Socioeconomic Measures Research Articles

Socioeconomic determinants of risky sexual behaviors and HIV seropositivity among university students in South Africa: A case control analysis.

Socioeconomic determinants of risky sexual behaviors in sub-Saharan Africa are well known. The socioeconomic determinants of the sexual behaviors of university students, however, remain unclear. This case control study aimed to investigate the socioeconomic determinants of risky sexual behavior and HIV seropositivity among university students in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), South Africa. Participants (N = 500; 375 HIV uninfected and 125 HIV infected) from four public higher educational institutions in KZN were recruited, using a non-randomized strategy. Socioeconomic status was assessed by food insecurity, access to the government loan scheme, and sharing of the bursary/loan with family. The findings of this study suggest that students reporting food insecurity were 1.87 times more likely to have multiple sexual partners; 3.18 times more likely to engage in transactional sex for money; and presented a fivefold higher risk of engaging in transactional sex for basic needs other than money. Accessing the government financing for education and sharing of the bursary/loan with family was also significantly associated with an increased risk of having an HIV seropositive status. A significant association between socioeconomic measures, risky sexual behavior, and HIV seropositivity is demonstrated in this study. Moreover, the socioeconomic risks and drivers when determining and/or developing HIV prevention interventions, including preexposure prophylaxis use, should be considered by healthcare providers based at campus health clinics.

Socio-Demographic, Lifestyle, and Clinical Characteristics of Early and Later Weight Status in Older Adults: Secondary Analysis of the ASPREE Trial and ALSOP Sub-Study.

To identify the socio-demographic, lifestyle, and clinical characteristics associated with self-reported weight status in early (age 18 years) and late (age ≥ 70 years) adulthood. The number of participants was 11,288, who were relatively healthy community-dwelling Australian adults aged ≥70 years (mean age 75.1 ± 4.2 years) in the Aspirin in Reducing Events in the Elderly (ASPREE) Longitudinal Study of Older Persons (ALSOP) sub-study. Self-reported weight at the study baseline (age ≥ 70 years) and recalled weight at age 18 years were collected. Height measured at baseline was used to calculate the BMI at both time points. Individuals were categorised into one of five 'lifetime' weight status groups: healthy weight (at both age 18 year and ≥70 years), overweight (at either or both times), non-obese (age 18 year) to obesity (age ≥70 years), obesity (age 18 years) to non-obese (age ≥ 70 years), and early and later life obesity (at age 18 years and ≥70 years). Participants who experienced obesity in early and/or late adulthood were at a higher risk of adverse clinical characteristics. Obesity in late adulthood (regardless of early adulthood weight status) was associated with high proportions of hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidaemia, whereas obesity in early adulthood (regardless of late adulthood weight status) was associated with lower cognitive scores (on all four measures). Healthy or overweight weight status in early and later adulthood was associated with more favourable socioeconomic, lifestyle, and clinical measures. Obesity in early adulthood was associated with lower cognitive function in later adulthood, whereas obesity in later adulthood was associated with hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidaemia.

Structural Racism and Well-Being Among Young People in the U.S.

Structural racism has clear and pernicious effects on population health. However, there is a limited understanding of how structural racism impacts young people's well-being. The objective of this ecologic cross-sectional study was to assess the relationship between structural racism and well-being for 2,009 U.S. counties from 2010 to 2019. Population-based data on demographics, health, and other variables related to young people's ability to thrive are used to construct a previously validated composite index that serves as a proxy of young people's well-being. The index is regressed on several forms of structural racism (segregation, economic, and educational) both independently and jointly while accounting for county-fixed effects, time trends, and state-specific trends as well as weighting for child population. Data were analyzed from November 2021 through March 2023. Higher levels of structural racism are associated with lower well-being. A 1-SD increase in Black-White child poverty disparity is associated with a -0.034 (95% CI= -0.019, -0.050) SD change in index score. When accounting for multiple structural racism measures, associations remain statistically significant. In joint models, only estimates for economic racism measures remain significant when additionally controlling for demographic, socioeconomic, and adult health measures (β= -0.015; 95% CI= -0.001, -0.029). These negative associations are heavily concentrated in counties where Black and Latinx children are overrepresented. Structural racism-particularly of the kind that produces racialized poverty outcomes-has a meaningful adverse association with child and adolescent well-being, which may produce lifelong effects. Studies of structural racism among adults should consider a lifecourse perspective.

