Social Dimensions Of Vulnerability Research Articles

Profiling residential energy vulnerability: Bayesian-based spatial mapping of occupancy and building characteristics

With global trends in electrification, communities highly dependent on electricity are facing increasing challenges, particularly due to more frequent weather events, which lead to significant surges in electricity demand or result in blackouts. However, the impact is disproportionate across space and time, which raises an urgent need to comprehensively assess residential energy vulnerabilities to ensure energy security for households. Existing methodologies, whether large-scale regional assessments or community-based surveys, predominantly rely on static data. This reliance significantly limits their ability to capture the spatial and temporal dynamics of energy vulnerability, which is particularly important in the face of climate change. This study analyses residential energy vulnerability in the dimensions of social vulnerability, building resilience, and energy burden by innovatively linking occupancy patterns with the built environment through a Bayesian-based spatial mapping methodology. We applied this method through a case study in a Philadelphia census tract area identified for its high vulnerability based on FEMA's National Risk Index. By mapping occupancy with residential buildings, we simulated the energy consumption patterns of approximately 900 residential buildings. The simulations utilized DOE single-family energy prototypes, tailored to account for empirical occupancy and building features, to predict hourly energy consumption and assess indoor thermal comfort during power outages on days with extreme temperatures. The findings reveal disparities across different dimensions of energy vulnerability and illustrate the dynamic nature of energy vulnerability that fluctuates with daily activities. The study also highlights areas with low thermal resilience, suggesting a need for retrofitting older buildings to improve energy efficiency. The implications of this research extend beyond the built environment to the socioeconomic aspects of energy use, advocating for adaptive community planning and the development of resilient energy infrastructures. The results serve as a foundation for stakeholders to implement targeted interventions, prioritize retrofitting efforts, and support equitable access to energy resources, thereby enhancing urban sustainability and resilience.

Evaluation of Vulnerability-Related Risk Factors in Patients with Spinal Cord Injuries during Covid-19 Pandemic

Background: Spinal cord injury is a chronic disease with increasing prevalence which causes various disorders in normal human life.
 Objectives: This study endeavored to determine the risk factors related to the vulnerability in patients with SCIs During Covid-19 Pandemic in Ilam.
 Methods: This study was conducted by utilization of a variety of descriptive cross-sectional studies in 2021. Questionnaires were used to collect information Tilburg vulnerability survey, Resilience survey and wax social support survey. For gaining samples with suitable disperse in the study properties and purposes, a list of patients was chosen and all of them were contacted to be informed about participating in the study. Completed surveys analyzed by SPSS16.
 Results: Result showed, average score and standard deviation of vulnerability score in patients with SCI. Accordingly M(SD) measured to be 6.40(1.38) in physical dimension of vulnerability, 1.56(0.89) in mental dimension of vulnerability and 0.81(0.76) in social dimension of vulnerability. result of study, M(SD) was calculated to be 20.20(3.59) in family dimension, 18.76(3.83) in friends’ dimension and 21.70(3.69) in other people dimension.
 Conclusions: Suggested to consider demographic variables affecting the health-related components in order to improve the condition of patients with SCI during the outbreak of Covid-19 disease.

Vulnerabilities associated with violence against women before entering the prison system.

to analyze the individual and social vulnerabilities of women deprived of their liberty for violence suffered before entering the prison system. an analytical crosssectional study, carried out with 272 inmates of a female prison unit, in the Metropolitan Region of Fortaleza, Ceará. We applied two instruments: a form to analyze sociodemographic information and the violence suffered prior to entering the prison and the Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST), which analyzed the history of psychoactive substance use. 44.5% of women suffered violence. Most of the total sample was between 18 and 29 years old, with children, low education and income, early onset of sexual life and history of illicit drug use. Age between 18 and 29 years proved to be a protective factor against violence (OR = 0.632). Cocaine and crack use (p =0.002), amphetamines and ecstasy (p =0.018) increase the chance of violence by 2.2 to 3.3 times. aspects of the individual and social dimensions of vulnerability are associated with the occurrence of violence in women in the female prison system. Effective strategies need to be designed based on vulnerabilities to prevent violence against women.

