Socioeconomic Profile Research Articles

Farmers’ Perception on Contract Farming in the Post-COVID Era: Empirical Study in Greece

Contract farming (CF) as a sustainable practice has expanded rapidly, bringing numerous benefits to both the agribusiness industry and farmers, as well as the broader economy; CF is also considered a vehicle to tackle the challenges in sustainable development due to the serious effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, little attention has been paid to CF schemes in Greece. To address this evidence gap, the current study aimed to outline the socioeconomic profile of Greek farmers and how it is related to their perspective on CF in the post-COVID era. Primary data were collected in the agricultural area of central Greece, Thessaly, with a structured questionnaire containing three sections: demographics, awareness of the CF concept, and farmers’ perceptions toward CF. The results indicate that 60.7% of the respondents are unaware of CF. Demographic and economic variables such as gender, years of experience, and income impact Greek farmers’ attitude toward CF. In addition, factor analysis results reveal that economic benefits and social, technological, and environmental challenges and risks are associated with CF. We suggest that researchers and policymakers interested in the development of CF in Greece should consider the heterogeneity of the agricultural workforce for the development and successful implementation of policies related to CF. Educational programs towards increasing farmers’ awareness and sufficient understanding of the practical issues of CF are also required.

“To give life is a journey through the unknown”: an ethnographic account of childbirth experiences and practices in Southern Benin

In Benin maternal mortality remains high at 397 deaths per 100,000 live births, despite 80% of births being attended by skilled birth attendants in health facilities. To identify childbirth practices that potentially contribute to this trend, an ethnographic study was conducted on the use of biomedical and alternative health services along the continuum of maternal care in Allada, Benin. Data collection techniques included in-depth interviews (N = 83), informal interviews (N = 86), observations (N = 32) and group discussions (N = 3). Informants included biomedical, spiritual and alternative care providers and community members with a variety of socioeconomic and religious profiles. In Southern Benin alternative and spiritual care, inspired by the Vodoun, Christian or Muslim religions, is commonly used in addition to biomedical care. As childbirth is perceived as a “risky journey to the unknown”, these care modalities aim to protect the mother and child from malevolent spirits, facilitate the birth and limit postpartum complications using herbal decoctions and spiritual rites and rituals. These practices are based on mystical interpretations of childbirth that result in the need for additional care during facility-based childbirth. Because such complementary care is not foreseen in health facilities, facility-based childbirth is initiated only at an advanced stage of labour or at the onset of a perceived immediate life-threatening complication for the mother or baby. Programmes and policies to reduce maternal mortality in Benin must seek synergies with alternative providers and practices and consider the complementary and integrated use of alternative and spiritual care practices that are not harmful.

Effect of Crude Oil Revenue on the Oil and Non-oil Sectors in Nigeria

Abstract The debate for oil-rich economies to plough their oil windfalls into real economic activities to spur diversification has become intense due to the deficit fiscal crisis and poor socio-economic profile of resource-abundant nations. Therefore, we use secondary data from the period between 1981 and 2020 to assess the impact of crude oil revenue on the oil and non-oil sector output performance in Nigeria. The study adopts the ARDL (i.e. autoregressive distributed lag) and the augmented Granger causality techniques to analyse the data. The ARDL regressions show that crude oil positively impacts oil sector performance, but the impact is only substantial in the short run. Crude oil revenue exerts a positive and insignificant effect on the short-run non-oil sector output, whereas, over the long run, it has a negative but significant effect. To propel growth, the study recommends using the excess crude oil earnings to develop non-oil sectors such as agriculture, services, and manufacturing.

Financial Innovation and Corporate Governance for Sustainability of Islamic Financial Institutions: Challenges & Prospects