An Analysis of the Socio-Economic Measures for Preserving Employment in Hotels and Restaurants During the Covid-19 Pandemic in Bulgaria

The number of unemployed persons in different sectors of the economy, including those at hotels and restaurants, has grown rapidly due to shrinking economic activity as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Accordingly, the state has introduced some measures to counteract negative consequences and ensure positive social effects for businesses. The aim of this research is to present implemented social measures and their effects on preserving employment in the sphere of hotel and restaurant activity in Bulgaria during the COVID-19 crisis. The research methods we employ are analysis and synthesis; content analysis; situational analysis; deduction; induction; comparative analysis, etc. The findings of the research present the nature and the progress of social measures adopted to preserve employment in the researched sectors since the outbreak of COVID-19 in Bulgaria, as well as the achieved results. They also outline the condition of employment in the hotel and the restaurant business in Bulgaria during the pandemic and the efficiency of applied mechanisms. Within this context, some opportunities for the further development of the researched economic sphere are presented.

682-P: Intersectionality among Health-Related Social Needs Predicts Poor Mental Health among Youth and Young Adults with Diabetes

Little is known about how multiple health-related social needs may overlap to contribute to increased risk for poor mental health outcomes among youth and young adults (YYA) with diabetes. This study aims to understand how household food insecurity (HFI) intersects with other health-related social needs to influence poor mental health among YYA with type 1 diabetes (T1D). Analyses included a total of 829 YYA with T1D from the SEARCH Food Security Cohort study. Classification tree analysis was used to identify patterns among 11 health-related social needs, demographic, and socioeconomic characteristics that distinguish between moderate-to-severe and minimal-to-mild depressive symptoms. Health-related social needs included HFI, housing insecurity, need for reliable transportation, and experiences of discrimination. HFI was measured using the USDA Household Food Security Survey Module and experiences of discrimination were measured using the Everyday Discrimination Scale. The outcome of depressive symptoms was assessed using the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression (CES-D) scale. Overall, 35.6% reported moderate-to-severe depressive symptoms and 27.6% of YYA with T1D had anxiety symptoms; however, in the food insecure group, 73% and 56% were affected, respectively. Discrimination intersected with HFI among YYA with T1D such that 86% of YYA experiencing greater discrimination and HFI reported moderate-to-severe depressive symptoms (compared to 47% among the food secure group). In those reporting less discrimination, this corresponded to 56% and 17%, respectively. Adding discrimination to the model that included HFI, demographic, and socioeconomic measures improved the prediction accuracy (AUC= 0.71 versus AUC= 0.64). Study findings have implications for interventions to address multiple health-related social needs to decrease mental health problems among YYA with T1D. Disclosure A.D.Brown: None. A.Bellatorre: None. F.Malik: None. A.D.Liese: None. E.A.Frongillo: None. K.Flory: None. M.Lohman: None. J.Wei: None. J.A.Mendoza: None. B.A.Reboussin: None. E.T.Jensen: Consultant; Regeneron. L.M.Dolan: None. Funding National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (1R01DK117461-01, 1UC4DK108173); National Institute of General Medical Sciences (T32GM081740)

Impact of Area-Level Socioeconomic and Environmental Measures on Reduced Visual Acuity Among Children and Adolescents.

