Social Variables Research Articles

Modeling the relative influence of socio-demographic variables on post-acute COVID-19 quality of life.

Post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2, referred to as "long COVID", are a globally pervasive threat. While their many clinical determinants are commonly considered, their plausible social correlates are often overlooked. To compare social and clinical predictors of differences in quality of life (QoL) with long COVID. Additionally, to measure how much adjusted associations between social factors and long COVID-associated quality of life are unexplained by important clinical intermediates. Data from the ISARIC long COVID multi-country prospective cohort study. Subjects from Norway, the United Kingdom (UK), and Russia, aged 16 and above, with confirmed acute SARS-CoV-2 infection reporting >= 1 long COVID-associated symptoms 1+ month following infection. The social exposures considered were educational attainment (Norway), employment status (UK and Russia), and female vs male sex (all countries). Quality of life-adjusted days, or QALDs, with long COVID. This cohort study included a total of 3891 participants. In all three countries, educational attainment, employment status, and female sex were important predictors of long COVID QALDs. Furthermore, a majority of the estimated relationships between each of these social correlates and long COVID QALDs could not be attributed to key long COVID-predicting comorbidities. In Norway, 90% (95% CI: 77%, 100%) of the adjusted association between the top two quintiles of educational attainment and long COVID QALDs was not explained by clinical intermediates. The same was true for 86% (73%, 100%) and 93% (80%,100%) of the adjusted associations between full-time employment and long COVID QALDs in the United Kingdom (UK) and Russia. Additionally, 77% (46%,100%) and 73% (52%, 94%) of the adjusted associations between female sex and long COVID QALDs in Norway and the UK were unexplained by the clinical mediators. This study highlights the role of socio-economic status indicators and female sex, in line with or beyond commonly cited clinical conditions, as predictors of long COVID-associated QoL, and further reveal that other (non-clinical) mechanisms likely drive their observed relationships. Our findings point to the importance of COVID interventions which go further than an exclusive focus on comorbidity management in order to help redress inequalities in experiences with this chronic disease.

Addiction Therapeutic Communities in Saudi Arabia: An Evaluation of the Resident Retention Rates and Their Correlation With the Type of Drug Used.

Long-term retention is a reliable, well-studied factor associated with enhanced outcomes in addiction therapeutic communities (ATCs). The aim of this study was to estimate resident retention rates of ATCs in Saudi Arabia at three and six months, completion of therapy, and early dropout, and investigate their correlation with the type of drug used and other social variables. This was a cohort retrospective study and data of all residents admitted to all Saudi ATCs since their establishment in 2000 through September 2014 were collected from their files. There were five Saudi ATCs during the study period. The date of admission, discharge date, socio-demographics, and drug use were reported. Retention rates at three and six months and dropouts in the first week were calculated, and the correlation with the type of drug used was studied using multinomial binary logistic regression analysis. Out of a total of 2050 files, 2003 were suitable for analysis. All residents were male adults. The retention rate for three and six months was 45% and 28%, respectively, and 8.3% dropped out in the first week. The median duration of stay was 77 days. Unemployment and being a student were associated with the completion of treatment. The type of drug used showed no significant correlation with retention rates or dropouts. Three-month retention, treatment completion, and dropout within the first week were reasonable, comparable, and consistent with reported rates worldwide. These rates can be considered an indicator of successful Saudi ATC programs. The type of drug used does not make a difference in retention and dropout rates in the present study, which is in line with the ATC management system that does not view the type of drug as a main treatment outcome modifier.

The political effects of intra-EU migration: Evidence from national and European elections in seven countries

This article studies the impact of immigration from Central and Eastern Europe on support for Eurosceptic parties. The analysis covers 30 national and European Parliament elections in seven Western, Northern and Southern European countries (2004 to 2019). For each election, I analyse how the local-level share of the vote for right- and left-wing Eurosceptic parties varies as a function of the levels and changes in the local-level share of Central and Eastern European immigrants from the population, controlling for the influence of relevant demographic, social and economic variables. I find that higher levels of immigration from Central and Eastern Europe are systematically related to higher voting shares cast for right-wing Eurosceptic parties at the local level in all of these countries, net of the influence of non-Western immigration, in elections for the European Parliament and in national elections as well. The effects on left-wing Euroscepticism are heterogeneous: positive in the Netherlands, Austria and Portugal, but negative in Italy, Denmark and Sweden. The effects have not diminished significantly over the past 15 years and are most visible in mid-sized localities.