The financial sector is an important component of the financial system that could help to attain socio-economic development. Islamic Financial Institutions (IFIs) are considered a vital part of financial institutions and playing pivotal role in innovation, digitization and technology driven market. Moreover, governance structure and corporate governance practices are main drivers of sustainability of IFIs. This study investigates the importance of financial innovation and corporate governance practices for sustainable performance of IFIs. Target respondents were approached for data collection to identify the potential benefits and prospects of financial innovation and corporate governance practices. Researcher approached board members, shariah advisors and senior management of IFIs as well as representatives of SBP, SECP and other professional bodies for discussions, deliberations, and professional interactions by arranging several sessions. Data was collected and analyzed to identify the challenges and prospectus. Findings indicate that IFIs in Pakistan had experienced unprecedented growth in almost all aspects including the size, volume, assets, branches, and contribution to the socio-economic profile of Pakistan during the recent years. IFIs are directly influenced by financial innovation and facing a rapid change in the perception and expectations of the stakeholders who are demanding innovative products, technology-driven processes, and customized services. Similarly, sustainability and effective governance is one of the important elements for the survival of IFIs in the highly competitive financial environment with ever changing products. Findings could enhance the understanding and learning of the relevant stakeholder for better decision making.

Livelihood vulnerability to urban flood: the case of urban poor households in Dhaka, Bangladesh

ABSTRACT This paper examines the livelihood vulnerability of the urban poor households due to urban flood. The Livelihood Vulnerability Index (LVI) and IPCC-LVI framework were applied for analysing the vulnerability of Mirpur Slum (MPS) and Rail-line Slum (RLS) in Dhaka city. The findings indicate that slum settlements with similar characteristics could have different levels of vulnerability due to their households’ attributes and the characteristics of the surrounding neighbourhoods. This study provides insights of livelihood vulnerability of the urban poor which appeals for effective urban flood adaptation strategies through enhancing public health, water access and food security for the slum dwellers. The findings and recommendations derived from this study are likely applicable to other cities in Bangladesh and to other countries including global south with similar socio-economic profiles.

Socio-economic Profile of Equine Owner, Morphometric Characterization and Reproductive Performance of Indigenous Horses in Bangladesh

Background: The socio-economic importance of horses plays a decisive role in the dynamism of rural economies in remote regions of developing countries such as Bangladesh. Horses are particularly suitable for transportation and recreation in these areas. Methods: The study was conducted from January to March 2023 in 200 randomly selected horse families concentrated in Sherpur, Jamalpur, Tangail, Sirajganj, Natore, and Noagoan districts of Bangladesh. After the necessary corrections and modifications, the final questionnaire was created based on the objectives of the study. The data were collected by respondents individually through personal interviews. Results: The average number of horses per family was 1.18, with 70% of them being transported and only 11.5% participating in horse races. The average peak and the poor seasonal income of the farmers were recorded as BDT (12,920-6,717). On average, 2 kg of concentrate feed per day is supplied to each horse with forages in the morning and afternoon depending on the situation. All farmers practiced natural mating, but they did not perform vaccination (100%). The indigenous horse's face color was observed as a star of 30%, and 45% non-specific, while the coat color was chestnut 38.5%, bay 41.5%, grey 8%, pseudo-Albino 3.5%, black 3.5%, brown 1% and bay roan 4%. The chest stocking color was observed as black 48%, white 33%, black and white 19%. The average body length, chest girth, neck length, ear length, and body weight in the research region were 119.86±0.17 cm, 126.28±0.19 cm, 37.87±0.14 cm, 15.78±0.12 cm, and 160.43±0.65 kg. The body length and body weight (p=0.000) differ significantly from region to region. Age at first service, service per conception (no.), gestation length, and foaling interval were 2.34±0.07 years, 1.21±0.06 years, 10.91±0.33 months and 1.00±0.03 years, respectively. Conclusions: Horses have enormous potential for livelihoods in rural areas, so it is important to preserve and improve horse genetic resources and ensure sustainable horse rearing in Bangladesh.

Sociocultural Profile as a Predictor of Perceived Importance of Forest Ecosystem Services: A Case Study from Poland