To assess the impacts of area-level socioeconomic and environmental measures on reduced visual acuity (VA). This ecological study used the nationally representative cross-sectional data from the Chinese National Survey on Students' Constitution and Health in 2014 (CNSSCH 2014), which included 261,833 participants aged 7 to 22 years randomly selected from 30 mainland provinces in China. Area-level socioeconomic measures assessed included gross domestic product (GDP), population density, density of hospital beds, and nighttime light data measured as the mean digital number (DN) of each region; environmental factors assessed included latitude, annual sunlight duration, and park green space density. The main outcome measure was the prevalence of reduced VA in each province of Mainland China. GDP (coefficient: 0.221; P < 0.001), mean DN (coefficient: 0.461; P < 0.001), latitude (coefficient: 0.093; P < 0.001), and annual sunlight duration (coefficient: 0.112; P < 0.001) were positively associated with the prevalence of reduced VA, while population density (coefficient: -0.256; P < 0.001), park green space per 10,000 people (coefficient: -0.145; P < 0.001), and number of hospital beds per 10,000 people (coefficient: -0.146; P < 0.001) were negatively associated with reduced VA prevalence. Factor analysis indicated a marginally nonsignificant positive correlation between socioeconomic factors and the prevalence of reduced VA (coefficient: 0.034; P = 0.07). Increased GDP and mean DN, which reflect economic development, were associated with a higher prevalence of reduced VA, while larger park green space and number of hospital beds per 10,000 people seemed to play a protective role, which could be targeted to design preventive strategies for myopia.

Inventory of U.S. Public Data Sources to Measure the Socioeconomic Impact of Experiencing Interpersonal Violence

There is limited recent information regarding the impact of interpersonal violence on an individual's non-health-related experiences and attainment, including criminal activity, education, employment, family status, housing, income, quality of life, or wealth. This study aimed to identify publicly available representative data sources to measure the socioeconomic impact of experiencing interpersonal violence in the U.S. In 2022, the authors reviewed data sources indexed in Data.gov, the Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research data archive, and the U.S. Census Bureau's Federal Statistical Research Data Center network to identify sources that reported both nonfatal violence exposure and socioeconomic status-or data sources linking opportunities to achieve both measures-over time (i.e., longitudinal/repeated cross-sections) at the individual level. Relevant data sources were characterized in terms of data type (e.g., survey), violence measure type (e.g., intimate partner violence), socioeconomic measure type (e.g., income), data years, and geographic coverage. Sixteen data sources were identified. Adverse childhood experiences, intimate partner violence, and sexual violence were the most common types of violence faced. Income, education, and family status were the most common socioeconomic measures. Linked administrative data offered the broadest and the most in-depth analytical opportunities. Currently, linked administrative data appears to offer the most comprehensive opportunities to examine the long-term impact of violence on individuals' livelihoods. This type of data infrastructure may provide cost-effective research opportunities to better understand the elements of the economic burden of violence and improve targeting of prevention strategies.

Is parental unemployment associated with increased risk of adverse childhood experiences? A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Unemployment has adverse consequences for families and can put children at risk of harm. This study presents a systematic review and meta-analysis of global evidence on associations between parental unemployment and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). Systematic literature searches across four databases identified cross-sectional, cohort or case-control studies measuring associations between parental employment and individual or cumulative ACEs in children. Available risk estimates were extracted and pooled odds ratios calculated using random-effects models. Of 60 included studies, 37 provided risk estimates suitable for pooling across seven ACE types. Paternal/any parental unemployment was associated with a 29% increased risk of sexual abuse, 54% increased risk of neglect, 60% increased risk of physical abuse and around 90% increased risk of child maltreatment and parental mental illness. No associations were found between maternal unemployment and ACEs. Pooling estimates from representative general population studies also identified increased risk of child maltreatment with paternal/any parental unemployment (82%) but not maternal unemployment. Children who grow up with parental unemployment can be at increased risk of ACEs. A combination of socioeconomic measures to increase employment opportunities and parental support targeting fathers and mothers may help break multigenerational cycles of abuse and deprivation.

