Family Situation Research Articles

Entrepreneurship and Rural Development in Morocco: A Comparative Analysis of Female and Male Entrepreneurs in the Fes-Meknes Region

Rural entrepreneurship is a growing field of research, with a focus on understanding and promoting entrepreneurial activities in rural areas. It is important to examine the differences between male and female entrepreneurs in these rural settings. This study explores the relationship between entrepreneurship and rural development in Morocco, focusing on the differences between male and female entrepreneurs. The Fes-Meknes region conducted the research, surveying 200 individuals, including 120 male and 80 female entrepreneurs, using econometric analysis. The study aimed to compare male and female entrepreneurs' socioeconomic characteristics, business attributes, technological factors, and entrepreneurial behaviors, as well as their impact on rural development. Key variables included education, household income, family situation, financial resources, investment grants, business sector, revenue, legal structure, target market, digital technology usage, and management style. The results of the analysis showed significant differences between male and female entrepreneurs in various aspects, such as education level, household income, family situation, access to financial resources, business sector involvement, legal structure, years in operation, and target market preferences. Additionally, the study found that male entrepreneurs tended to utilize digital technologies more extensively and benefit more from entrepreneurship training compared to their female counterparts. However, female entrepreneurs demonstrated a higher propensity for contributing to rural development initiatives through their businesses, particularly in agribusiness-related activities. The study emphasizes the need for tailored policy interventions to address gender-specific entrepreneurship dynamics in rural areas, thereby promoting sustainable development and economic growth.

The relationship between the BMI value of children and the financial situation of families, as well as the age of children

Aim: The research aimed to establish whether the family’s financial situation had an impact on the BMI values of the children studied, to determine the link between the family’s financial situation, the child’s age and the frequency children were given selected foodstuffs, as well as to verify whether the frequency of consumption of selected foodstuffs has an impact on children’s BMI values. Methods: BMI values were calculated for each child. Dietary habits were studied using a developed proprietary questionnaire. The questionnaire contained a list of products from 12 food groups, wherein vegetables and fruit were analysed separately, but without a division into those rich in vitamin C and carotene. Results: Analysis of the study group according to financial situation showed, to name a few, that the median consumption of fish, cold meats and potatoes among children from families declaring their financial situation as average was lower than that in the remaining groups. Children with a good financial situation consumed eggs and poultry statistically significantly more often than those with an average financial situation, and significantly less often - cakes and biscuits. Children over 11 years old consumed ready sauces (ketchup, mayonnaise) more often than younger children. Conclusion: The consumption of particular foodstuffs was affected by the families’ financial situation and the age of children. Children from families with an average financial situation consumed vegetables less often than the remaining children. Despite there being no effect of the frequency of particular foodstuffs consumption on BMI, one in five people were overweight. It is crucial that the healthy lifestyles and proper diet programmes are implemented in educational establishments.

Health, Insurance, and Social Capital’s Impact on Housing Debt and Assets Using a Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling Technique

China’s current real estate market transactions are relatively subdued; hence, finding means to repower the engine for further development becomes vital. However, few studies investigated the relationships between family non-economic factors, assets, and housing debt. This study highlights the impact of family members’ health, insurance, and social capital’s impact on housing debt and assets. The family-size data from the China House Finance Survey are analyzed using a partial least squares structural equation model. The results indicate that family members’ poor health and uninsured endowment insurance individuals negatively affect housing debt and family assets. In contrast, the impact of medical insurance is insignificant. Besides, social capital substantially and positively impacts assets and debts. The labor supply and the proportion of kids have a negligible impact. Hence, this study recommends that loan-offering enterprises may change their marketing targets according to family situations, such as health status and insurance coverage. The government might promote endowment insurance and strengthen higher education to revitalize the real estate industry.

Religious Characteristics of Nurses Who Refer Patients to Chaplains at a Catholic Hospital in the Northwestern USA.

