Specific Socio-economic Variables Research Articles

Identifying Heterogeneous Willingness to Pay for New Energy Vehicles Attributes: A Discrete Choice Experiment in China

New energy vehicles (NEVs) have emerged as a promising solution to reduce carbon emissions and address environmental concerns in the transportation sector. In order to effectively accelerate market acceptance, it is crucial to prioritize the heterogeneity of consumer preferences for NEV attributes. This study employs the multinomial logit model (MNL) and latent class model (LCM) to investigate both observed and unobserved preference heterogeneity based on stated preferences obtained from a discrete choice experiment conducted across seven cities in China. Results from the MNL model indicate that all attributes significantly influence alternative utility. In particular, there are differences in the willingness to pay (WTP) for attributes of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs). Analysis of MNL subgroups reveals observed heterogeneity in WTP for identical attributes among consumers from regions with different latitudes and markets with different NEV penetration rates. Furthermore, the LCM model uncovers unobserved preference heterogeneity by classifying respondents into four distinct classes and identifies specific socioeconomic variables associated with each class. The recognition of heterogeneous WTP for NEV attributes across vehicle types, regions, markets, and consumer classes provides important implications for formulating targeted policies that promote the sustainable development of the NEV industry.

Perception of health risks in contexts of extreme climate change in semiarid Northeastern Brazil: an analysis of the role of socioeconomic variables

BackgroundGlobal climate change poses a significant challenge in contemporary society, particularly affecting vulnerable populations like small farmers residing in arid and semiarid regions. This study aims to investigate the perception of health risks and adaptive responses in the semiarid region of Northeast Brazil (NEB). Four questions were formulated: (1) How do socioeconomic factors influence the perception of health risks during extreme climate events? (2) How do socioeconomic factors impact the adoption of adaptive responses to mitigate health risks during extreme weather events? (3) How does the perceived risk level affect the utilization of adaptive responses? (4) What is the influence of extreme climate events on the perceived risks and the adoption of adaptive responses?MethodThe research was conducted in the rural community of Carão, situated in the Agreste region of the State of Pernambuco, NEB. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 49 volunteers aged 18 and above. The interviews aimed to gather socioeconomic information, including sex, age, income, access to healthcare services, family size, and education level. Additionally, the interviews explored the perceived risks and responses employed during different extreme climate events such as droughts or heavy rainfall. The perceived risks and adaptive responses data were quantified to address the research questions. Generalized linear models were employed to analyze the data for the first three questions, while the nonparametric Mann–Whitney test was used for the fourth question.ResultsThe study found no significant differences in the level of perceived risk and adaptive responses between the two climate extremes. However, the quantity of adaptive responses was found to be directly influenced by the perceived risks, regardless of the type of extreme climate event.ConclusionThe study concludes that risk perception is influenced by various complex factors, including socioeconomic variables, and plays a critical role in the adoption of adaptive responses during extreme climate events. The findings suggest that specific socioeconomic variables have a more pronounced influence on how individuals perceive and adapt to risks. Furthermore, the results indicate a cause-and-effect relationship between perceived risks and the generation of adaptive responses. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the factors shaping risk perception and provide valuable insights for future studies in regions prone to extreme climate events.

Diversity of market gardening farms in western Burkina Faso. Nexus between production environment, farm size, financial performance and environmental issues

This study characterizes market gardening in Houet province in order to determine the various categories of market gardening farms based on specific socioeconomic variables, as well as to analyze the main factors influencing their economic performance. Using principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical ascending classification, the main factors influencing the economic situation of the market garden farms in Houet were analyzed through the interrelationships between the variables considered. Findings revealed four clusters of vegetable farms with different socioeconomic features depending on the farming environment (urban, peri-urban and rural). In the same vein, the results showed that market gardeners in urban areas have the best economic performance. With the regard to the durability of the production, results showed that the majority of market gardeners (95%) have a conventional production method and often use in an uncontrolled way chemical pesticides, as well as mineral fertilizers that some combine with organic amendments.