Crime prevention mechanism in places of deprivation of liberty

The article examines the basic principles of crime prevention in places of deprivation of liberty. It was determined that penitentiary principles and the mechanism for preventing criminal offenses in places of detention remain the primary task of the State Policy in the field of execution of criminal punishments. It is they who ensure the order and conditions of execution and serving of sentences in places of deprivation of liberty in Ukraine and guarantee the safety of society. Emphasis is placed on the fact that penal institutions must return a full-fledged individual to society. It was determined that prevention of crime in places of deprivation of lliberty, as part of all crime, should be carried out at three levels: general social, special criminologicaland individual.&#x0D; General social prevention of crime in places of deprivation of liberty is, first of all, a complex of promising socio-economic, organizationalmanagement, ideological, cultural-educational and other measures aimed at solving acute social problems and troubles in the country. In addition, bodies and institutions for the execution of punishments can apply such special measures of criminological prevention as prevention and cessation of crimes. Prevention and termination of crimes are transferred to those stages of the development of criminal behavior, which are characterized either by the emergence of the intention to commit a crime, or when the behavior of some persons is capable of causing it, or when the crime has already begun to actually be committed. Preventive activities in places of deprivation of liberty can be based on methods of neutralization of criminogenic phenomena, dealcoholization and devictimization, destruction of the criminal subculture, criminal law abstinence from committing crimes, medical rehabilitation.&#x0D; It is substantiated that the fact of a person’s continued stay in a criminogenic environment or his return to it after serving a sentence or parole is necessary for recidivism.&#x0D; It was established that the prevention of crime in places of deprivation of liberty requires improvement and regulation of its mechanism. A system of measures was proposed that would maximally prevent the possibility of committing crimes in places of deprivation of liberty. However, it has been established that in order to increase this activity, first of all, it is necessary to eliminate organizationalmanagement, control-supervisory, informational, operative-search and other determinants that contribute to the commission of criminal offenses in places of deprivation of liberty.

Smoking status and the association between patient-level factors and survival among lung cancer patients.

Declines in the prevalence of cigarette smoking, advances in targeted therapies, and implementation of lung cancer screening have changed the clinical landscape for lung cancer. The proportion of lung cancer deaths is increasing in those who have never smoked cigarettes. To better understand contemporary patterns in survival among patients with lung cancer, a comprehensive evaluation of factors associated with survival, including differential associations by smoking status, is needed. Patients diagnosed with lung cancer between January 1, 2010, and September 30, 2019, were identified. We estimated all-cause and lung cancer-specific median, 5-year, and multivariable restricted mean survival time (RMST) to identify demographic, socioeconomic, and clinical factors associated with survival, overall and stratified by smoking status (never, former, and current). Analyses included 6813 patients with lung cancer: 13.9% never smoked, 54.2% formerly smoked, and 31.9% currently smoked. All-cause RMST through 5 years for those who never, formerly, and currently smoked was 32.1, 25.9, and 23.3 months, respectively. Lung cancer-specific RMST was 36.3 months, 30.3 months, and 26.0 months, respectively. Across most models, female sex, younger age, higher socioeconomic measures, first-course surgery, histology, and body mass index were positively associated, and higher stage was inversely associated with survival. Relative to White patients, Black patients had increased survival among those who formerly smoked. We identify actionable factors associated with survival between those who never, formerly, and currently smoked cigarettes. These findings illuminate opportunities to address underlying mechanisms driving lung cancer progression, including use of first-course treatment, and enhanced implementation of tailored smoking cessation interventions for individuals diagnosed with cancer.

Reducing the Disability of Employees: Current Organizational, Medical and Socio-Economic Activities

An analytical study was carried out aimed at reducing the level of disability of employees of industrial enterprises of the country. It has been revealed that the disability of employees can be a consequence of both various accidents and diseases, including professional ones. An action plan is proposed to reduce the values of disability indicators both in the field of labor protection and medical support of employees. Target corporate programs at industrial enterprises are described. The features of personnel support of work to reduce the level of disability of employees are disclosed. The role of telemedicine technologies in the framework of industrial medicine is reflected. The economic and social effectiveness of the application of the best technologies and practices used in the implementation of the main organizational, medical and socio-economic measures to reduce the disability of employees of an industrial enterprise is shown.