The purpose of this study was to assess the association between nurse religiosity and decision to consult spiritual care services at a hospital in the western USA. An anonymous survey was distributed to assess nurses' reports of whether they would request spiritual care services across different scenarios. Out of 171 nurses approached to participate in this survey, fifty-one nurses completed the survey and half of respondents considered themselves religious. Compared to non-religious nurses, religious nurses reported greater likelihood to contact a chaplain across a variety of patient and family scenarios, including when a patient has a new diagnosis, is anxious or depressed, or has a challenging family situation.

On the effectiveness of a new advisory service for parents of children in need of care: a controlled study

On the effectiveness of a new advisory service for parents of children in need of care: a controlled study Abstract: Background: Families with children in need of care are exposed to great stress. This results in risks that often lead to a poor living and care situation for families. To support them, an innovative regionally anchored support service is being developed by so-called Family Health Partners (FGP) as part of the NEST research project. Aim/Objective: The primary endpoint of the study is the quality of life of the families. Secondary outcomes are resilience factors and associated measures as well as access to care services. Methods: The effectiveness of the FGP will be tested in a controlled study with four measurement times (baseline, after 6, 12 and 18 months) between January 2022 and April 2024. A total of 204 families with children in need of care were recruited for an intervention and control group. Multilevel models are used to analyze the longitudinal data. Results: Between T0 and T1 there are statistically significant improvements in the intervention group, especially in daily and social stress in the family, in mental health and resilience. In addition, knowledge about general benefit rights as well as specific support and relief offers for caring parents has increased. Conclusions: The results of the first two measurement times indicate that a positive change in quality of life, resilience and health literacy can be achieved through the FGP.

How psychological perceptions and family dynamics shape necessity- and opportunity-based female entrepreneurship: the role of gender equality

Purpose This paper aims to explore how psychological perceptions and family situations drive women into necessity- or opportunity-based female entrepreneurship (NBFE or OBFE) and the moderating role of gender equality. Design/methodology/approach This study adopts multilevel logistic regression analysis to examine relationships based on a sample of 6,843 women across eight developing countries drawn from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM). Findings The findings suggest that capability and opportunity perceptions positively affect NBFE and OBFE. Family responsibility burden positively affects NBFE and has a U-shaped relationship with OBFE. Household income negatively affects NBFE but positively affects OBFE. Gender equality weakens the U-shaped relationship between family responsibility burden and OBFE but strengthens the positive relationship between capability perception and NBFE and between opportunity perception and NBFE. Research limitations/implications The study highlights the need for targeted policies and support that consider the distinct antecedents and mechanisms of NBFE and OBFE, as well as the importance of promoting gender equality and entrepreneurial education to empower women in their entrepreneurial endeavors. A limitation of this study is the reliance on older data from the GEM, which may not fully capture the current dynamics of developing societies. While the study provides valuable insights, future research should incorporate more recent data to enhance the applicability of the results. Originality/value This study deepens the understanding of antecedents of NBFE and OBFE, breaking through the existing literature that neglects the heterogeneity of female entrepreneurship (FE).

Unraveling gender differences in entrepreneurial exits: The role of human capital and family situation during an unprecedented crisis

This study applies a gender role perspective to delve into disparities in entrepreneurial exit decisions during unprecedented crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic. The paper examines how human capital and family dynamics—encompassing family income and size—interact with evolving social roles and responsibilities. Using multinomial estimation techniques and Global Entrepreneurship Monitor survey data from Chile, our findings reveal that women entrepreneurs display a higher likelihood of business exits compared to their male counterparts. Further analysis with moderating variables shows that the gender coefficient is not significant and unveils a non-linear pattern tied to educational backgrounds. Specifically, women with elementary education are prone to discontinuing businesses due to the COVID-19 crisis, with a similar—though weaker—tendency observed among women with tertiary education. Women with medium education levels do not significantly differ from men in terms of business closures due to COVID-19. Additionally, family size disproportionately affects women, amplifying the likelihood of business exits during the COVID-19 crisis compared to men. The paper offers actionable insights for researchers and policymakers, emphasizing the pressing need to augment women's entrepreneurial resilience in the face of unforeseen crises.

