Socio-economic Characteristics Of Respondents Research Articles

Consumer Perception and Willingness to Pay for Vitamin A Fortified Garri in Ibadan North Local Government Area of Oyo State, Nigeria

Vitamin A deficiency is one of the major micronutrient deficiencies contributing to child mortality globally. This study assessed consumers’ perception and willingness to pay (WTP) for vitamin A fortified garri in Ibadan North Local Government Area, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria. A total of 170 respondents were interviewed. Socioeconomic characteristics of respondents, perception of and factors that influence their willingness to pay for fortified vitamin A garri and the mean willingness to pay (MWTP) were all analysed. The study revealed that most of the respondents were aware of vitamin A fortified garri but they hardly purchased it. The computed MWTP for vitamin A fortified garri was ₦190 ($0.35) indicating a positive mean willingness to pay. The result of the logistic regression analysis showed that out of the twelve variables examined, four were statistically significant at various levels. Specifically, sex, ethnicity and marital status were all negatively significant at 10%, 5% and 10% respectively while health status was positively significant at 1%. It was concluded that a higher proportion of the respondents perceived vitamin A fortified garri to be healthier and more nutritious and were also willing to pay it. The paper recommended that efforts should be geared towards encouraging production and consumption of vitamin A fortified garri by creating more markets for the product.

Socioeconomic Determinants of Insect Pest Control Methods’ Utilization for Storage in North Central Nigeria

The impetus for this study is the need to understand factors influencing the use of insect pest control methods in North Central Nigeria. Specifically, the study described the socioeconomic characteristics of respondents, assessed awareness and use of insect pest control methods, examined farmers’ considerations and investigated factors influencing insect pest control decisions. Using a structured interview schedule to elicit information, data was collected by means of multi-stage sampling technique to select a total of 384 cowpea farmers for this study. A purposive selection of Kwara and Niger States paved way for the purposive choice of two agricultural zones in Kwara state and one agricultural zone in Niger state. Percentages, frequency counts, ranks, mean, and ordinary least square regression was used to analyze the data. The study revealed that the intended time of sale, time required to apply method, and time of application were the factors most considered for store insect pest control. Ordinary Least Square regression estimates demonstrate positive significant relationship between farm size (t=4.681), group membership (t=4.688), and quantity stored in tons (t=2.312) and intensity of use. Conversely, years of education (t=-2.196), years of cowpea farming experience (t=-3.419), and frequency of extension contact (t=-.534) had significant negative relationship with intensity of use. In conclusion, it is recommended that policy makers and extension staff put into consideration farm size, group membership, quantity stored, years of education, years of cowpea farming experience and frequency of extension contact in optimizing extension strategy for promotion of indigenous and alternative insect pest control methods.

ASSESSING TAGAL COMMUNITY DEPENDENCY ON ECOTOURISM-BASED TAGAL: A CASE STUDY FROM THE WEST COAST DIVISION OF SABAH, MALAYSIA

The present study investigates the dependency level demographic factors that affect the rural community on the ecotourism-based Tagal that has been widely applied throughout the West Coast division of Sabah. As the Department of Fisheries (DoF) Sabah indicated, 15 Tagal involving ecotourism were selected around Sabah, and 400 respondents were picked using proportional random sampling. A standardised questionnaire was used to conduct in-depth interviews with household heads. The ratio of their monthly Tagal income to their total monthly income from other sources was calculated to calculate the household’s dependency. A descriptive statistical research revealed that 87.3% of Tagal community families depend little on ecotourism-based Tagal. The link between reliance and the socioeconomic characteristics of respondents was investigated using ordinal regression analysis. In conclusion, the data revealed that a considerable percentage of the population demonstrated a low reliance on ecotourism-based Tagal, indicating that it has not yet become a substantial source of revenue for the community. In addition, the study underlined the impact of gender and family size on the degree of dependency.

Knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding dengue among non-health undergraduate students of Nepal.