Удары коронавирусной стихии: межстрановые различия

The COVID-19 pandemic that engulfed the world in early 2020 did not make an exception for anyone. However, the degree of its impact on countries and social groups varies significantly. This article discusses several factors that can shape these differences, focusing specifically on the correlation between the excess mortality during 2020–2021 and various dimensions of social vulnerability, specifically the ones that are caused by unprotected or low pay employment, self-employment, and higher exposure to work-related social contacts. In order to measure these factors, this study relies on the analysis of the Gini coefficient and some other indices that reflect the specifics of labour markets and social vulnerabilities. The assessment is based on data provided by Eurofound, Eurobarometer, the World Bank and OECD Statistics. The correlation between inequality/vulnerability and excess mortality rates can be explained by higher exposure of vulnerable social groups to the infection and their lower access to high quality healthcare. The econometric analysis supports the hypothesis that the cross-country variation in excess mortality rates during the 2020–2021 COVID-19 pandemics can be partially explained by socioeconomic characteristics of countries in the sample. Vulnerable groups are not only more exposed to health-related risks due to the pandemics but are also less likely to be vaccinated. Larger shares of the vulnerable groups and lower vaccination rates are associated with higher excess mortality rates conditional upon country characteristics such as GDP per capita, the share of university graduates and healthcare expenditures, as well as age structure. This relationship holds for different variables used, different country samples and data sets.

Inequitable Flow of Animals in and Out of Shelters: Comparison of Community-Level Vulnerability for Owner-Surrendered and Subsequently Adopted Animals.

There is increasing awareness among animal shelter professionals regarding the role of shelters in perpetuating inequities in pet ownership, although the relationship between owner vulnerabilities and animal shelter services is largely understudied. Currently, there is no literature comparing the sociodemographic conditions of communities where surrendered animals originate and communities where they are adopted. The present study compared the “flow” of surrendered animals between originating communities (incoming) and communities where they were adopted (outgoing; n = 21,270). To analyze community-level vulnerability, we used the Canadian Index of Multiple Deprivation (CIMD), which has four dimensions of social vulnerability. We found that three of the four CIMD dimensions were significantly different between surrendering and adopting communities (Ethnocultural Composition, Situational Vulnerability (SV), Economic Dependency, but not Residential Instability). For further investigation, we also grouped our analysis by intake groups (small animal n = 2,682; puppy n = 973; dog n = 3,446; kitten n = 6,436; cat n= 7,733) and found multiple relationships for which the incoming and outgoing CIMD quintiles were different. For example, for both puppies and kittens, the median outgoing SV quintile ranks were statistically significantly lower (less vulnerable) than incoming quintile ranks, with the effect size being moderate (puppy r = 0.31, kitten r = 0.30; p ≤ 0.0025), supporting the concern of the flow of certain animals from more vulnerable to less vulnerable communities. The results of this research provide a basis for understanding potential inequities in the use of shelter services to surrender or adopt an animal. Furthermore, these methods allow animal shelters to assess community needs and create interventions to reduce intake and increase adoption of animals. Finally, these data provide further support that animal sheltering is best considered from a One Welfare perspective.

Extractive industry disasters and community responses: a typology of vulnerable subjects

ABSTRACT There is widespread recognition that environmental disasters disproportionately affect the poor in developing countries, yet certain kinds of violence also strip white, middle-class communities in industrialized countries of vital resources to respond. Social vulnerability as a mutually constitutive relationship between distinct types of shocks and capacities to respond requires further research. I explore how the temporal dimension of shocks creates different types of structural risks, and articulate how these interact with the agency of affected communities. The first section deals with attributes of different environmental shocks, the second examines the agency of individuals and communities, the third analyzes the relationship between extractive industry violence and capacities for response. This generates a typology that enables us to chart the creation of vulnerable subjects. This framework also helps us develop insights into the underlying dimensions of social vulnerability and makes it possible to better classify cases of vulnerable populations.