Incidence and Correlates of Husband-Perpetrated Rape Among Currently Married Women in Nigeria.

Husband-perpetrated rape (HPR), which implies every form of unwilling sex with a husband as a result of force, threat or drug, is rarely discussed or reported, and it has been quite understudied in Nigeria. Hence, this study answers two questions: What is the incidence of HPR, and what are the correlates among currently married women in Nigeria? Descriptive and multi-level logistic regression tools are used to analyze data from a sub-sample of 1,583 currently married women (16 years and above) surveyed in a larger survey conducted in mid-2022. The results suggest that the national incidence rate of HPR among currently married women in Nigeria is 20%. Although any married woman could experience HPR anywhere, the main correlates that are likely to elevate the risk in Nigeria are childhood sexual abuse experience (OR = 3.9, p < .001, 95% CI [2.9, 5.2]), membership in Yoruba ethnic group (OR = 2.7, p < .001, [1.7, 4.3]), and having husbands who smoke (OR = 2.4, p < .001, [1.7, 3.4]). Other minor risk factors are minority ethnic groups membership (OR = 2.1, p < .01, [1.4, 3.3]), husband's substance use (OR = 1.7, p < .001, [1.3, 2.2]), childhood family situation wherein parents separated/divorced (OR = 1.8, p < .01, [1.3, 2.6]) and membership of the Igbo ethnic group (OR = 1.7, p < .05, [1.1, 2.8]). Therefore, to reduce HPR experience in Nigeria, appropriate organs should design and implement an invigorated child protection law targeting childhood sexual abuse reduction. An aggressive campaign against smoking and substance consumption among married men is also imperative. Also, a sustained campaign against HPR using multiple media all over Nigeria is crucial.

The impact of COVID-19 and the ERS on superannuation savings in Australia

COVID-19 has had a significant economic impact on Australia, and consequently on the superannuation savings of many individuals. To examine COVID-19’s heterogeneous effects across different industries and demographic groups, the impact on superannuation was assessed for 12 representative cameos using a range of Australian data, including Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA), ATO, ABS and APRA sources. The marginal impacts of sudden job loss, investment losses, investment switching and participation in the Early Release of Superannuation (ERS) scheme were each investigated in turn. The cameos highlight that some demographic cohorts faced several compounding challenges. For example, many ERS applicants were already facing financial hardship, were more likely to be younger, and faced a higher risk of unemployment. This highlights that COVID-19 has impacted different cohorts in different ways, depending on age, employment status and industry, and family situation, among other factors. JEL Classification: D14, D15, J26, J32

Doing welfare in German secondary schools—How students’ welfare receipt becomes visible in teacher-student interactions and how teachers perceive these students

AbstractWelfare recipients (e.g., “Bürgergeld”) generally are subject to negative stereotyping, but it is unclear whether students’ welfare receipt plays a role in teacher-student interactions, and if so, what. We conducted eight focus groups with 27 teachers and analyzed them using grounded theory to investigate how teachers characterize welfare-related teacher-student interactions. In addition, we examined how teachers perceive these students and the role of stereotypes in these perceptions. Welfare receipt becomes apparent mostly in bureaucratic care interactions in which teachers support corresponding students in financing school participation possibilities. The familial financial situation meets the school’s participation requirements in these teacher-student interactions. Teachers’ feeling of responsibility for this support varies. Most teachers perceive poverty-related shame among students in these interactions, while others do not. Accordingly, the need for a sensitive approach in these interactions is assessed differently. Teachers mentioned hardly any perspectives on the students themselves but on parents receiving welfare (e.g., low educational responsibility) and assumed parents pass on this behavior to their children. In some cases, this leads to negative educational expectations toward corresponding students, which could implicitly influence teaching-related teacher-student interactions. The results provide initial indications for subsequent negative self-perceptions of students on welfare about their social situation at school.