The Influence of Government Agency Support and Social Media on Sustainable Competitive Advantage is Mediated by Entrepreneurial

The aim of this research is to determine the impact of support from government agencies and social media on the sustainable competitive advantage of SMEs in North Lombok Regency and to explore the role of entrepreneurial orientation as a mediator in the relationship between support from government agencies, social media and sustainable competitive advantage. The sample in this research is. SMEs in North Lombok Regency amounted to 100 respondents using a simple random sampling method. This research uses the PLS (Partial Least Squares) analysis method. The results of this research show that the variables of government agency support and social media have a significant positive effect on the variables of sustainable competitive advantage and entrepreneurial orientation. The entrepreneurial orientation variable has a significant positive effect on the sustainable competitive advantage variable. Entrepreneurial orientation and social media variables play a partial mediator role between government support and sustainable competitive advantage.

Analysis of Public Facilities, Village Funds and Social Infrastructure on Community Welfare in Pematang Serai Village, Langkat Regency

This research is based on the analysis of public facilities, village funds and social infrastructure on the welfare of the community in Pematang Serai village. Pematang Serai village, Langkat Regency is dominated by people who earn a living as fruit and vegetable farmers, but with the location of the village far from the city, there is a need for attention to public facilities for the community, Good management of village funds and infrastructure to be a benchmark for community welfare and household productivity is important for the people who live in the village. This research was conducted in Pematang Serai Village. The thing being studied is the influence between the variables of public facilities, village funds, and social infrastructure, on community welfare and household productivity. The purpose of the research is to find out and analyze the welfare of the community in Cingkes Village, Dolok Silau District by analyzing through public facilities, management and villages for the community and social infrastructure to facilitate daily community activities. The number of samples used was 200 data families collected by distributing questionnaires and data management using SEM (Structural Equation Modeling) using Amos software version 20. Based on the results of the test conducted with a hypothesis test, social infrastructure variables have a significant effect on community productivity. Then the variables of public facilities, village funds and social infrastructure have an insignificant effect on the welfare of the community and the variables of facilities and village funds also have no significant effect on household productivity. In this study, it is hoped that the village government will pay more attention to the things that the community needs in the village.

Social and environmental dimensions of public spaces of the indigenous territory of the Sierra de Manantlan mountain range, Jalisco state, western Mexico

The social and environmental dimension of the public space occupants of the indigenous territory of the Sierra de Manantlan, Jalisco, has a crucial place in the heritage of Mexico, such is the case of its form of idiosyncrasy, mutual interaction, and coexistence. The cultural, political, and economic organizations the Sierra de Manantlan mark an identity of the native peoples, where their customs, communal life, and solidarity work are preserved. The research objective was to evaluate the social perception and environmental habitability conditions of public space occupants in the towns of Chacala and Telcruz. Therefore, semi-structured interviews were conducted for the primary actors in both study areas and 259 information cards were applied to the inhabitants with data regarding social interaction variables and meteorological conditions in two seasons (summer and winter of a calendar year). Regarding data analysis and statistical purposes, the Pearson and Spearman correlations was used according to the needs of the study. The results revealed that the occupants of public spaces mostly report the pleasure of interacting in said spaces; however, they indicate that they would like an intervention or remodeling in the place that would encourage greater interaction with their neighbors, family, and friends. Another additional fact is that climatic variables, especially in summer, harm the desire to attend or stay in said spaces because of the lack of natural elements or bioclimatic devices that mitigate the environmental impact.

Stagg:: A data pre-processing R package for climate impacts analysis

The increasing availability of high-resolution climate data has greatly expanded the study of how the climate impacts humans and society. However, the processing of these multi-dimensional datasets poses significant challenges for researchers in this growing field, most of whom are social scientists. This paper introduces stagg, or “space-time aggregator”, a new R package that streamlines three critical components of climate data processing for impacts analysis: nonlinear transformation, spatial and temporal aggregation, and spatial weighting by social or economic variables. The package consolidates the data processing pipeline into a few lines of code, lowering barriers to entry for researchers and facilitating a larger and more diverse research community. The paper provides an overview of stagg's functions, followed by an applied example demonstrating the package's utility in climate impacts research. stagg has the potential to be a valuable tool in generating evidence-based estimates of the likely impacts of future climate change.