Technical Efficiency of Fish Catch and its Socio-Economic Determinants towards Freshwater Fisher Population in North Central Province, Sri Lanka

In this study, freshwater fisherman in the area of Sri Lanka's north central province had their technical efficiency of fish catch measured. The study focuses on freshwater fisherman who only make their living in the districts of Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa. There are 175 fishing teams in total in the sample. During the survey, comprehensive information is gathered on the monthly catch, its market worth at the time of capture, labor hours, age of catchers, experience, education, boar size, scale type, and other fishing specifics. Data on specific socioeconomic variables and indicators were considered. Descriptive statistics, regression analysis, correlation analysis, frequency analysis, t test, and ANOVA with inefficiency effects are estimated on the basis of cross-sectional primary data on fishing independent variable, dependent variable, and moderator variable. Age of catchers, education, experience, boat size, and labor hours were the independent variables. The monthly income from fishing was employed as a dependent variable, while scale type was used as a moderator variable. According to statistical analysis, technical efficiency is positively influenced by education, experience, boat size, labor hours, and scale type, however it is negatively impacted by the age of the catchers. However, technical effectiveness is declining as catchers get older. According to the study, the technical efficiency can be raised by increasing the experience of fishermen, labor hours, education, use of 18.5-ft boats, and scale for medium size. In addition to employing fewer fisherman than 40, fishing might become more proficient technically. Because physical and mental issues can be noticed when a person is older than 40. A case in point is vision issues. Therefore, it may be inferred by looking at the outcomes employing middle-aged fishermen whose technical performance can be improved.

Socioeconomic Determinants of Cardiovascular Diseases, Obesity, and Diabetes among Migrants in the United Kingdom: A Systematic Review.

There has been little agreement on the role that socioeconomic factors play in the aetiology of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), obesity, and diabetes among migrants in the United Kingdom (UK). We systematically reviewed the existing evidence on this association to contribute to filling this gap in the literature. Two reviewers were involved at each stage of the review process to ensure validity. We comprehensively searched through several electronic databases and grey literature sources to identify potentially eligible papers for our review. We extracted data from our finally included studies and appraised the methodological rigour of our studies. A narrative synthesis approach was used to synthesise and interpret the extracted data. We sieved through 2485 records identified from our search and finally obtained 10 studies that met our inclusion criteria. The findings of this review show that there is a trend towards an association between socioeconomic factors and CVDs, diabetes, and obesity among migrants in the UK. However, the picture was more complex when specific socioeconomic variables and migrant subgroups were analysed. The evidence for this association is inconclusive and its causal relationship remains speculative. There is, therefore, the need for further research to understand the exact association between socioeconomic factors and CVD, diabetes, and obesity among migrants in the UK.

Are contextual socioeconomic factors associated with diarrhea in Mozambique children under age 5?

Abstract Background Diarrhea is still highly prevalent in Mozambique children under age 5, which leads to avoidable morbidity and mortality. Specific socio-economic variables may influence diarrhea prevalence. Methods Secondary data analysis with the application of multiple logistic regression models on the data of 10026 living children under age 5 from Mozambique's Demographic Health Survey (DHS) report from 2011. Data were collected from June 2011 to November 2011 and had a household sample size of 13919. RStudio 1.1.442 was chosen as the statistical software to conduct the multiple regression modeling and the graphic representation of the results. Results From the 10026 children under age 5, 10.6% of them (1064) had diarrhea in the last 2 weeks. The prevalence of diarrhea during that period was 1.25 times higher in the urban areas in comparison with the rural areas (adjusted OR [95% CI]: 1.25 [1.03-1.52]). Households with a higher number of children had 12% less risk, per children's group (adjusted OR [95% CI]: 0.88 [0.80-0.96]). No increased risk of diarrhea was found for other variables, including sanitation, source of drinking water and refrigerator presence. Conclusions Urban areas and Households with fewer children are more likely to have a higher diarrhea risk while adjusting for other variables. It is important to notice that WASH variables such as sanitation and source of drinking didn't seem to lower diarrhea risk in Mozambique's context. Further research should take into consideration a greater sample and identify other possible reasons that may explain the high prevalence of diarrhea. Key messages Several factors may influence the prevalence of diarrhea in Mozambique. Beside the existence of sanitation infrastructure, there maybe be the need to improve its quality.