The current rituality of catholic death in Catalonia, a world of meanings

This article sheds light on the current Catholic experience of mourning and death in Catalonia by means of theoretical-interpretative contributions from the field of rituality and the sensitive dimension. It focuses on a method of analysis that emphasizes the deep meanings and sensory dimension of the logic of the death ritual itself. Using multiple narratives and autoethnography, it describes the sequence of actions and sensations related to the drama experienced and channels the pain that is progressively expressed in the different phases of the ritual. The effectiveness of the ritual lies in the experience of non-presence, remoteness or emptiness. Even though the perspectives of the participants are different and there are a variety of family situations, the symbolic and sensitive dimension of the ritual works for everyone by sequencing their actions and experiences throughout the process.

Living with Mental Illness.

Objective: The situation of patient's relatives is still not broadly studied in psychiatry. Their needs are often overlooked. Method: We developed a digital questionnaire concerning the patient's sociodemographic, disease-related, and family-related data and had the patient's therapist fill it out. The patients included (N = 1766) were persons hospitalized on a selected date. Results: One-third of patients had at least one relative with mental illness, prior treatment, or need for treatment. The main diagnoses in relatives were affective, substance use, and somatoform disorders, often in concordance with their index patient. Teenage patients had the most affected relatives. The therapists of the minors included were better informed about their familial situation, whereas the therapists of the 30-59-year-olds knew the least. Conclusions: The comparably lower rate of affected relatives in adults stems most likely from underassessment and needs further investigation.

Childcare in Spain: Strategies and Socioeconomic Determinants

With 39.6 % of children under three years of age at nursery school in the school year of 2018-2019, Spain exceeded the 33 % recommended by the European Commission in 2002. Notwithstanding this figure, childcare for this age range from 0 to 3 years is neither free of charge nor universal, and the formal public offer varies considerably across the country. Faced with this limited accessibility, families resort to various strategies based on the available resources in order to manage their childcare needs. However, the existing data on these schemes are meagre and do not represent all the options. Also lacking is information about how families shape their strategies and the factors that influence their adoption of them. In this number of Perspectives Demogràfiques, which is published by the Centre d’Estudis Demogràfics (CED) at the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB), we draw on the latest data available from the Spanish Fertility Survey (2018) to explore the sociodemographic profiles of mothers with children aged three years and under, and the childcare strategies they adopt. The results suggest that managing childcare requires a combination of several options, thus making it relevant to speak of care strategies. Although formal care is a fundamental resource, it is not always able to respond fully to family needs. Meanwhile, the strategies adopted vary in accordance with the characteristics of mothers, for example their family situation, relationship with the labour market, and whether or not they are immigrants, all of which demonstrates the importance of adapting approaches to care in keeping with each specific situation.

What Matters to Patients: Community-Engaged Design for Healthcare-Related Serious Games

Narrative-based serious games are accessible, engaging technologies that connect users’ lived experiences to pedagogy. Despite having patient-centered goals, most narrative-based serious games are not designed alongside patients and communities, limiting their likelihood of acceptance, uptake, and impact. Literature reveals that many serious games intended for patients merely evaluate efficacy with end-users after game deployment and with a lack of consistent participatory design. This work aims to describe a patient-centered participatory approach to game development to teach self-advocacy skills to patients newly diagnosed with cancer. First, characters were developed based on panels that included patient advocates, cancer survivors, clinicians, and researchers. Second, storyline development created realistic story arcs, decision-points, and consequences based on qualitative interviews with patients, patient advocates, and cancer survivors. Third, game evaluation metrics (e.g., 1st vs. 3rd person perspective, game fail states that incentivize replaying the game, and provision of implicit or explicit feedback) were developed based on accessibility, usability, and patient preferences. Based on patients’ insights, we implemented changes accordingly to maximize the game’s efficacy and collected qualitative data on patients’ assessment of the game’s accessibility, relevance, and impact. During initial game development, patient and advocate feedback built relatable characters with a particular focus on providing sensitive information (e.g., palliative care) and inclusive storylines (e.g., diverse family situations). Following a prototype, patients and advocates suggested refinements to characters and additional storylines, including common and/or distressing experiences related to pain management, family dynamics, financial struggles, and disrespect from healthcare providers. Participants in a randomized trial of the game (N=34) found the scenarios relevant and realistic. Patients reported increased comfort speaking up, seeking support, and interacting with their families and healthcare team after playing the game. Our process demonstrates the essential role patients can inhabit in the development of narrative serious games, particularly in how patient input permeated every aspect of Strong Together's development, from initial design to evaluation. Such integration allows for adjustments to address patient concerns and refine patient-relevant metrics.