Designing a model for developing local business for rural women Iran with a sustainable development approach

This study endeavors to formulate a sustainable development-oriented model for home-based businesses catering to rural women in Guilan province. Employing a qualitative-quantitative research approach, the study is practical in its objectives and relies on survey methods for data collection. The research population encompasses two main groups: the first group involves academic professionals, scholars, and managers or experts from provincial organizations dedicated to employment and women’s issues, while the second group comprises 274 purposefully sampled individuals, including owners, managers, and women affiliated with micro-credit funds in Guilan province, selected through the snowball technique. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to gather data, and the Smart-PLS software package utilized the partial least squares (PLS) technique for advanced multivariate analysis in structural equation modeling. Evaluation of the home-based business development model for rural women, based on the coefficients of the direct path, reveals that educational (β = 0.112), social (β = 0.232), economic (β = 0.274), and policymaking (β = 0.381) variables significantly influence the sustainable development of home-based businesses (P < 0.05). Notably, the policymaking variable exerts the most substantial impact. Furthermore, the model designed for sustainable development can account for 71 percent of the variance in the dependent variable. It is recommended that the government should allocate financial resources specifically for rural women house-based businesses and policies should prioritize and actively support home-based businesses, recognizing their significant impact on rural women's economic development.

The availability of food in Mexico: an approach to measuring food security

Background informationMexico faces a great challenge in producing, storing, and distributing food to guarantee the food security of its population. Natural disasters, climate change and changes in land cover are dynamic drivers affecting food production. In this study, we propose a method for assessing food security by evaluating the amount of food in Mexico that is available to meet the demand of its population. An indicator of food availability based on environmental, social, production and food supply variables is proposed.MethodsFood availability in Mexico's 2471 municipalities was assessed using five sub-indicators covering environmental and social conditions of production, food supply, caloric and protein sufficiency, and food supply. A database of 19 variables was integrated to calculate an index of food availability by municipality. Spatial analysis techniques were used to identify areas with specific needs and to formulate public policy recommendations.ResultsThe availability of food is not a problem at all in 90% of the municipalities in the country. We found that the environmental and social conditions are suitable for producing food from agriculture and livestock and there are sufficient food outlets. The caloric demand and protein requirements of the population can be met in at least 87% of the municipalities. Thus, the environmental and social conditions are good in more than 85% of the municipalities. If food production and availability are sufficient; then, the problem of food insecurity may be due to other causes.Conclusions and recommendationsThe conclusion is that food insecurity in Mexico is influenced by additional factors. An urgent intervention is needed, including public policies to provide economic support to the most affected segments of the population.

Prediction of COVID-19 cases using SIR and AR models: Tokyo-specific and nationwide application

With fast infectious diseases such as COVID-19, the SIR model may not represent the number of infections due to the occurrence of distribution shifts. In this study, we use simulations based on the SIR model to verify the prediction accuracy of new positive cases by considering distribution shifts. Instead of expressing the overall number of new positive cases in the SIR model, the number of new positive cases in a specific region is simulated, the expanded estimation ratio is expressed in the AR model, and these are multiplied to predict the overall number. In addition to the parameters used in the SIR model, we introduced parameters related to social variables. The parameters for the simulation were estimated daily from the data using approximate Bayesian computation (ABC). Using this method, the average absolute percent error in predicting the number of positive cases for the peak of the eighth wave (2022/12/22–12/28) for all of Japan was found to be 62.2% when using data up to two months before the peak and 6.2% when using data up to one month before the peak. Our simulations based on the SIR model reproduced the number of new positive cases across Japan and produced reasonable results when predicting the peak of the eighth wave.

Are patients without insurance coverage less likely to undergo surgery for humeral shaft fractures? A national database analysis

Historically, humeral shaft fractures have been managed nonoperatively in a functional brace. However, recent studies suggest an increase in rates of operative fixation. Disparities in surgical management based on insurance status have been demonstrated across many orthopedic conditions. This study aimed to identify if a correlation exists between insurance coverage and the probability of undergoing operative fixation for a humeral shaft fracture. A retrospective examination of the National Readmissions Database from 2016 to 2021 was conducted. Patients diagnosed with isolated closed humeral shaft fractures were identified via International Classification of Disease, 10th Revision codes, and surgical interventions were identified using International Classification of Disease, 10th Revision procedural codes. Utilizing weighted data, a total of 56,468 patients with isolated closed humeral shaft fractures were identified, 25,075 (44.4%) of whom underwent operative fixation. A univariate analysis was conducted using Pearson's chi-square test to isolate variables for inclusion in a multivariable analysis. A binary logistic regression analysis was then employed to explore demographic and other pertinent factors. Findings were reported as odds ratios. After controlling for social and demographic variables, patients with Medicaid (OR, 0.54; 95% CI, 0.50-0.58; P<.001), Medicare (OR, 0.64; 95% CI, 0.60-0.68; P<.001), and self-pay patients (OR, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.67-0.84; P<.001) were less likely to undergo operative fixation of humeral shaft fracture than those with private insurance. Patients without private insurance or those with no insurance coverage are less likely to undergo operative fixation for humeral shaft fractures compared to those with private insurance, even after adjusting for social and demographic variables. The observed variability underscores the necessity for more refined treatment guidelines for humeral shaft fractures. Surgeons should be aware of these potential biases affecting management decisions.