Dengue poses a significant public health concern worldwide. It is identified as a recent emerging infectious disease in Nepal. Understanding the situation and dynamics between knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) related to dengue among students is crucial for effective prevention and control strategies. This study aimed to assess the KAP and their associated factors of dengue among non-health undergraduate students of Nepal to identify gaps and suggest appropriate interventions. A web-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 429 non-health undergraduate students at eleven Nepalese Universities, with 80% of participants from the four most prominent ones in the country. Self-administered online forms were administered via Google Forms platform predominantly through social media for data collection. Data was cleaned and then exported to IBM SPSS Statistics 20.0 for analysis. Demographic characteristics of respondents were described using descriptive statistics. Multivariate logistic regression was conducted to determine the association between individual characteristics and KAP. Pearson's correlation coefficient was used to determine the association between knowledge-attitude, attitude-practice, and knowledge-practice. Statistical significance was determined at the p-value < 0.05. Around half of the participants were female (50.3%). The majority of participants were between 22 to 37 years, unmarried, and belonged to the Brahmin/Chhetri ethnic group. This study demonstrated a significant gap in KAP. Only 15.2% of participants had good knowledge while 25.9% and 68.3% of participants exhibited good attitudes and practices respectively. Marital status (AOR = 3.32, CI: 1.32-8.34), third-year educational level (AOR = 3.59, CI:1.34-9.57), and fourth-year educational level (AOR = 4.93, CI:1.88-12.94) were significantly associated with knowledge regarding dengue. Age (AOR = 1.73, CI: 1.10-3.01) was significantly associated with preventive practice regarding dengue. None of the demographic or socio-economic characteristics of respondents was associated with attitude on dengue. The knowledge-attitude (rka = 0.01), knowledge-practice (rkp = 0.22), and attitude-practice (rap = 0.01) were positively correlated in this study.

Assessing health-related quality of life of Chinese population using CQ-11D

PurposeThis study aimed to assess the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of the Chinese population by using the Chinese medicine quality of life-11 dimensions (CQ-11D) questionnaire and to identify factors associated with HRQoL.MethodsThe data was derived from a survey conducted by the Institute of Pharmacoeconomics Evaluation at Beijing University of Chinese Medicine on the quality of life of the Chinese population. The sex and age of respondents were considered through quota sampling. Demographic, socioeconomic, and health indicators were collected using the structured questionnaire. We performed bivariate analyses first to examine the associations between the above factors and the HRQoL of respondents measured by the CQ-11D. Multivariate linear regression and ordinal logistic regression models were established to analyze the factors (demographic, socioeconomic, and health indicators) differences in HRQoL, as well as the risk of each group reporting problems across the 11 dimensions of CQ-11D.ResultsFrom February 2021 to November 2022, a total of 7,604 respondents were involved and 7,498 respondents were included. The sample approximated the general adult Chinese population in terms of age, sex, and district of residence, and each geographic distribution ranged from 9.71 to 25.54%. Of the respondents, 45.84% were male, and 89.82% were Han ethnicity. The mean utility score ranged from 0.796 to 0.921 as age increased. According to the respondents, most health problems were identified in the PL (fatigue) (70.16%) and SM (quality of sleep) (63.63%) dimensions. The CQ-11D index scores varied with the demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of respondents, except for ethnicity (p > 0.05) and income (p > 0.05). The multivariate analysis revealed significant negative associations between health utility scores and various factors. These factors include sex (female), age over 65, belonging to ethnic minorities, rural household registration, being widowed or divorced, having a primary school education or below, being a student or unemployed, having a low income of 0–1,300, engaging in smoking or drinking, limited participation in physical activities, experiencing changes in self-perceived health status compared to the previous year, and having chronic diseases. The odds of respondents reporting problems in 11 dimensions varied among different socio-demographic groups.ConclusionsThis study reports the first Chinese population norms for the CQ-11D derived using a representative sample of the Chinese general population. Self-reported health status measured by the CQ-11D varies among different socio-economic groups. In addition to participation a physical activity and the presence of chronic disease, smoking and drinking also significantly influence HRQoL.