This paper assesses the priority of forest ecosystem services (FESs) and defines the sociodemographic profile of people who consider particular services to be an essential function of forests. The research material consists of the results of a questionnaire survey conducted on 1402 Polish respondents. Twelve different types of FESs were evaluated, to which respondents assigned relative priority (Ps) on a five-point Likert scale. The significance of differences in the importance of individual FESs was assessed using the Kruskal–Wallis ANOVA rank test, while a logistic regression model was used to profile respondents in terms of differences in perceptions of a particular FES. Regulating functions were considered the most important (Ps 0.87–0.94), followed by cultural functions (0.79–0.86), while provisioning functions (0.31–0.75) were deemed the least important. During the last decade, the trend in societal demand for FESs was upward. The greatest increase occurred for regulating functions and the lowest for provisioning (in the case of the supply of animal products, demand has actually decreased). Regulating functions are seen as very important by people with higher education, people who are satisfied with their financial status, and women; noise reduction is in particular valued by urban residents. Cultural functions are most valued by those satisfied with their financial status and people over 40. Provisioning functions are perceived as very important primarily by rural residents, often of low financial status, with the provision of animal products being more appreciated by men and the supply of mushrooms and berries by women. The greater appreciation of the importance of regulating and cultural functions (compared to provisioning ESs) suggests that local development planning should emphasize them much more strongly. In turn, identifying and estimating the demand for ecosystem services from the perspective of socioeconomic and demographic stakeholder profiles can provide valuable insight during planning for sustainable forest and ecosystem services.

Socio-economic profile of Kalyana Gidda cattle rearing farmers of Northern Karnataka

Socio-economic profile of Kalyana Gidda cattle rearing farmers of Northern Karnataka

Financial Innovation and Corporate Governance for Sustainability of Islamic Financial Institutions: Challenges & Prospects

The financial sector is an important component of the financial system that could help to attain socio-economic development. Islamic Financial Institutions (IFIs) are considered a vital part of financial institutions and playing pivotal role in innovation, digitization and technology driven market. Moreover, governance structure and corporate governance practices are main drivers of sustainability of IFIs. This study investigates the importance of financial innovation and corporate governance practices for sustainable performance of IFIs. Target respondents were approached for data collection to identify the potential benefits and prospects of financial innovation and corporate governance practices. Researcher approached board members, shariah advisors and senior management of IFIs as well as representatives of SBP, SECP and other professional bodies for discussions, deliberations, and professional interactions by arranging several sessions. Data was collected and analyzed to identify the challenges and prospectus. Findings indicate that IFIs in Pakistan had experienced unprecedented growth in almost all aspects including the size, volume, assets, branches, and contribution to the socio-economic profile of Pakistan during the recent years. IFIs are directly influenced by financial innovation and facing a rapid change in the perception and expectations of the stakeholders who are demanding innovative products, technology-driven processes, and customized services. Similarly, sustainability and effective governance is one of the important elements for the survival of IFIs in the highly competitive financial environment with ever changing products. Findings could enhance the understanding and learning of the relevant stakeholder for better decision making

Determinants of Youth Migration to Urban Areas in Eastern Uttar Pradesh, India

Youth are considered as the pillars that provide support and strength to the country. India is said to be a land of youth and villages. This paper is an effort to analyze the socio-economic profile of rural youths of eastern Uttar Pradesh along with their Migration Status. The sample size of 160 rural youth was randomly selected for the study and data were collected through personal interview method during 2023. Multi stage random sampling technique was adopted for the study with the Descriptive research design. The study was conducted in Eastern part of Uttar Pradesh in the districts Chandauli, Varanasi, Gorakhpur, and Deoria. Two blocks were selected from each selected district. Therefore, total of eight blocks were considered for study. From each selected block, two villages were selected for the present research. Ultimately, Sixteen villages were selected. A total of 160 respondents were selected from 16 villages, 10 respondents from each village. To obtain the data from 160 respondents, 197 respondents were contacted for clear and satisfactory response as per specific objectives of the study. The study revealed that highest per centage (47.50 per cent) of respondents were from middle age rural youth category i.e. 18-24 years and maximum number of respondents (55.63 per cent) belonged to other backward caste with maximum numbers of respondents (49.37 per cent) were graduate level of education. Joint family along with Mixed housing pattern is more common as revealed from the study. Most (38.13 per cent) of the respondents had small land holding i.e. 1-2ha with (48.12 per cent) of respondents having income between Rs. 2,00,001-3,00,000 income per annum from agriculture while Study also reveals that maximum land are owned by parents. 66.25 per cent of the respondents have prior migration experience and the main reason behind migration was education.