How dynamic is organic? Spatial analysis of adopting new trends in Croatian agriculture

The preservation of biodiversity, improving human health and the development of rural areas through organic farming are among the main aims of EU and worldwide agricultural policies. This paper discusses influential factors and the dynamics of developing organic agriculture in Croatia. The main aim of the research was to determine the connection between specific socio-economic variables and spatial patterns, showing the concentration and increase in organic production. The methodology used in the research included a quantitative analysis at the level of the 556 municipalities covering various socio-economic indicators, which were then correlated with the data on farm sizes. A hot spot analysis was performed to determine high and low clustering. The results showed low but statistically significant correlation between dependent and independent variables. However, they did not indicate any prevalent reasons for the occurrence of organic farming. Qualitative research, which included the attitude of organic farmers towards organic production, was also conducted. The qualitative study results showed that the main reason for going over to organic farming was lifestyle-related, and is the principal driving force behind the significantly increased dynamics of organic agriculture development in Croatia.

Profiling identification with Europe and the EU project in the European regions

Recent political events in the European Union (EU) highlighted a growing dissatisfaction of citizens in several EU regions with the EU institutions’ management of socio-economic and financial challenges. This eventually led to a political legitimization crisis, whose drivers are partially shared among EU regions and partially area-specific. However, the relation between citizens’ identification with the EU project and the regions’ characteristics has not been analysed yet. In this article, we fill in this gap by addressing tree research questions: i) To what extent do EU citizens identify with Europe and the EU project? ii) Do European regions have different patterns and level of identification?, and iii) Are the results driven by specific socio-economic variables?
 Answering these questions is crucial to inform a more inclusive and resilient design of the EU Cohesion Policy in a crucial period for reforming the EU. To this purpose, we develop a novel probabilistic classification model, IdentEU, which embeds with the concept of individual identification with Europe. We use micro-level data from a survey implemented within the PERCEIVE project. We find that the influencing variables that mostly affect (citizens and) regions’ identification with the European project are trust in the EU institutions; the effectiveness of EU Cohesion Policy and spending; the level of corruption. These issues gain relevance at the light of three main challenges that affected the EU socio-economic development path in the last decade, i.e. the 2008 financial crisis, the globalization process, and Brexit.

Educational attainment is associated with unconditional helping behaviour.

Altruism is a universal human trait, but little is known about its within-population variation. Socio-economic status (SES) has been found to positively impact altruism, but the specific socio-economic variables behind this relationship have remained elusive. This study aimed to determine which facets of SES predict altruism using a lost letter paradigm and a novel lost letter method. Six hundred letters (half dropped on the pavement, half sent to residential addresses) were distributed in 20 suburbs of Perth (Australia) differing in socio-economic variables. Letters distributed in high-SES neighbourhoods were more likely to be returned than letters distributed in low-SES neighbourhoods. Educational attainment and occupation status were the specific socio-economic variables underlying this association, while economic resources and crime rate were not associated with the likelihood of a letter being returned. These results suggest that altruism blossoms in neighbourhoods that are populated with highly educated individuals working in high-status jobs. The relationship between education and prosocial inclinations may be mediated by cognitive ability, self-control and high levels of socialization. Having experienced sustained exposure to norm-abiding models, more educated people may also be better at internalizing cultural norms of helping behaviour, thus creating a more altruistic environment where they reside.

Brand awareness and consumer profile for milk: case of the Tirana market, Albania

Nowadays, it is quite important that business companies understand brand awareness and consumer profile for their products and services. They can take advantage of this information to properly adapt their marketing strategies to the needs of their targeted markets and segments. This research paper aims at measuring brand awareness and consumer profile for different types of milk in Tirana. Through a set of face to face questionnaires, it is revealed that those in charge of purchases in the household are pretty aware of the vast majority of the milk brands available in Tirana market. They also give high evaluation scores to the most known brands. On the other hand, consumers’ profile for different types of milk (UHT vs. pasteurized or fresh) seems to differ based on some specific socio-economic variables of the household and the person in charge of the purchases. The consumers with the highest income and education level are more aware about food safety importance. Such consumers are leaned more towards purchasing UHT milk.