QUALITY OF LIFE IN PATIENTS UNDERGOING MAINTENANCE HEMODIALYSIS AND THEIR SATISFACTION TOWARDS SERVICES PROVIDED AT A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL IN RAIGAD DISTRICT

introduction: Increased morbidity and mortality associated with chronic kidney disease (CKD) negatively affects patient’s Quality of life (QOL), which is an issue of significant public health importance. Thus, the aim of this study is to assess impact of physical, psychological, social and demographic variables on quality of life among patients with ESRD undergoing Haemodialysis. Objectives: 1. To assess the Quality of Life of patients undergoing hemodialysis.2. To study the socio-demographic factors associated with Quality of Life. 3.To assess Patient Satisfaction in patients related to services provided in the tertiary care hospital Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted in dialysis unit of a tertiary care hospital in Navi Mumbai. All patients(n=51) who are ?18 years of age undergoing haemodialysis for at least 3 months were included. The study was conducted using Kidney Disease Quality of Life 36 item scale and Patient Satisfaction questionnaire. Results: The Physical component score (PCS) was 33.028.82 and Mental component score (MCS) was 42.057.23. The mean score of patient satisfaction was 66.255.75. Conclusion and Recommendation: The present study showed that kidney disease had a greater effect on physical health than mental health. Also, patients report satisfaction with the healthcare received at the health facility.

THE RELATIONSHIP OF FEAR OF MISSING OUT (FoMO) AND PEER SOCIAL SUPPORT WITH THE BODY IMAGE OF FEMALE ADOLESCENT AT SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL

Introduction: Adolescent girls are involved and exposed to various comments regarding physical appearance, which can lead to experiences of body dissatisfaction, resulting from failing to meet the unrealistic standards of physical attractiveness set by society. This condition can be influenced by FoMO and social support from peers. This research aims to analyze the relationship between Fear of Missing Out (FoMO) and social support from peers with body image in adolescent girls at SMA Negeri 13 Surabaya. Method: This research use descriptive correlation design with cross-sectional approach. The population was 650 people, with a sample size of 191 female teenagers at senior high school in Surabaya. The sampling technique used is simple random sampling. The independent variables are FoMO and peer social support. The dependent variable is body image. Data was taken using a questionnaire and analyzed using the Spearman's rank test. Results: There is a relationship between FoMO and body image in female adolescents (p=0,031&lt;0.05 and (r) = -0,156). For the peer social support variable, the value obtained was p=0,568&gt;0,05, which means there is no relationship. Discussion: FoMO may be related to body image. Peer social support is not associated with body

Analisis Penggunaan Media Sosial sebagai alat Promosi Ditinjau dari Instagram, Facebook, Tiktok dan Whatsapp

With social media now, the overall way consumers shop has changed, they purchase products online, from ordering to payment, they are done online. One way of electronic marketing and promotion is displaying advertisements on social media. The type of research used in this research is quantitative research. The sample taken in this research was 110 respondents. The data analysis method used in this research is variance based structural equation modeling where data processing uses the Partial Least Square (Smart-PLS) program. The research results found that social media and promotional variables had a significant effect on purchasing decisions.

COVID-19 전후 우리나라 지역 간 이동 네트워크의 특성 분석

The purpose of this study is to analyze the characteristics of the interregional mobility network in South Korea before and after COVID-19. South Korea has been experiencing a decline in population not only in the overall population, but also by region, which has become a major social problem. Under these circumstances, interregional travel can contribute to revitalizing local economies, and local governments are exploring various policies to increase the number of visitors. This study uses social, economic, tourism infrastructure, and public relations variables as factors that can explain interregional travel networks in South Korea, and utilizes social network analysis methods. In addition, to consider the COVID-19 pandemic as a variable that has had a significant impact on interregional travel networks in recent years, the study compares the pre- and post-COVID-19 periods in 2019 and 2021. We find that the use of social media before and after the COVID-19 outbreak is very useful in explaining interregional travel networks in South Korea. In particular, we find that social media is more useful than traditional tourism infrastructure in explaining intraregional visitor flows. While it is important for local governments to expand traditional tourism infrastructure, they need to better utilize social media as a medium to communicate this effectively.