Demographic and Socioeconomic Disparities in Long-term Outcomes After Endovascular Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair Among Medicare Beneficiaries

Age, sex, and race-related disparities in outcomes following abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) repair have been described, but the impact of socioeconomic factors on these outcomes is poorly understood. We examined 5-year outcomes after endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair (EVAR) for intact AAA stratified by demographic and socioeconomic factors and explored potential mechanisms underlying outcome disparities. All Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries ≥66 years of age who underwent EVAR for intact AAA between January 1, 2011, and December 31, 2019, were identified and stratified by the following disparity measures: age category (66-75 years/76-85 years/>85 years), sex, race (White/Black/other), Medicare/Medicaid dual enrollment, distressed communities index (distressed >80th percentile/nondistressed ≤80th percentile), and residential location (urban/rural). The primary outcome was a composite endpoint of late aneurysm rupture, aortic reintervention (graft relining or endograft extension), conversion to open repair, or all-cause mortality. Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analyses were used to examine outcomes by each disparity measure. A total of 113,261 beneficiaries were identified. Mean age was 77 years, and most beneficiaries were male (79%), White (93%), enrolled in Medicare only (91%), and resided in urban locations (95%; Table). Median follow-up time was 3.2 years. At 5 years, compared with beneficiaries aged 66 to 75, incidence of the composite endpoint was higher in those aged 76 to 85 years (38% vs 25%, unadjusted hazard ratio [uHR], 1.7l 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.6-1.7) and in those aged >85 years (52% vs 25%; uHR, 2.6; 95% CI, 2.5-2.7) (Table). Higher incidence of the composite endpoint was also observed in female vs male beneficiaries (37% vs 32%; uHR, 1.2, 1.2-1.3), Black vs White beneficiaries (38% vs 33%; uHR; 1.2; 95% CI, 1.2-1.3), dual-enrolled vs Medicare-only beneficiaries (42% vs 32%; uHR, 1.4; 95% CI, 1.4-1.4), and in beneficiaries residing in distressed vs non-distressed communities (35% vs 33%; uHR, 1.1; 95% CI, 1.1-1.1). In adjusted analyses, these outcome disparities were partly explained by a higher burden of comorbid conditions in beneficiaries who were older, female, Black, dual-enrolled, or residing in distressed communities. Among Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries who underwent EVAR for intact AAA, we observed significant 5-year outcome disparities by demographic and socioeconomic measures. These disparities seem to be driven, in part, by a higher burden of comorbidities in beneficiaries who are older, female, Black, or socioeconomically disadvantaged. These findings highlight the need for early identification and management of comorbid conditions to reduce outcome disparities following EVAR. Further work to examine other potential contributing factors, including healthcare utilization and imaging surveillance after EVAR, is ongoing and may highlight additional actionable targets for improvement.TableBaseline rates of disparity measures and associated cumulative incidence of the composite endpoint of late aneurysm rupture, aortic reintervention (graft relining or endograft extension), conversion to open repair, or all-cause mortality in Medicare beneficiaries who underwent EVAR for intact AAADisparity measureNo. (%)5-Year event rate (%)uHR (95% CI)Age category, years 66-7553,009 (47)25Ref 76-8548,084 (42)381.7 (1.6-1.7) >8512,168 (11)522.6 (2.5-2.7)Sex Male89,219 (79)32Ref Female24,042 (21)371.2 (1.2-1.3)Race White105,158 (93)33Ref Black4289 (3.8)381.2 (1.2-1.3) Other3814 (3.4)280.84 (0.79-0.89)Medicare/Medicaid enrollment Medicare only103,095 (91)32Ref Dual10,166 (9.0)421.4 (1.4-1.4)Distressed communities index Nondistressed90,074 (80)33Ref Distressed23,187 (20)351.1 (1.1-1.1)Residential location Urban107,305 (95)33Ref Rural5956 (5.3)320.97 (0.93-1.0)AAA, Abdominal aortic aneurysm; CI, confidence interval; EVAR, endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair; Ref, reference; uHR, unadjusted hazard ratio.aEvent rates (%) at 5 years were estimated using Kaplan-Meier methods, and Cox regression was used to determine the uHRs at each time point. Open table in a new tab