Evaluation of the Perceived Ecosystem Services Provided by Selected Sites: the Imo River, Rivers State, Nigeria

The wetlands of the Niger Delta are home to a wide range of ecosystem services and are rich in biodiversity. The ecosystem services of selected sites along the Imo River, Rivers State were evaluated over the course of a year (April 2021 – March 2022) using structured questionnaires divided into two sections; Socio-economic characteristics of respondents (age group, gender, marital status, religion and occupation) and their perceived ecosystem services of the water bodies aside from fishing. The findings showed that the largest age range of respondents in Kono (25 (50%) fell between 31 and 40 years old, while Opuoko (23 (46%) and Oyigbo’s (27 (67.5%) age range fell between 41 and 50 years old. In Kono, Opuoko and Oyigbo respectively, males (50 (100%), 50 (100%), and 40 (100%) predominated. The majority of respondents were married; Kono 47, (94%), Opuoko 49, (98%), and Oyigbo 37, (92.5%). All respondents at the three selected sites were Christians (Kono 50, (100%), Opuoko 50 (100%), and Oyigbo 40 (100%); the majority of respondents were fishermen (Kono 47, (94%), Opuoko 49 (98%) and Oyigbo (37, (95%). In addition to fishing, respondents believed that Kono’s ecosystems provided transportation, fuel wood production and recreation. Sand mining, fuel wood production, recreation and transportation were the main ecosystem services provided in Opuoko. In Oyigbo the ecosystem provided recreation, fuel wood production and palm wine tapping. In conclusion, the Imo river provides a variety of ecosystem services to its residents; however, some of these services have not been fully utilized. As a result, it is recommended that residents be properly informed about the ecosystem services provided by the river as well as the need for proper monitoring and protection of the ecosystem from deterioration.

Challenges and Prospects of Agricultural Entrepreneurs in Zuru Metropolis Area of Kebbi State, Nigeria

The main objective of this study is to examine the challenges and prospects of Agricultural Entrepreneurs in Zuru Metropolis, Zuru Local Government Area of Kebbi State, Nigeria. A simple random sampling technique was use to select 100 respondents from the study area. A structured questionnaire was use to collect data, which were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The result revealed that the majority (78%) of the entrepreneurs were males, 54% fell within the age bracket of 31 – 40 years and 90% of the respondents were married. 62% of the respondents were civil servant (major occupation) while 52% engaged on trading businesses (other occupation) respectively. The result also reveals that the businesses undertaken by the entrepreneurs were moderately acceptable and highly profitable in the study area. The result further reveals that half (50%) of the respondents had attain educational levels of HD/HND and First Degree. The null hypothesis (Ho) tested shows that there was significant relationship between socio-economic characteristics of respondents and business profitability (major occupation (t-value -2.671), other occupation (t-value 1.510) educational level (t-value 2.719) with R2-value 0.86. The result also reveals that 33.7% of respondents reported to face a problem of capital in their businesses. The study conclude that for a profitable Agribusinesses this depends on the extent issues raised as possible solutions to the problems faced by the entrepreneurs as addressed in the study. Finally, the study recommends an about entrepreneurship education campaign as well as provision of subsidies and credit facilities to empowered entrepreneurs.

Apparent Control Measures of Tourism and Hospitality Practitioners to Curb Insecurity in Ogun State Southwest Nigeria

This study examined and described the socio-economic characteristics of respondents in the study area, identified the various damages that insecurity has caused hospitality and tourism industry and proffered some control measures to curb insecurity in Ogun State using standard methods through the administration of 152 questionnaires. Data collected were subjected to statistical analyses. Findings obtained revealed that: 65 (43.2%) strongly agreed, 73 (47.9%) agreed, 1 (0.7%) undecided, 11 (7.1%) disagreed, 2 (1.1%) strongly disagreed with the mapping out comprehensive security checks by hotels and tourism destinations by the practitioners will reduce security and safety challenge in the industry. This result showed that huge number of respondents agreed to the preparation and presentation of security documentation and reports on periodic basis and working with video surveillance such as close circuit camera (CCTV). In conclusion the study recommended that the hospitality and tourism practitioners in Ogun State should constantly and consistently maintain secured environment at hotels and tourism destinations in order to encourage sustainable influx of patrons.

