the cash transfer arm than the control arm (β = -0.03; 95% CI: -0.05, -0.001). Effects were consistent across subgroups. A modestly sized household cash transfer delivered over a short period in mid- to later-life led to a meaningful slowing of memory decline and reduction in dementia probability 7 y later. Cash transfer programs could help stem the tide of new dementia cases in economically vulnerable populations in the coming decades.

Nurse Empowerment in a Tertiary University Hospital during Pandemic Crisis.

Nurse empowerment is essential to ensure delivery of the best quality patient care and attaining positive nurse outcomes. Studies describe its relationship to retention, patient safety, commitment, productivity, job satisfaction, and positive outcomes. The study aimed to determine the level of empowerment of nurses in a tertiary university hospital during the pandemic crisis. The study was an exploratory descriptive cross-sectional design. Participants (N = 176, Nurses) were randomly selected through a sampling frame. The validated self-administered questionnaire, the Conditions of Work Effectiveness Questionnaire II, was used for data collection. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to determine whether there were statistically significant differences between the means of the participants' empowerment scores when grouped according to their demographic profile. The study found that the nurses in the tertiary university hospital have an overall moderate level of empowerment (TSE = 22.69, SD = 3.53; GE = 3.72, SD = 1.01). It was also found that there were statistically significant differences between the means of their total structural and global empowerment scores when grouped according to their age group, civil status, length of service, level of position, and area designation; while no statistically significant difference existed when grouped by their sex and level of education. Since nurse empowerment leads to positive nurse and patient outcomes, improving levels of empowerment is thus essential. The results of this study will help administrators identify groups of nurses with relatively lower levels of empowerment and in turn develop programs that will help improve their levels of empowerment.

Establishing a linked administrative data sampling frame to recruit families into a new UK-wide birth cohort study: findings from the Early Life Cohort Feasibility (ELC-FS) Study

Objective and ApproachFunded by the Economic and Social Research Council (2021-2024), a core aim of the ELC-FS was to establish a sampling frame by linking birth registrations and maternity records in the four UK nations (England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland) to facilitate recruitment of ~2000 families into a new birth cohort study. An opt-out recruitment approach was essential. Widespread public dialogue work was undertaken to glean the attitudes and perspectives of stakeholders including data controllers, data users, and parents of young children, as to the acceptability of this recruitment model. ResultsAchieving the sampling frame required nation-specific approaches due to differences in existing legislation governing secondary use of administrative data. Complex and protracted negotiations with data controller approval panels were necessary. Public dialogue work revealed that stakeholders were: (i) excited by the prospect of a new UK-wide birth cohort study to provide invaluable insights into the lives of a new generation; and (ii) broadly accepting of the proposed use of administrative data for generating a sampling frame, particularly in terms of ensuring that the ELC-FS study has diverse and inclusive representation of family life in the UK today. ConclusionsELC-FS fieldwork will be completed by mid-2024. Preliminary analyses to be presented at the conference will assess the suitability of the sampling frame for achieving the target ELC-FS sample. ImplicationsWith careful engagement with stakeholders at a national level, access to linked administrative data as a sampling frame for a UK-wide birth cohort study is achievable, but not straightforward.

Prevalence and Patterns of Drug Use Among People in Al-Najaf Governorate, Iraq

Background: After a series of instability Iraq confronted in the past decades, the drug abuse issue has grown and is now a complex national concern where the rise in drug transshipment through the country and neighbor countries accompanies noticeable increased consumption of drugs especially those associated with transnational criminal networks such as amphetamines. This is a descriptive cross-sectional epidemiological study conducted in Al-Najaf governorate from January to March 2024, qualitative data based on the correction institutions of the Ministry of the Interior using a non-probability sample since lack of precise sample frame or data about the real prevalence or rate of the problem. The study recruited 288 drug users all between 20-64 years, 31(10.8%) were females and 257(89.2%) were males (49%). 237 (82%) of the drug users of young adults between 20 to 40 years old. The objective was to investigate personal history and examine the extent and patterns of the abuse of drugs, using a structured questionnaire designed and modified after reviewing relevant studies. The study found that the majority of the participants smoked nicotine throughout their lifetime as 60.8% smoked hookah, 15% smoked e-cigarettes and 86% smoked cigarettes with about 75% current heavy smokers, 51% of participants used alcohol as lifetime prevalence with more than 32% used it weekly. A large percentage: 88% abused more than one type of illicit drug with amphetamine stimulants (methamphetamine and fenethylline) as the most commonly abused illicit drugs among the majority of the participants. The lifetime prevalence of prescription drug use was 86%. 60% used more than one method of administration, while 8% used drugs by injection. The study concluded that a large percentage of the study participants were polydrug abusers with extensive patterns of use which revealed the complex status of which stresses a holistic approach to managing the problem. Conclusion: The study concluded that a large percentage of the study participants were polydrug abusers with extensive patterns of use which revealed the complex status of which stresses a holistic approach to manage the problem.