Asymmetric linkages between pandemic uncertainty and environmental quality: Evidence from emerging economies

The current COVID-19 pandemic was a huge shock, influencing a wide range of socioeconomic measures, including the environment. The issue of how the uncertainty caused by pandemics will influence environmental quality is critical. This research examines the nonlinear relationship between pandemic uncertainty and environmental quality across leading polluted emerging economies (China, India, Russia, Indonesia, Brazil, Mexico, Iran, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and Turkey). Using data ranging from 1996 to 2020, a distinctive approach, ‘Quantile-on-Quantile’, is used. Greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) are adopted as a proxy for environmental quality. The outcomes analyze how pandemic uncertainty's quantiles influence the quantiles of GHG asymmetrically, giving an efficient paradigm for grasping the entire dependence structure. The findings show that pandemic uncertainty improves environmental quality by decreasing GHG in our sample economies at diverse quantiles. Higher levels of GHG (75th–90th quantiles) suggest a strong negative association between pandemic uncertainty and GHG in the majority of nations. The magnitude of the coefficients helps to explain why pandemic uncertainty has a significantly greater impact on GHG in Mexico and Turkey (with a coefficient size of −2) compared to Russia, India, and South Africa, where the effect is considerably smaller (with a coefficient size of −0.05). Furthermore, the rank of asymmetry in our chosen variables fluctuates by nation, underscoring the prominence of governments exercising caution and prudence while implementing pandemic-based uncertainty and environmental quality measures.

Innovation of Organization and Operations of the People's Committee of Community: Practice from Thanh Hoa Province, Vietnam

In the local government system in Vietnam, the commune-level Government plays an essential role in the locality's socioeconomic development. Through the performance of tasks and powers prescribed by law, the commune-level Government is the bridge between the State and the people who are the agencies representing the State to exercise state power, develop, declare, and organize the implementation of the Party's guidelines, and policies and the State's laws to the people. The People's Committee of the commune (commune, ward, township), with the nature of the executive body of the People's Council (the People's Council) at the same level, performs state management in administrative units. Closest to the people, responsible for the observance of the Constitution and laws, documents of superior state agencies, and resolutions of the People's Council at the same level to ensure the implementation of socio-economic guidelines and measures, strengthen national defense and security and implement other policies in the locality, contributing to providing the unified leadership in the state administrative apparatus from central to local levels. The article contributes to clarifying the theoretical basis, the current situation, and solutions for organizational renewal for the Commune People's Committee in Vietnam in the current period.

STATE PROGRAM FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE REGIONS IN THE REPUBLIC OF AZERBAIJAN: WESTERN REGIONS OF THE COUNTRY SHAMKIR, TOVUZ, GADABEY AND GAZAKH BASED ON THE MATERIALS