Znevýhodnění mezi znevýhodněnými? Prediktory bydlení na ubytovnách v českých sociálně vyloučených lokalitách

This study explores the relationship between social exclusion and housing tenure. It seeks to identify the factors that increase the chance that inhabitants of socially excluded localities (SELs) in Czechia will live in a hostel (a single room occupancy hotel). Do these factors indicate a higher intensity of social exclusion among people who live in hostels? Do hostels house the more disadvantaged segment of the disadvantaged population, such as the inhabitants of SELs? Our aim is to produce a more nuanced understanding of the different needs of the heterogeneous population of socially excluded localities, which can be used to implement socially inclusive measures. We analyse data obtained in a survey of the population of SELs. We apply binary logistic regression using socio-demographic and socio-economic characteristics of respondents and their households and variables measuring victimisation and respondents&#8217; risk behaviour as predictors. Along with descriptive statistics we present the results of the simple and multiple binary logistic regressions. The multiple model revealed the following predictors to be statistically significant: the share of rent in household income, household size, residential mobility, citizenship, labour status, criminal activity not punished by imprisonment, nationality/ethnicity, and property victimisation of the household. Except for the last two, these factors increase the chance of socially disadvantaged persons living in a hostel. Future research directions and the political implications of our findings are discussed in the conclusion.

Assessment of indigenous methods of shea butter processing among rural women in Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State, Nigeria

Indigenous food processing and preservation methods are on the verge of collapse, yet they proved promising and sustainable. The study assessed the indigenous methods of shea butter processing among rural women in the Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State, Nigeria. Specifically, it described the socioeconomic characteristics of respondents, examined the shea butter processing techniques used and identified the information sources of shea butter processors in the study area. A multistage sampling technique was used to select 100 respondents. Descriptive (such as frequency count, percentage, charts and tables) and inferential statistics (such as Pearson correlation and chi-square) were used to analyze the data. Findings showed the mean age of respondents was 45.61 ± 11.82, with mean years of experience of 20.39 ± 12.96, the majority (85%) were married and the major sources of information on indigenous shea butter processing came from family members and friends. At p ≤ 0.01 there was a significant association between respondents’ usage of indigenous methods and their marital status (χ2 = 84.24; p ≤ 0.01), membership in cooperative society (χ2 = 40.43; p ≤ 0.01), and community membership (χ2 = 53.21; p ≤ 0.01). However, there was a significant relationship between respondents’ usage of indigenous methods and household size (b = 0.290; p ≤ 0.05), quantity produced (b = 0.616; p ≤ 0.10) and annual income (b = -0.765; p ≤ 0.05). It was concluded that indigenous methods of processing shea butter are widespread among respondents; knowledge is acquired through family and friends. Among others, the study recommends that extension agents be posted to rural areas to educate rural women and build on their indigenous knowledge of processing shea butter to introduce high-quality butter.

Whether academic and teaching staff are universal

Academic personnel routinely carry out a wide range of teaching, research, administrative, and expert functions. However, many of them do not focus on universality, but in fact specialize in performing one or several academic functions (profiles). The article deals with the discrepancy between the traditional distribution of professional duties of academic and teaching staff (ATS) and their actual performance. The research methodology is based on the positive agency theory, which allows explaining the peculiarities of social and labour relations in the academic sphere. The research methods of descriptive, frequency and regression analysis are used, including the method of logistic regression. The empirical basis includes the results of a survey conducted in 2022 of 207 academic and teaching staff members of the Southern Federal University, Russia. The questionnaire was compiled of the aspects of academic, teaching, expert and administrative profiles, as well as the questions about the socio-economic characteristics of respondents, the professional role they prefer, labour productivity and salary satisfaction. The results of studying the structure and the ATS’s choice of professional roles (profiles) can be used to solve problems in the field of social and labour relations at the university. According to the findings, the share of employees choosing specialization and the share of ‘universal’ employees were distributed equally; a discrepancy was found between respondents’ preference for performing one or another function and the actual work they do in the academic field. It was revealed that the specialization of work in a certain profile has a significant impact on labour productivity, and an increase in the number of work profiles reduces the likelihood of being in a group of employees satisfied with the correlation between their salary and the volume and complexity of the work performed.