Characterization and Analysis of Fair Sellers in the Municipality of Janaúba in the North of Minas Gerais, Brazil

The objective of this work was to characterize and analyze the marketers who market their products at the Janaúba free trade fairs regarding the socioeconomic profile, business management, marketed products and difficulties in marketing. The research was descriptive. The data were collected by means of field survey in the main points where the free fairs in the municipality of Janaúba occur. The obtained data were analyzed through the distribution of frequencies and tables. Farmers are mostly family farmers who do not receive any kind of technical assistance or training to run the crop. They apply their own resources to cover the expenses and investments in production, having as a limiting factor the expansion of the business. Most do not control profitability, and of the percentage that does, only 7% use spreadsheet, do not have financial reserves in case of unforeseen occurrences. The values of the products marketed are almost always uncertain, since 81% of the marketers say that prices are negotiable. The main products marketed are fruits and vegetables, not being processed. Among the difficulties pointed out by the fairgrounds for the execution of the activity are the production costs. Regarding the structure of the Municipal Market, the main negative points were the lack of assistance (32%) and the lack of cleanliness (31%). The main improvement point was the availability of drinking water and the construction of bathrooms.

Traditional Fish Farming Based on Indigenous Knowledge in Homestead Pond Can Uplift Socioeconomic Status of Coastal Rural People and Sustainability

In a time of environmental degradation and increasing demand for safe food production, traditional fish farming is gaining global attention. Utilizing indigenous agricultural methods founded on traditional knowledge contributes to sustainability by safeguarding the ecosystem and preserving biodiversity. However, it is still less studied whether traditional farming systems based on indigenous knowledge currently in place are improving the socioeconomic conditions of farmers. Hence, this study was conducted with the following objectives: (i) to reveal the present status of traditional fish farming systems, (ii) to define the socioeconomic profile of the farmers, (iii) to identify the problems associated with traditional fish farming, and (iv) to show the inter-relationship between fish farming and socioeconomic development. For achieving these objectives, data were collected from 100 small-scale fish farmers from a rural coastal area of Bangladesh through a well-structured questionnaire, focus group discussion, and cross-check interviews. Our findings showed that most of the homestead ponds were small-sized (44%) and shallow (61%) where a polyculture system was prevalent (91%). The majority of the ponds (77%) were found to be perennial, 60% of which had single ownership. Socioeconomic data revealed that the highest number of farmers (42%) earned 1000.00 to 1500.00 USD annually, and 62% of the respondents took fish farming as their secondary occupation. Among the farmers, 62% had primary education, whereas 7% had no education, and only 26% of the farmers had official training in fish farming, indicating that culture management was mainly based on indigenous knowledge. A total of 55% of the farmers had 5 to 10 family members, and 80% of them lived in joint families. Furthermore, 40% of the farmers owned tin shed houses, whereas the maximum (60%) utilized katcha toilets. However, almost half of the farmers (57%) utilized their own funds for fish farming, and the majority (90%) had access to their own tube well. The study found that the biggest obstacles to fish farming were pressure from large families, a lack of education and training, a lack of quality seed and feed, outbreaks of fish diseases, an inadequate supply of water during the dry season, and a lack of adequate funding. However, Pearson correlation showed that there was a significant positive association between age and experience (r = 0.908, p < 0.01) and age and income (r = 0.326, p < 0.01). Multiple regression analyses also demonstrated that age and experience in fish farming played a significant role in increased annual income. In conclusion, 94% of the respondents claimed that fish farming had improved their socioeconomic situation. Homestead pond fish farming through indigenous knowledge increased household fish consumption with a source of protein and micronutrients, improved dietary diversity, and generated extra household income, which inferred their better sustenance.

Food evaluation from the sustainability perspective sustainable food

This study aimed to investigated alimentation of adults in the sustainable perspective related to the socioeconomics profile. For this, a descriptive, quantitative and cross-sectional research was carried out, with probabilistic sample, for convenience, composed of adult workers of a footwear company, the data collection occurred through an online questionnaire. Regarding the socioeconomic profile, 69,8% were classified in class B, 15,9% A and 14,3% in C/D/E. Those investigated often consume meat and rarely unconventional food plants. Most agree on the change from conventional to organic food, understand that it is healthy, but more expensive than conventional. They believe that daily meat consumption is important, but they deny or disagree that meat harms the environment. Relating daily meat consumption to be healthy and the economic classes, in A (80%), B (84,1%) an C/D/E (44,4%) agree. And analyzing the frequency of consumption of meat related to economic classes, in A (90%), B (95,4%) and C/D/E (77,8%) always or almost always consume. In conclusion, a higher frequency of meat consumption was observed in higher economic classes, and a low consumption of organics was observed, as well as the reinforcement of the idea that these are more expensive foods than conventional ones.