The Republic of Azerbaijan, the largest country in the Caucasus, left the Soviet Union in 1991 and entered a new path of development after becoming independent. It is true that some social and political events sometimes hindered these activities in one way or another, but they could not stop the development. The neighboring Republic of Armenia against Azerbaijan Although groundless land claims, the occupation of our lands, and the presence of 1 million refugees and internally displaced persons have created a number of problems in the country, socio-economic measures that have taken the right direction are bearing fruit. Adoption of the Constitutional Act "On State Independence of the Republic of Azerbaijan" on October 18, 1991 laid the foundation for a new stage in the history of our republic. In the process of the collapse of the USSR, relations between the production enterprises of the former USSR and Azerbaijan were broken. New production and service structures were created in the republic. Systematic measures were started in the direction of accelerating the development of the economy and the non-oil sector, deepening agrarian reforms, increasing the employment of the population, creating modern enterprises and opening new workplaces. After the death of Heydar Aliyev, this strategy is successfully continued by President Ilham Aliyev. For this purpose, according to the order dated February 11, 2004, the "State Program for Socio-Economic Development of the Regions of the Republic of Azerbaijan in 2004-2008" was approved. After the decree was signed, important work was done in the country: new schools were built, old buildings were repaired, new roads were built, and new jobs were opened in the regions. After the first State Program was successfully implemented, on April 14, 2009, the second "State Program of Socio-Economic Development of the Regions of the Republic of Azerbaijan in 2009-2013" was approved. The tasks of this program were also successfully completed. The funds obtained from the sale of "Black Gold" were directed to the restoration and development of infrastructure, which is an important condition for the socio-economic development of the regions. 6-8 billion manats have been invested in the implementation of the planned projects of the First State Program (2004-2008). Investments for the implementation of the planned projects of the Second State Program (2009-2013) have reached 19.8 billion manats. Thus, 26.6 billion manats have been allocated for the development of regions within the framework of two programs. During the implementation of the State Programs I and II of the socio-economic development of the regions, the President of Azerbaijan signed 240 decrees that provide for the acceleration of the socio-economic development of the cities and regions included in the economic regions. In the last 12 years, 64,000 institutions, including 41 Olympic Sports Centers, 30 Youth Centers, 2,900 schools, and 560 medical institutions, were built and repaired. 84 settlements were built for 210 thousand forced migrants. 10,000 km of roads were built, 340 bridges and tunnels were built. The construction of 6 airports and 23 power stations has been completed. The main goal of the reforms, construction installation works, and infrastructure changes was to improve the living conditions of the citizens and raise the standard of living of the people of the country. Keywords: State Program, socio-economic, regions, workplaces, production areas, infrastructure.

Access to Parks and Green Spaces in Quebec City, Canada: Developing Children-Specific Accessibility Measures

Accessibility indicators are gaining traction in research and planning as they provide a joint understanding of how transport networks and land-use patterns enable individuals to reach a variety of destinations. Local accessibility is especially beneficial for children as they do not have the same capacities to travel as adults and their independent mobility is generally constrained to active modes such as walking and cycling. Further, active and independent travel are linked to their health and well-being. Yet, there does not appear to have been much work done in relation to developing accessibility indicators specific to children. This study presents a methodology to specifically assess accessibility to parks (a key destination for children) on foot and by bicycle for children in Quebec City, Canada using open-access data. Accessibility indicators were generated for each residential lot based on the suitability of the pedestrian and cycling infrastructure for children. The number of parks accessible was presented and the equity of accessibility to parks was considered through population and socioeconomic measures. The results revealed a notable decrease in walking accessibility when only dedicated pedestrian infrastructure was considered, and differences between walking and cycling accessibility. This enabled the identification of accessibility gaps where the existing infrastructure did not provide safe access to parks and green spaces for children This research will be of interest to researchers and planners aiming to refine accessibility indicators to support children’s independent mobility, while taking equity into consideration.

Pathways to dental fear from childhood to adolescence: A 10-year cohort study.

Dental fear affects children's oral health; there is, however, no evidence regarding the pathways linking possible predictors for its occurrence. This study aimed at exploring the direct and indirect effects of sociodemographic, clinical, behavioural and psychosocial factors on the development of dental fear in schoolchildren over time. This is a prospective cohort study, with 10 years of follow-up. The first assessment started in 2010 (T1) with a sample of 639 children aged 1-5 years from Southern Brazil. For this study, the follow-up (T2) of these individuals was performed in 2020. Dental fear was assessed at T2 using the Brazilian version of the Children's Fear Survey Schedule-Dental Subscale (CFSS-DS). Socio-economic, demographic, psychosocial and oral health measures were collected in both assessments. A structural equation model was performed to assess the direct and indirect pathways among variables at T1 and T2 to predict the CFSS-DS scores at T2. Of the 639 children, 429 were re-evaluated at T2. Higher levels of untreated dental caries, younger individuals, dental visits for nonroutine reasons and low sense of coherence at T2 directly impacted dental fear at T2. Considering the indirect effects, the presence of dental caries and low household income at T1 indirectly impacted higher levels of dental fear over 10 years via dental caries at follow-up. Our findings suggest that socio-economic, demographic, clinical, psychosocial and behavioural conditions can influence dental fear from childhood to adolescence.