Machine learning prediction of suicidal ideation, planning, and attempt among Korean adults: A population-based study

BackgroundSuicide remains the leading cause of premature death in South Korea. This study aims to develop machine learning algorithms for screening Korean adults at risk for suicidal ideation and suicide planning or attempt. MethodsTwo sets of balanced data for Korean adults aged 19–64 years were drawn from the 2012–2019 waves of the Korea Welfare Panel Study using the random down-sampling method (N = 3292 for the prediction of suicidal ideation, N = 488 for the prediction of suicide planning or attempt). Demographic, socioeconomic, and psychosocial characteristics were used to predict suicidal ideation and suicide planning or attempt. Four machine-learning classifiers (logistic regression, random forest, support vector machine, and extreme gradient boosting) were tuned and cross-validated. ResultsAll four algorithms demonstrated satisfactory classification performance in predicting suicidal ideation (sensitivity 0.808–0.853, accuracy 0.843–0.863) and suicide planning or attempt (sensitivity 0.814–0.861, accuracy 0.864–0.884). Extreme gradient boosting was the best-performing algorithm for predicting both suicidal outcomes. The most important predictors were depressive symptoms, self-esteem, income, consumption, and life satisfaction. The algorithms trained with the top two predictors, depressive symptoms and self-esteem, showed comparable classification performance in predicting suicidal ideation (sensitivity 0.801–0.839, accuracy 0.841–0.846) and suicide planning or attempt (sensitivity 0.814–0.837, accuracy 0.874–0.884). LimitationsSuicidal ideation and behaviors may be under-reported due to social desirability bias. Causality is not established. DiscussionMore than 80% of individuals at risk for suicidal ideation and suicide planning or attempt could be predicted by a number of mental and socioeconomic characteristics of respondents. This finding suggests the potential of developing a quick screening tool based on the known risk factors and applying it to primary care or community settings for early intervention.

APPRAISAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL SANITATION PRACTICES IN SELECTED MARKETS IN AKURE, NIGERIA

This study examines environmental sanitation practices of the users in the selected markets in Akure Ondo State, Nigeria. It assesses the socio-economic characteristics of the market users, as well as the factors influencing environmental sanitation practices. The study also examined the relationship between socio-economic characteristics of respondents and environmental sanitation practices. Data were obtained from two purposively selected markets. A traditional (Adedeji) and modern (Nepa) market. Random Systematic sampling techniques was used to administer a total of 151 structured questionnaires for the traders in the study area. Therefore, 57 questionnaires were administered in Adedeji market and 94 questionnaires were administered in Nepa neighborhood market, using the shop/stalls as the sampling units. Descriptive statistics and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data collected. The study revealed that most of the market users in Nepa (67.5%) and Adedeji (61.4%) market were females respectively. It was also revealed that some of the goods selling in the market includes; foodstuff, livestock, electronic, supermarket and textile products. This indicated that waste are generated on daily basis in both markets and collected on daily and weekly basis, where 95.4% of traders adopted waste collection services. Findings reveals that sanitation facilities were fairly (47.7%) provided. Cleaning of toilets, drainage, waste collection among others are the sanitation practices carried out mostly on weekly basis. With mean weighted value of (4.74), avoidance of penalty is the dominant factor influencing participation in the sanitation exercise. Result of Correlation analysis revealed that there is low positive correlation (r = 0.142, p = 0.084) between socio-economic characteristics of respondents and sanitation practices in the two markets. The study concludes by recommending among others that market management and government should be actively involved in the provision of sanitation facilities in the markets to enhance proper hygiene.