Examining the Potential Impacts of Social Vulnerability on Damage Levels in Areas Affected by Hurricane Harvey

Abstract To our knowledge, this is one of the pioneering studies that examined the associations between changes in different dimensions of social vulnerability from 2000 to 2016 on damage levels resulting from Hurricane Harvey. The empirical work was based on data obtained from the FEMA Modeled Building Damage Assessments Harvey 20170829 and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR)’s Geospatial Research, Analysis & Services Program (GRASP). Results from linear mixed effects modeling and the spatial error and CAR models suggested that damage level was determined by certain aspects of social vulnerability; the level of damage increased with inundation depth, population aging, and the proportion of minority population. Efforts to promote resilience in natural disasters should focus on individuals living in areas characterized by increases in population aging and minority population. Results also revealed that certain processes associated with economic growth and urban development might affect an area’s resilience and susceptibility to natural disasters and the processes associated with disaster response and mitigation.

Vulnerability in the health of young transgender women living with HIV/AIDS.

to analyze the health vulnerability of young female transgender living with HIV/AIDS. qualitative, descriptive, and exploratory study, based on the theoretical reference of Social Representation and concept of vulnerability; developed with six transgender women in a reference Hospital for HIV/AIDS. We analyzed the individual interviews, recorded, and transcribed in full, in the IRaMuTeQ software by Similitude Analysis. the thematic categories are listed based on the Ayres reference: 1) Individual dimension of vulnerability to HIV/AIDS; 2) Social dimension of vulnerability to HIV/AIDS; 3) Programmatic dimension of the vulnerability. Final Considerations: the young female transsexual living with HIV/AIDS experience a context of vulnerability in health associated with a lack of knowledge and difficulties for the realization of self-care. The study evidenced the representations of social abjection and unpreparedness of the health team that compose the Primary Attention in Health in promoting qualified assistance for the execution of the effective and humanized care.

Decision Model for Predicting Social Vulnerability Using Artificial Intelligence

Social vulnerability, from a socio-environmental point of view, focuses on the identification of disadvantaged or vulnerable groups and the conditions and dynamics of the environments in which they live. To understand this issue, it is important to identify the factors that explain the difficulty of facing situations with a social disadvantage. Due to its complexity and multidimensionality, it is not always easy to point out the social groups and urban areas affected. This research aimed to assess the connection between certain dimensions of social vulnerability and its urban and dwelling context as a fundamental framework in which it occurs using a decision model useful for the planning of social and urban actions. For this purpose, a holistic approximation was carried out on the census and demographic data commonly used in this type of study, proposing the construction of (i) a knowledge model based on Artificial Neural Networks (Self-Organizing Map), with which a demographic profile is identified and characterized whose indicators point to a presence of social vulnerability, and (ii) a predictive model of such a profile based on rules from dwelling variables constructed by conditional inference trees. These models, in combination with Geographic Information Systems, make a decision model feasible for the prediction of social vulnerability based on housing information.

Interrogating vulnerability in the Global Framework for Climate Services

Over the past decade, the Global Framework for Climate Services (GFCS) has emerged as a major influence on the practice of and discourse about climate services, which aim to reduce the vulnerability of society to climate-related hazards through better provision of climate information and engagement of users of climate services. Yet, there is little research into the relations, practices, and discourses produced and institutionalized through the GFCS. The treatment of vulnerability in climate services, and by the GFCS in particular, remains understudied. To address this gap, we conduct a document analysis of key GFCS reports to interrogate framings of vulnerability and examine their implications for the development and practice of climate services for adaptation. Although we see attention to vulnerability in official GFCS discourse, we find that, with a few exceptions, identifying climate vulnerabilities is largely a cursory exercise that does not meaningfully engage in the complex social processes that contribute to differential vulnerabilities. To meet its own objectives, and the larger vision of climate services, we propose that the GFCS draw upon a rich literature on vulnerability and promote the global development of climate services that considers the coupled physical and social dimensions of vulnerability and prioritizes climate services for the most vulnerable.

Promoção da saúde, qualidade de vida e iniquidade em saúde: reflexões para a saúde pública.