No City Left Behind: Building Climate Policy Bridges between the North and South

Cities are progressively heightening their climate aspirations to curtail urban carbon emissions and establish a future where economies and communities can flourish within the Earth’s ecological limits. Consequently, numerous climate initiatives are being launched to control urban carbon emissions, targeting various sectors, including transport, residential, agricultural, and energy. However, recent scientific literature underscores the disproportionate distribution of climate policies. While cities in the Global North have witnessed several initiatives to combat climate change, cities in the Global South remain uncovered and highly vulnerable to climate hazards. To address this disparity, we employed the Balanced Iterative Reducing and Clustering using the Hierarchies (BRICH) algorithm to cluster cities from diverse geographical areas that exhibit comparable socioeconomic profiles. This clustering strives to foster enhanced cooperation and collaboration among cities globally, with the goal of addressing climate change in a comprehensive manner. In summary, we identified similarities, patterns, and clusters among peer cities, enabling mutual and generalizable learning among worldwide peer-cities regarding urban climate policy exchange. This exchange occurs through three approaches: (i) inner-mutual learning, (ii) cross-mutual learning, and (iii) outer-mutual learning. Our findings mark a pivotal stride towards attaining worldwide climate objectives through a shared responsibility approach. Furthermore, they provide preliminary insights into the implementation of “urban climate policy exchange” among peer cities on a global scale.

The Association between Socioeconomic Profiles, Attitudes, and Knowledge of Dairy Farmers Regarding Somatic Cell Count and Milk Quality.

The primary objective of this study was to investigate the association between the bulk tank somatic cell count (SCC) and dairy farmers' knowledge about milk quality, mastitis control, and their socioeconomic characteristics. Additionally, we estimated the association between the bulk tank SCC and bulk tank milk hygienic quality in dairy herds. Bulk tank milk samples from 120 dairy herds enrolled in the milk quality payment program were collected for the determination of the SCC, the total bacterial count (TBC), the preliminary incubation count (PIC), the laboratory pasteurization count (PC), and the coliform count (CC). Based on the bulk tank SCC results, 63 herds were selected and categorized into three groups: (a) low SCC: ≤250,000 cells/mL (n = 16); (b) medium SCC: >250,000 ≤ 400,000 cells/mL (n = 24); and (c) high SCC: >400,000 cells/mL (n = 23). Socioeconomic profiles, attitudes, and knowledge of somatic cell count and milk quality were assessed using previously tested questionnaires, which were used to interview the herd managers of the 63 selected dairy herds. Among the findings, 87.0% of the dairy herds had an SCC < 400 × 103 cells/mL, and presented milk production as the main economic activity of the farm, whereas only 47.0% of dairy herds with an SCC > 400 × 103 cells/mL had milk production as the main economic activity of the farm (p < 0.031). In a total of 95% of the selected herds (n = 60), milking machines were used, with pipeline milking machines being more predominant, accounting for 70.8% in herds with a medium somatic cell count (SCC) and 78.3% in herds with a high SCC, as opposed to herds with a low SCC at 50% (p < 0.031). The frequency of dairy producers' awareness of the maximum legal requirements for the bulk tank SCC and TBC was higher in herds with a higher SCC than in herds with a medium SCC. In conclusion, the results of this study indicate a significant association between the bulk tank somatic cell count (SCC) and dairy farmers' knowledge about milk quality, mastitis control, and socioeconomic characteristics. These findings emphasize the importance of knowledge and the socioeconomic profiles of dairy farms in maintaining and enhancing milk quality in dairy herds.

Geographical variation in cardiovascular disease mortality in Norway: The role of life course socioeconomic position and parental health.

Despite substantial geographical variation in cardiovascular (CVD) mortality within countries, little is known about whether this variation can be explained by individuals' life course socioeconomic position (SEP) or differences in family history of premature CVD deaths. Cox proportional hazards models were used to investigate the association between the county of residence at ages 50-59 and CVD death in Norwegians born between 1940 and 1959 and survived to at least age 60, using national data. Individual life course SEP and family history of premature CVD death reduced the geographical variation in CVD mortality across Norwegian counties, but some significant differences remained. Furthermore, CVD risk varied by residents' migration histories between two counties with distinct CVD and socioeconomic profiles.