Trust and willingness towards COVID-19 vaccine uptake: a mixed-method study in Ghana, 2021

BackgroundOn the account of limited doses of COVID-19 available to the country, the Government of Ghana created a priority list of persons to target for its vaccination agenda. In this paper, we look at trust and how it informs willingness to take the COVID-19 vaccine among persons targeted for the first phase of COVID-19 vaccination program in Ghana.MethodsA sequential mixed-method investigation was conducted among the priority population - persons 60 years and above, frontline government functionaries, health workers, persons with underlying health conditions and, religious leaders and teachers. We sampled 415 respondents from the target population for a survey and 15 religious and traditional leaders from three cities; Accra, Cape Coast and Tamale for follow-up in-depth interviews based on the results of the survey data. Quantitative data is presented with descriptive proportions and multinomial logistic regression and thematic approach is applied to the interview data.ResultsTrust and willingness to take the vaccine are high in this priority population. Trust in the effectiveness and safety of the vaccine, rather than socioeconomic characteristics of respondents better predicted acceptance. From interview narratives, mistrust in political actors - both local and foreign, believe in superior protection of God and seeming misunderstanding of vaccine development processes countermand acceptance. On the other hand, the professional influence of people in one’s social networks, and past triumphs of vaccination programmes against concerning childhood diseases embed trust and acceptance.ConclusionsAttention ought to be given to trust enhancing triggers while strategic communication approaches are used to remove triggers of mistrust.

Adoption of Conservation Agricultural Practices Among Maize Farmers: An Alternative Livelihood to Mitigate Climate Change Impact in Bawku Municipality, Ghana

<i>Background and Objective</i>: The plight of farmers are worsening by the impact of climate change. This is evident in all agro-ecological zones in Ghana. Warming and variability in rainfall pattern is causing floods and long dry spells of drought with resultant effects of reduced food crop and livestock production. Conservation Agricultural (CA) practices was therefore introduced to address the challeges of conventional tillage. CA has therefore been identified as a substitute to conventional agriculture for sustainable agricultural productivity. The objective of the study was to assess the rate of adoption of CA practices in the Bawku Municipality in the Upper East region of Ghana. <i>Methodology</i>: The study was conducted in the Bawku Municipal area of Ghana. The research design used for the study was the mixed methods. The purposive sampling technique was used to select the Bawku Municipality as the major area where agricultural conservation practices occurs in the Upper East region. The simple random sampling technique was used to select ten (10) communities in the Municipality, whilst the systematic random sampling was used to select forty (40) respondents from each community for the study. The target population for the study was maize farmers in the Bawku Municipality. In all, a total of 358 respondents were interviewed for the study. Data was taken on socio-cultural and socio-economic characteristics of respondents. Data analysis was done using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Descriptive statistics, such as frequencies, percentages, and means were computed. Cross tabulations of variables were also computed and the chi-square tests used to establish relationships. <i>Results</i>: The study revealed that age, sex, level of education, religion, household size, government policy, access to credit, source of income, farm size, and access to extension services were found to have significantly influenced adoption of CA practices. The results of the study indicated that majority of farmers were aware and had knowledge about CA practices. “No-tillage with cover crops, minimum tillage with cover crops, and crop rotation with cover crops” were the main practices of conservation agriculture in the study area. The study further revealed that majority of the farmers indicated that the practices of conservation agriculture reduces soil erosion, increases soil fertility, increases soil organic matter and improves agricultural productivity. <i>Conclusion</i>: Majority of farmers adopted CA practices in full. It is recommended that the Ghanaian government should boost CA practices by instituting an annual national award scheme to award hardworking CA practioners in Ghana.

Adoption of Conservation Agricultural Practices among Maize Farmers: An Alternative Livelihood to Mitigate Climate Change Impact in Bawku Municipality, Ghana