Assessment of Urban Farming Production, and Contribution to the Households’ Livelihood: A Case of Kigali City and Musanze District

Agriculture plays an important role in the economic growth and food security control in developing countries including Rwanda. This research study was carried out in Kigali and Musanze. Urban farming is one way to best use useless places closed inside household fences, resulting in high yields. Due to their short production cycle, Horticultural crops provide a quick response to emergency food needs, particularly in cities. These species have considerable yields that generate more income for farmers when used appropriately. The main objective of this study was to analyze the factors influencing urban farming production, profitability, and contribution to the households’ livelihoods in Rwanda. The population of interest for this research study constituted smallholder farmers of vegetables and fruits in Kigali and Musanze cities. The sampling unit was the garden household. A multistage sampling technique was employed involving purposive sampling of four districts Gasabo, Kicukiro, Nyarugenge, and Musanze. The study used a sample frame of 1085 population and a sample size of 112 respondents. The results from the study indicated that ten factors over fourteen have a positive influence on urban farming production while four have a negative influence in the study area. The results also showed that the productive fruits grown are classified into five classes indicated in Figure 1. The results of the study revealed different places/methods used to grow vegetables/species and fruits such as bags, baskets and basins, hanging baskets, old wheels, pallet gardens, open ground, trellises, arches, shelves, fences window box walls. The results displayed that the crops do well in small areas/places closed inside the household’s fences. The results proved that urban farming contributed to the social economy through different parts example malnutrition control, money saving, and food security. The results pointed out that urban farming production is constrained by some challenges such as small owned parcels, lack of urban farming knowledge, lack of technologies, period of crop maturity, lack of capital, lack of awareness, habitation system, and infrastructures. However, urban farming development should be enhanced to maintain national food security and improve income for farmers.

Spiny lobster recreational fisheries in Australia and New Zealand: An overview of regulations, monitoring, assessment and management

Spiny (rock) lobsters occur globally and, although harvest is dominated by commercial fisheries, it is important to account for recreational harvest in stock assessments and fisheries management. This paper provides a contemporary review of recreational fishing for five spiny lobster species in Australia and New Zealand. Each jurisdiction has established approaches for collecting data which best meet their information needs (telephone-diary or telephone-recall surveys, charter logbooks, tag reporting). Jurisdictions with specific spiny lobster licences (Western Australia, Tasmania) or mandatory reporting (charter logbooks in Western Australia, tag reporting in Victoria) use these registers as a sampling frame for annual reporting of participation, fishing effort, catch (numbers) and harvest (tonnes). All other jurisdictions use a general fishing licence or general population sampling frame for telephone-diary surveys to provide periodic reporting of catch and harvest. Annual participation in spiny lobster recreational fishing was highest in Western Australia (35,236 ± SE 626 fishers in 2022–23), followed by Tasmania (13,715 ± SE 1067 fishers in 2022–23) and Victoria (5516 fishers in 2020–21). Annual recreational harvest of all spiny lobster species, combined for the most recent data collection period in each jurisdiction, was 830 tonnes; consisting mostly of Western Rock Lobster (Panulirus cygnus) from Western Australia and Southern Rock Lobster (Jasus edwardsii) from Tasmania and New Zealand. This review illustrates the various spatial scales of monitoring, reporting and assessment in each jurisdiction. All monitoring provides information on catch and harvest, with some also reporting participation, effort, carapace length and non-catch related variables. The designs underlying these approaches vary from probability-based (opt-out) and census (mandatory), and it is important to understand the benefits and inherent biases of each. Understanding the parallels between jurisdictions offers valuable insights into how to cost-effectively monitor spiny lobster recreational fisheries and integrate this data into stock assessment and harvest strategies to support sustainable fisheries into the future.

The impact of coronavirus pandemic shutdowns on immunization completion in Hadeetha, Anbar, Iraq: A case-study of vaccine completion in a recovering healthcare system

The SARS-COV2 pandemic caused significant disruptions in immunization delivery. Baseline deficit gaps in immunization completion exacerbated ongoing disparities in immunization coverage in low- and middle-income. Emerging reports focused on global strategies for return to routine immunization schedules. Currently, there are no studies that examined the dual challenge of returning to normal immunization in a conflict-recovery setting, such as the ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) occupation of Iraq post-COVID-19 pandemic.The objective of this study was to estimate the number of children in Hadeetha, Iraq from 12 to 24 months of age who continued to be lost to the routine immunization schedule due to the COVID-19 pandemic shutdowns. Random sampling occurred from a compiled district health facility registrar of all children in the target birth cohort who had a 12-month immunization scheduled during the 2020 lockdown and were lost to the immunization schedule. A total of 171 households from the sampling frame were included in the final sample. In this cross-sectional study, survey data was collected on the head of the household, the caregiver and the child. Additional questions assessed vaccine hesitancy, vaccine information trusted sources and COVID-19 impact on healthcare access. A risk factor analysis was applied to assess using Chi-square (Χ2) for predictors of lack of DTP3 (Diphtheria, Tetanus and Polio) third dose completion. Of children in the study, 67.3 % did not complete the 6-antigen series at 12-months of age and 46.2 % were missing DTP3 for vaccines to be completed during the pandemic shutdown. Specific risk factors for lack of immunization for the DTP3 vaccine included area of residence, age and caregiver knowledge of vaccines. Respondents indicated a dependence on mass vaccination campaigns but also indicated a willingness to receive phone reminders and television campaigns about vaccination schedules.