A ideia de promover saúde tem se tornado uma energia fundamental no movimento de saúde coletiva, no qual saúde é um fenômeno social e marcado por iniquidades. Este trabalho teve como objetivo compreender as relações entre promoção da saúde e iniquidades de acesso e assistência em saúde, identificandoos entraves para uma prática equânime da saúde pública com ênfase à qualidade de vida. Os diferentes perfis de doença e suas mediações sociais ultrapassam os estudos de variação biológica e incorpora o foco na dimensão social das vulnerabilidades. Para promover saúde no Brasil, é indissociável do enfrentamento de uma realidade de iniquidades históricas de grandes proporções que impõem desafios cotidianos não apenas ao setor de saúde, mas a todos aqueles que constroem políticas públicas. A qualidade de vida depende da satisfação das necessidades básicas de todos os cidadãos, propondo uma gestão baseada na solidariedade social, uma visão holística dos problemas e a redução das iniquidades. A promoção da saúde em um país tão desigual como o Brasil propõe um desafio constante aos atores envolvidos no sistema de saúde. A compreensão das iniquidades em saúde para estabelecer uma assistência holística é um processo difícil, mas extremamente relevante para a saúde pública.

Re-specifying disaster risk: concepts, methods, and models

The discussion on the social-ecological dimensions of hazards is constantly evolving. This paper explores the trajectory of research relating to hazards and their impact on vulnerable human populations. Interpretations of disaster risk have included estimating losses in terms of human life and property, and analyzing the social mechanisms in place that exacerbate or mitigate a population’s sensitivity to hazard events. In keeping with recent trends in research relating to disaster risk, the paper focuses on the social dimension of vulnerability and the contribution of social structures and relationships in building community resilience. Institutional frameworks and policies in particular determine the quantity and quality of resources and services available to people that contribute to resilience over time. The hazard-risk-location-model (HRLM) is proposed that is based on re-specifying disaster risk in terms of exposure and coping ability to capture the focus on social vulnerability and resilience. The framework of the HRLM incorporates the following components: (1) linkages within existing social capital; (2) spatial variation in social and institutional frameworks; (3) positive and negative feedbacks; and (4) characteristics of the hazard event. The model contributes to the range of place-based assessments designed to address the human-environmental impacts of hazards and disasters.

Integrated vulnerability mapping for wards in Mid-Norway

The future climate of Norway is expected to become “warmer, wetter, and wilder”, and it is anticipated that this will cause more extreme weather events. Local authorities therefore need to increase their ability to assess weather-related hazards such as flooding and landslide, as well as peoples’ capacities to cope with such events. Any evaluation of future vulnerability towards natural hazards should use today's situation as the baseline. In this article, we present this baseline: a vulnerability assessment for the present. Our vulnerability assessment incorporates both physical and social dimensions of vulnerability and screens Mid-Norway at the lowest administrative level. The results reveal a considerable geographic variation regarding vulnerability. The assessment identifies the most vulnerable localities within a municipality and could thus be relevant for the local authorities. By incorporating knowledge held by the local authorities, the vulnerability mapping could be made even more relevant.

Climatic hazards, health risk and response in Vietnam: Case studies on social dimensions of vulnerability

Vietnam is highly prone to climatic hazards, including extreme weather events and marked seasonal changes. Climatic hazards have wide-ranging implications for human health, but in most hazard-prone countries there has been little household level research on health risks. Drawing on the results of exploratory research in low-income communities in the Central Provinces and the Mekong Delta, this paper uses a qualitative approach to examine how the social dimensions of vulnerability can come into play in the generation of health outcomes associated with hazards. It explores particularly how aspects of economic livelihood, physical location, education and protective behaviour combined to influence the exposure and susceptibility of households, as well as to shape their capability to avoid adverse health impacts. These aspects were closely linked with, but not solely determined by, income-poverty: underlining the argument that understanding of risks to health in low-income settings requires careful analysis of this complex shaping of vulnerability. It also requires recognition that health protection for the poor may be articulated more in terms of protection of wider livelihood assets than preventive health actions per se.