What influences people’s decision to participate in clinical trials? A qualitative interview study with patients and parents of patients diagnosed with primary membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (MPGN)

Primary membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (MPGN) is a group of ultra rare kidney disorders associated with complement activation. MPGN often appears in young age and is uncurable. Current treatments have varying efficiency and new clinical trials are underway to identify better and more tailored treatment pathways. We conducted semi-structured digital interviews with an international sample of MPGN patients and parents of MPGN patients to understand how they would make any potential future decision to participate in future clinical trials. Six main factors influenced the decision-making process: the trial design and practical aspects, personal motivation, concerns about participation, expert advice, current state of illness, and family situation. More specifically, patients and parents considered important that participation in clinical trials is compatible with work and family life and that the expected side effects are limited. They would be motivated by the prospect of maintaining or improving their kidney function or if their current condition was poor. Providing comprehensive information about the risks and benefits of participation, co-designing trials in partnership with patients and limiting the burdens associated with participation may positively impact recruitment and adherence rates.

Participation in formal adult education and family life—a gendered story

Abstract Previous literature on adult education (AE) has focused on various aspects of social inequalities, and although many acknowledge the critical role of gender, the mechanisms influencing gender differences in participation are rarely to the fore. Specifically, women report family responsibilities as the main reason for not enrolling in AE. This article examines whether family responsibilities, measured as the age and number of children, act as motivators or barriers to formal AE participation differently among men and women with varying time and monetary resources, that is, partnership status and relative income, in two societies with high formal AE enrolment rates; Finland and Great Britain. The results from Finnish registers and Understanding Society for 1998–2019 demonstrate clearly that family responsibilities related to having young children in the household restrict women from participating in formal AE to a greater extent than men in both countries. Further, while Finnish society enables individuals who traditionally have fewer resources to attend formal AE, that is, single parents and larger families, in Britain, formal AE is mainly taken up by individuals without children or those in stable family situations. The results highlight the importance of institutions in providing equal access to further educational qualifications.

The Protagonist's Exploration of Inner Space in Deshpande's Novel "Time Issue"

This paper seeks to work out the notion of 'inner space' followed by a brief discussion of the concept of 'self as its natural corollary. It shows how despite all odds, Shashi Deshpande's female protagonists constantly search for inner space. The way they resist and question their family situations characterized by gender discrimination, and male domination, and negotiate the socio-cultural and patriarchal setup, will be a special point of focus. The extent to which the protagonists succeed in procuring individual space for themselves will be ascertained on the basis of available textual evidence. An attempt will also be made to lucidly work out the stages of growth on the part of the protagonists in the process of their search for inner space (i.e. actualization of the self), which is completely infringed by patriarchal dictates and culturally prescriptive code evolved especially to tame, exploit, subdue and dominate women.