Chronic pain among U.S. sexual minority adults who identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, or "something else".

This study assesses chronic pain prevalence among sexual minority U.S. adults who self-identify as gay/lesbian, bisexual, or "something else," and examines the role of select covariates in the observed patterns. Analyses are based on 2013 to 2018 waves of the National Health Interview Survey, a leading cross-sectional survey representative of the U.S. population. General chronic pain and chronic pain in 3+ sites among adults aged 18 to 64 years (N = 134,266 and 95,675, respectively) are analyzed using robust Poisson regression and nonlinear decomposition; covariates include demographic, socioeconomic, healthcare, and psychological distress measures. We find large disparities for both pain outcomes. Americans who self-identify as bisexual or "something else" have the highest general chronic pain prevalence (23.7% and 27.0%, respectively), compared with 21.7% among gay/lesbian and 17.2% straight adults. For pain in 3+ sites, disparities are even larger: Age-adjusted prevalence is over twice as high among adults who self-identify as bisexual or "something else" and 50% higher among gay/lesbian, compared with straight adults. Psychological distress is the most salient correlate of the disparities, whereas socioeconomic status and healthcare variables explain only a modest proportion. Findings thus indicate that even in an era of meaningful social and political advances, sexual minority American adults have significantly more chronic pain than their straight counterparts. We call for data collection efforts to include information on perceived discrimination, prejudice, and stigma as potential key upstream factors that drive pain disparities among members of these minoritized groups.

ANTI-CRISIS MANAGEMENT OF THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC SYSTEMS UNDER THE POST-WAR PERIOD UNCERTAINTY

The article analyses main indicators reflecting the state of Ukraine’s economy during the war. We studied the core approaches to the formation of economic policy, development strategy and management of Ukraine economy in the pre-war period. The priorities of the country’s modern economic policy were defined and the necessary structural changes of the national economy, the main components of impact on its effective development in the post-war period, were determined. The goals and content of the post-war recovery plan for Ukraine’s economy were studied. Strategically important industries for the post-war economy of Ukraine, attractive directions for foreign investment and the main components of recovery and development were defined: international support, effective investment policy, modern reorganisation and restructuring of the economy. In order to get out of the micro-level socio-economic systems crisis primary measures of the anti-crisis plan have been formed. Three stages of the crisis have been identified and tasks and functions for the anti-crisis team of business structures have been specified. Changes in HR management in the anti-crisis management system of business entities in the war and post-war periods were analysed, the most important modern anti-crisis HR tools were formulated and characterised.

Geographic opportunities for assisted reproduction: a study of regional variations in access to fertility treatment in England

It is estimated that one in seven couples in the UK experience infertility, though just over half of those affected by it seek professional help. Previous studies pointed to potential socioeconomic barriers in accessing assisted reproduction; however, less is known about geographic accessibility to fertility treatment and the way it is associated with measures of deprivation. In this study, we used publicly available data on fertility clinics, combined with official statistics for 315 local authorities in England, to create a standardized measure of geographic accessibility to fertility services. In addition, using a negative binomial regression model, we estimated the link between socioeconomic measures at the local authority level and availability of fertility services. We found that geographic accessibility to assisted reproduction is significantly higher in the most advantaged local authorities in terms of average household income and level of deprivation. This may lead to reduced opportunities for realizing fertility aspirations among those suffering from infertility in more deprived areas. Taking into account both socioeconomic and geographic barriers to accessing fertility treatment can contribute to a better understanding of help-seeking patterns for infertility, likelihood of achieving a live birth and inform policy to equalise opportunities in access to infertility treatment.