The plight of farmers are worsening by the impact of climate change. This is evident in all agro-ecological zones in Ghana. Warming and variability in rainfall pattern is causing floods and long dry spells of drought with resultant effects of reduced food crop and livestock production. Conservation Agricultural (CA) practices was therefore introduced to address the challeges of conventional tillage. CA has therefore been identified as a substitute to conventional agriculture for sustainable agricultural productivity. The objective of the study was to assess the rate of adoption of CA practices in the Bawku Municipality in the Upper East region of Ghana. The study was conducted in the Bawku Municipal area of Ghana. The research design used for the study was the mixed methods. The purposive sampling technique was used Ito select the Bawku Municipality as the major area where agricultural conservation practices occurs in the Upper East region. The simple random sampling technique was used to select ten (10) communities in the Municipality, whilst the systematic random sampling was used to select forty (40) respondents from each community for the study. The target population for the study was maize farmers in the Bawku Municipality. In all, a total of 358 respondents were interviewed for the study. Data was taken on socio-cultural and socio-economic characteristics of respondents. Data analysis was done using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Descriptive statistics, such as frequencies, percentages, and means were computed. Cross tabulations of variables were also computed and the chi-square tests used to establish relationships. The study revealed that age, sex, level of education, religion, household size, government policy, access to credit, source of income, farm size, and access to extension services were found to have significantly influenced adoption of CA practices. The results of the study indicated that majority of farmers were aware and had knowledge about CA practices. “No-tillage with cover crops, minimum tillage with cover crops, and crop rotation with cover crops” were the main practices of conservation agriculture in the study area. The study further revealed that majority of the farmers indicated that the practices of conservation agriculture reduces soil erosion, increases soil fertility, increases soil organic matter and improves agricultural productivity. The survey also reveals that 81% of farmers adopted CA practices in full. It is recommended that the Ghanaian government should boost CA practices by instituting an annual nation award scheme to award hardworking CA practioners in Ghana.

Factors associated with adoption of indigenous biscuit processing technology by mothers of school-going children in Ogun State, Nigeria

Wheat is the conventional flour in biscuit manufacture. However, the use of wheat is not economical due to the fact that huge foreign reserve is used in its importation in Nigeria. In addition, wheat-based foods are associated with celiac disease, hence the use of non-wheat crops like tubers and legumes in biscuit processing is desirable. A previous study had developed a nutritionally improved biscuit from underutilized crops, such as sweet potato, cooking banana and pigeon pea. The present study examined factors associated with adoption of the indigenous biscuit processing technology using non-wheat flours by mothers of school going children in Ogun State, Nigeria. A-multistage sampling procedure was utilized to select 120 respondents from the list of 1,123 registered farmers in 10 extension blocks in Ogun State. A questionnaire was used to collect data on the socioeconomic characteristics of respondents. Respondents were taught the various stages of biscuit processing through demonstration. Knowledge about the various stages of biscuit processing was measured on a 5-point Likert Scale. The five points used were: extremely understood, moderately understood, somewhat understood, slightly understood and not understood. Level of adoption indicates the psychological stages that an individual passes through before making a final decision to use a particular innovation. Adoption Level was thus measured on Knowledge, Persuasions, Decision, Confirmation and Continuation decision. Data were analyzed using Analysis of Variance, Chi square, and Pearson Product Moment Correlation. Results revealed the mean age of respondents to be 40.35 ± 10.33 years. Most respondents were traders, and the highest educational qualification was National Diploma (2.5%). The main sources of agricultural information were radio (64.2%) and extension agents (60%). There were high adoption rates in baking/production (87.7%) and flour blending (85.5%). Reasons for technology adoption were affordability (80.8%), availability of ingredients (81.7%) and relative advantage (80.8%). Adoption of technology was associated with age (r = 0.284, p &lt; 0.05), quality of technology delivery (r = 0.267, p &lt; 0.05), marital status (χ2 = 1.081, p &lt; 0.05) and membership of association (χ2 = 12.055, p &lt; 0.05). In conclusion, effective adoption of technology could be achieved among young married mothers.