Substance use and help seeking as coping behaviors among parents and unpaid caregivers of adults in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic

ABSTRACT Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, caregiving responsibilities may have been associated with increased substance use. Objectives: To characterize substance use to cope with stress and willingness to seek help among (i) parents, (ii) unpaid caregivers of adults, and (iii) parent-caregivers. Methods: Data were analyzed for 10,444 non-probabilistic internet-based survey respondents of the COVID-19 Outbreak Public Evaluation (COPE) initiative (5227 females, 5217 males). Questions included new or increased substance use, substance use in the past 30 days to cope, insomnia, mental health, and willingness to seek help. Results: Nearly 20% of parents and unpaid caregivers of adults each reported new or increased use of substances to cope with stress or emotions; 65.4% of parent-caregivers endorsed this response. Compared to non-caregivers, all caregiver groups had higher odds of new or increased use of substances, with parent-caregivers showing the largest effect size (aOR: 7.19 (5.87–8.83), p < .001). Parent-caregivers had four times the adjusted odds of using drugs other than cannabis (aOR: 4.01 (3.15–5.09), p < .001) compared to non-caregivers. Conclusions: Caregivers may initiate or increase substance use as a coping strategy when under stress. The higher odds of substance use underscores the importance of efforts to screen for sleep disturbances and adverse mental health symptoms, particularly among parent-caregivers. Clinicians may consider asking patients about family situations more broadly to help identify people who may be experiencing stress related to caregiving and, if indicated, offer treatment to potentially alleviate some of the risks.

A qualitative descriptive study examining the impact of child‐raising experience on Japanese family doctors

AbstractBackgroundThe Patient‐Centered Clinical Method (PCCM) plays an important role in family doctors' ability to communicate effectively with patients. Although the parenting experiences of healthcare providers can be utilized to communicate with patients, it is unclear how they contribute to family doctors' practice.MethodsA qualitative descriptive study focusing on the parenting experiences of Japanese family doctors and their perceptions of how these experiences interfaced with their clinical practice of the PCCM was conducted. Participants were selected using snowball sampling, and the data were collected via semi‐structured interviews while recording online, which were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using qualitative descriptive analysis, with data‐derived codes being systematically applied and reflexively interpreted. The categories were refined concurrently with the interviews. Once it was established that no additional categories were required, the recruitment and analysis process was concluded.ResultsThe eight participants were recruited, and the following themes were extracted; these were “Developing patience and new perspectives through raising children,” “Empathizing with the experiences of others,” “Building awareness of social factors and home context,” “Reflecting on one's own words and behavior,” “Forming partnerships with patients through shared parenting experiences,” and “Facilitating interpersonal growth.”ConclusionThe communication skills that have been refined through personal experiences of raising children are transferable between professional and family situations. This research shows that such skills are not mutually exclusive to professional or family settings and can be used effectively to improve clinical practice as part of the PCCM model of consulting.

Well-Being and Cardiovascular Health: Insights From the UK Biobank Study.

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are a leading global health concern. Emerging evidence suggests a potential protective role of well-being in reducing CVD risk. We conducted a cohort analysis using the UK Biobank data set, encompassing 121 317 participants. We assessed the well-being of participants using a well-being index derived from baseline questionnaires. Well-being categories were derived by latent class analysis using general happiness and satisfaction with family, friendships, health, and finance situations. The relationship between well-being and 4 major CVDs was analyzed using Cox proportional hazards models and Mendelian randomization. The study also examined the impacts of well-being on lifestyle factors and inflammatory markers, and its mediating role in the well-being-CVD relationship. Higher well-being was associated with a significantly reduced risk of various CVDs. Latent class analysis identified 4 distinct well-being groups (low, variable, moderate-to-high, and high satisfaction), with higher satisfaction levels generally associated with lower risk of CVDs. Mendelian randomization suggested potential causal relationships between well-being and reduced risk of CVDs. Participants with greater well-being demonstrated healthier behaviors and lower levels of inflammatory markers. Mediation analysis indicated that lifestyle and inflammatory markers partially mediated the relationship between well-being and CVDs. This study demonstrates a robust inverse association between well-being and the risks of CVDs, suggesting that enhancing well-being may be a viable strategy for CVD prevention. The role of lifestyle factors and inflammation as a mediator provides insight into possible biological pathways linking psychological states and cardiovascular health.