EPIDEMIOLOGY OF OCCUPATIONAL AND NON-OCCUPATIONAL EYE INJURIES: CASES TREATED IN FOUR EYE HOSPITALS IN BANGLADESH Authors

Introduction: Eye injury is an important cause of preventable vision loss in developing as well as developed countries. There are many risk factors for eye injuries. Eye injuries can occur anywhere at any time to anyone regardless of socio-economic conditions, demographic profile, and situation. The principal objective of our research work was to study the epidemiological profile of occupational and non-occupational ocular injuries in Bangladesh. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on purposively selected 117 eye injury cases from four eye hospitals situated in Dhaka (2), Tangail (1), and Rajshahi (1), Bangladesh. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data from the study subjects. Results: Respondents’ Mean ± SD age was 29.70± 15.95 years where a maximum (69.2%) of them were male. Secondary-level education was more common among the study subjects (24.8%). A great number of respondents (62.4%) monthly income ranges from 12,000- 30,999 Bangladeshi Taka. Not using/lack of protective measures, carelessness, and road traffic accidents were identified as the leading causes of eye injuries at the workplace, home, and other areas, respectively by most of the participants. On the other hand, maintaining or cleaning instruments at the job place, looking after children at home, and riding vehicles were mentioned as the activities during eye injuries by the highest number of respondents. A statistical significance p &lt; 0.05 was found between eye injuries and participants’ age, gender, occupation, educational qualification, and monthly family income. Conclusion: Eye injuries are more or less common at home, the workplace, and other areas irrespective of epidemiological distribution. Therefore, measures should be taken to eliminate eye injuries at personal, community, and national levels.

Abstract 136: Unsupervised Learning Using EHR Data To Detect Distinct Subphenotypes Of Hypertension

Introduction: Hypertension (HTN) is a complex condition with significant heterogeneity in presentation and treatment response. Identifying distinct subphenotypes of HTN may improve our understanding of its underlying mechanisms and guide more precise treatment or public health initiatives. Methods: Using EHR data from the OneFlorida+ research consortium (2012-2021), we identified a cohort of adult Floridians with newly-diagnosed HTN (first diagnosis following 2 outpatient BPs ≥140/90 mmHg &amp; no prior antiHTN treatment). We extracted demographic and clinical data from the diagnosis visit and ≤1 year prior. We used hierarchical clustering to identify distinct subphenotypes within the HTN population. Results: A total of 40,741 patients were included (mean ± SD age, 61 ± 18 y; 55% women). Six subphenotypes (S1-6) were identified (Figure). For example, S1 was characterized by older age and higher BMI and T2DM prevalence, while S2 included younger individuals with lower BMI and more women, and S3 had low prevalence of HTN-related comorbidity. Distinctions in SDOH factors were also observed: despite lower comorbidity burden, the youngest subphenotype (S2) had high SDOH burden and presented with HTN 8-15 y earlier than higher income subphenotypes (e.g., S4 &amp; S5). Conclusions: Unsupervised learning identified 6 HTN subphenotypes varying in demographic, socioeconomic and risk profiles. Further investigation into biological mechanisms of these subphenotypes and their relationships to social factors may enhance our ability to deliver targeted interventions that consider social policy implications in addition to the traditional behavioral and physiological interventions.

Socio-Economic Profile of Poultry Farmers in Subtropical India

Socio-Economic Profile of Poultry Farmers in Subtropical India

Changing Dynamics of Urbanization and Social Inequality: A Case Study of Informal Settlements in Bangkok, Thailand

The research embarked on a journey to unravel the intricate relationship between urbanization dynamics and social inequality within the context of informal settlements in Bangkok. Using a mixed methods approach, this research combines a quantitative survey and qualitative interviews. Demographic data is collected through a survey, which captures a socio-economic profile. Qualitative insights were obtained from in-depth interviews and observations, which provide a different understanding of residents' life experiences. This research not only illuminates the interplay between urbanization and social inequality within Bangkok's informal settlements but also amplifies the call for inclusive urban development that ensures the benefits of progress reach every corner of the city, irrespective of socio-economic background.