Social Well-Being of the Population of Russia During the Pandemic (Based on Sample Survey Data)

The article present results of the authors’ study of the social well-being of the Russian population – an assessment of the population’s health and attitudes towards a healthy lifestyle amid viral pandemic, based on materials of the Rosstat sample surveys of 2019 and 2020 and data from the All-Russian survey conducted by the Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) on 27 September 2020. The authors described the transformation of living conditions in the light of the complex epidemiological situation and the increase in coronavirus cases among the population. Changes in the health status of the Russian population were analyzed by individual age groups.The article assesses the strength of the relationship between the social well-being of the population by selected socio-demographic groups and the period of self-isolation, quarantine, or other restrictions imposed during the coronavirus pandemic in 2020. To solve this problem, demographic and socio-economic characteristics of respondents are presented, the distribution of responses according to the survey results is estimated, and the most signifcant factor characteristics are selected. Respondent replies were grouped according to the selected questions, including in the territorial context (by federal districts). To determine the strength of the relationship between the respondents' answers to the question and their gender or age distribution, the coefcients of mutual conjugacy and rank correlation coefcients were calculated and analyzed.Analysis of the changes in the social well-being of population for 2019–2020 and the assessment of the strength of the relationship between the discussed indicators (gender, wealth, territory of residence) revealed the parameters that form the differences. After comparing the health status of the Russian population as a whole and by age groups in 2019 and 2020 based on data of sample survey on population health status, the following points were identifed. With the expected assessment of the population health status in the age distribution (deterioration in the older ages and better health in the younger ones), it also remains unchanged that more than half of the respondents characterize their health status as «very good» and «good». Noteworthy is the fact that the assessment of the health status of the Russian population has improved during the year. It is evidenced from changes in the structure of respondent replies, even though population health status survey of 2020 was conducted in the middle of lockdown amid the continuing negative trends in coronavirus morbidity and mortality.

Socio-demographic and economic determinants of awareness and use of contraceptives among adolescents in Ebonyi State, South-east, Nigeria.

Understanding factors that explain levels of awareness and use of contraceptives among adolescents is a critical entry point for improving their sexual and reproductive health. This study assessed the demographic and socioeconomic determinants of awareness and use of contraceptives among adolescents in rural and urban communities in Ebonyi State, Nigeria. A cross-sectional household survey was conducted in three rural and urban communities in August, 2018. Modified cluster sampling technique was used to select eligible households. A total of 1045 adolescents (598 females and 447 males) were randomly selected from the households and interviewed using a pre-tested structured questionnaire. The mean age is 15.4years (15.3 - 15.5) and the median age is 15.5years. Univariate, bivariate and multivariate analysis were undertaken. Statistical significance was set at p-value of <0.05. Majority of respondents, 723 (68.9%), were aware of male condom. Place of residence predicts awareness of contraceptive pills (AOR 0.66, CI 0.48-0.91); schooling predicts awareness of male condoms (AOR 0.57; CI 0.32-0.99). Predictors of awareness of female condoms are place of residence (AOR 0.66, CI 0.47-0.93), gender (AOR 0.57, CI 0.32-0.99) and wealth index (AOR 1.16, CI 1.03-1.30). Demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of respondents did not predict contraceptive use in the last sex. Although awareness of contraceptives is high, utilization is low among sexually active adolescents. Hence, the need to promote access to and utilization of contraceptives through comprehensive contraceptive education to improve adolescents sexual and reproductive health.

A Sociological Study of the Factors Affecting the Rural Development in District Gujranwala

Rural development usually refers to the procedure of improving the quality of life and financial well-being of group living in relatively areas. More than 69% of population of Pakistan is living in rural areas. They contribute in the economy of Pakistan, It accounts for 29% of G.D.P. Socio­economic development of Pakistan cannot be successful to neglect the rural people and the rural areas. Rural development is influenced by a multitude of factors such as natural resources, human resources, technology, institutions and organizations including co-operatives. The study was define the socio economic characteristics of respondents, to explore the perception of people towards the rural development. The study was find out the level of knowledge about the factors affecting the rural development. Tehsil was chosen all the way through simple random sampling. Two villages was selected by simple random sampling. 120 respondents was chosen through simple random sampling methods from selected tehsil of district Faisalabad. To custody understanding objectives a well-organized questionaire was used for data collection. The collected data was analyzed by using proper statistical methods. The results was presented in the shape of SPSS. DOI: 10.7176/JCSD/63-02 Publication date: January 31 st 2021