The Influence of Environmental, Social, Governance and Capital Structure Performance on Financial Performance

This study aims to analyze the influence of Enviromental, Social and Governance (ESG), and capital structure on financial performace. This type of research is quantitative research with secondary data sources. The population in this study is financial sector companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) in 2018-2022. The sample selection method used in this study is purposive sampling wich undergoes an outlier process, so that the final sample obtained is 10 companies. The result of the study shows that silmutaneously the variables of Enviromental, Social and Governance (ESG) and capital structure have an effect on financial performance. The result show that companies had high ESG scores and low capital structures can improve their financial performance. Then partially the Enviromental, Social and Governance (ESG) variables have an influence on financial performance. The result show that companies with high ESG scores have the potential to improve the company’s financial performance. Furthermore, the capital structure variable has no effect on financial performance. The result show that Bank companies with a large amount of debt cannot affect the company’s financial performance.

Nonpharmacological treatment for older adults with mild cognitive impairment: Considerations for culturally informed clinical practice and research.

Numerous nonpharmacological treatments (NPTs) have been developed for older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Two forms of cognition-focused NPTs, cognitive rehabilitation (CR) and cognitive training (CT), demonstrate cognitive benefit, but limitations remain regarding the contribution of cultural and demographic factors to study outcome heterogeneity, generalizability to diverse populations, and feasibility. This article aimed to review demographic and culturally informed NPTs and provides recommendations for culturally informed clinical practice and research. We conducted a PubMed review to identify CR and CT interventions that incorporated cultural adaptations. Results from the review, combined with the authors' clinical expertise, were used to identify methodological, demographic, social, cultural, and systemic variables relevant to NPTs. Existing CR and CT studies that included cultural adaptations adopted modifications to language, measures (cognition, function), and lifestyle factors (diet, physical activity) among others. In addition, provider, patient, and group-level factors were then raised to promote inclusivity and increase NPT generalizability. Nevertheless, there is a paucity of research considering cultural and demographic factors when delivering cognition-focused NPTs. Recommendations were generated that incorporated current literature as well as the authors' clinical and research experiences. Culturally informed NPTs are understudied. Social, demographic, and cultural factors may contribute to the heterogeneity of outcomes, lack of generalizability of findings to diverse groups, and application of intervention to said groups. Several tools are available and can focus on broadening collection of information regarding patients' identities, social network, adapting to literacy level and linguistic diversity needs, and responding to social and structural determinants of health. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Exploring diachronic variation in discernment politeness in Ancient Egyptian

Abstract In this paper, we investigate evidence of diachronic variation in patterns of Discernment Politeness in letters written in the ancient Egyptian Old Kingdom (c. 2300–2200 bce) and Late Ramesside period (c. 1099–1069 bce). We present examples of requests, information acts and honorifics used in these letters, predominantly those letters sent by subordinates to their superiors, to explore how this relationship dynamic is linguistically indexed. Our evidence shows that throughout the Old and New Kingdoms, communicative acts were regulated by behavioural norms dependent on power structures rather than individual volition, with Power being the most dominant social variable. Finally, we argue that Discernment is a key approach for exploring politeness in texts from ancient Egypt, supporting current research on the topic, and that the approach used here for the ancient Egyptian material has wider applicability for diachronic linguistic analyses of remote civilisations which are highly hierarchical.

Importance of alternative pathways to STEM through analysis of longitudinal student dataset

Using a longitudinal national educational dataset, data science methods were applied to explain students’ educational trajectories and determine the most predictive variables in STEM degree attainment. Challenging the notion of the STEM pipeline, an Alternative Pathways to STEM (APS) model was proposed. Using a foundation of Social Cognitive Career Theory, academic, demographic, and economic variables were selected for analysis and Imbalanced dataset and random forest data analytic techniques were implemented. Results supported the consideration of the Alternate Pathways to STEM model given the varied educational pathways identified throughout STEM matriculation. Additionally, multiple academic variables, except for career interest, were found to be most predictive of STEM graduation, while demographic and economic variables were not significant. These findings have important implications for recruiting STEM students and increasing STEM graduation rates. Additional research is recommended using these data extraction and analysis methodologies on other datasets to further test the efficacy of the Alternative Pathways to STEM model.

Integration of Corporate Governance and Social as a Catalyst for Islamic Banking Financial Performance; Evidence in Indonesia

Corporate governance can be assessed from how the company has been run openly and transparently, to gain public trust in market mechanisms. Islamic banking in Indonesia shows a pattern that social activities are an obligation that must be carried out. Social is a characteristic of Indonesian banking, a financial institution that has implemented the concept of sharia. In this study, the sample used amounted to 132 data on BUS's financial statements for 11 years from 2010-2020. As a result, improved governance, actually led to a decline in financial performance, by the regression value of -0.1682. Meanwhile, the social variable shows that if social performance increases, financial performance also increases by 0.282.