Assessment of banking service quality perception using the SERVPERF model

The purpose of this article is to evaluate the quality of the services provided by the two most important banks that operate in Mexico, using as case study those branches that are located in the four main cities of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec: Ixtepec, Juchitán, Tehuantepec and Salina Cruz. The methodological strategy of this investigation resided in the application of a modified version of the SERVPERF model, one of the most important in this type of studies, which assesses the perception of the clients based on five criteria: reliability, responsiveness, safety, empathy and tangible elements. Strictly speaking, these criteria or dimensions jointly define the quality of the service received. The results found indicate that, in general terms, the assessment of the clients of both banks regarding their services is high, which could be explained by the establishment of very low expectations by the users according to the specific socioeconomic variables. Additionally, significant differences were found regarding the assessment between groups of people according to the different analyzed variables, such as occupation, level of education and age range.

Evaluación de la percepción de la calidad de los servicios bancarios mediante el modelo SERVPERF

The purpose of this paper is to assess the quality of the services provided by two major banks in Mexico. The case study is with reference to the branches located in the four major cities of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec: Ixtepec, Juchitán, Tehuantepec and Salina Cruz. The strategic method adopted for this research was the application of a modified version of the SERVPERF model, one of the most important models in this type of study. The SERVPERF model assesses customers’ perceptions according to five criteria: reliability, responsiveness, security, empathy, and tangible factors. Strictly speaking, these criteria or dimensions combined define the quality of the services. The results indicate that the overall customers’ valuation of both banks with regard to their services is high; these results might respond to very low expectations according to specific socioeconomic variables. Additionally, significant differences in users’ perception among groups of people according to various analyzed variables such as occupation, education, and age ranges were found.

Children’s Cognitive Development in Social Vulnerability: An Interventional Experience

This work presents the information resulting from our studies regarding the effects of socioeconomic status (SES) on executive functions (EF). In the same context, we set out a proposal for cognitive intervention to strengthen cognitive resources in the school setting. We conclude that the differences in the cognitive executive system associated with SES are the consequence of the interaction of specific socioeconomic variables and a cognitive impulsivity, as well as lesser linguistic abilities that act as mediating variables in explaining the lower executive achievement associated with SES. Understanding the possible causal socioeconomic indicators and those mediating cognitive variables enables the design of intervention strategies and planning educational and social policies tending to reduce the impact of poverty on cognitive development.

Spatiotemporal association between deprivation and mortality: trends in France during the nineties

Monitoring the time course of socio-economic inequalities in mortality is a key public health issue. The aim of this study is to analyse this trend at an ecological level, in mainland France, over the 1990s, using a deprivation index enabling time comparisons. Deprivation indexes (FDep) were built using the 1990 and 1999 data and the same methodology. The indices were defined as the first component of a principal component analysis including four specific socio-economic variables. The time course of the association between mortality and deprivation was evaluated on the 'commune' geographic scale (36 000 U in mainland France), without considering spatial autocorrelation and on the larger 'canton' scale (3700 U), considering spatial autocorrelation. The analysis was carried out by gender, age and degree of urbanicity and applied to general mortality and a specific subcategory: 'avoidable' deaths. Area-level socio-economic inequalities in mortality tended to increase during the 1990s. For the period 1997-2001, the standard mortality ratio (SMR) was 24% higher for the communes in the most deprived quintile than for those in the least deprived quintile, while this differential was of 20% for the period 1988-92. This increase in the differentials concerned especially males and people in the age group of <65 years. For both men and women, it was stronger for the 'avoidable' mortality subcategory. As observed at the individual level in previous studies, area-level socio-economic inequalities in health increased during the nineties, while general health improved.

Scenario Modelling in Prospective LCA of Transport Systems. Application of Formative Scenario Analysis (11 pp)

Tools and methods able to cope with uncertainties are essential for improving the credibility of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) as a decision support tool. Previous approaches have focussed predominately upon data quality. and Scope. An epistemological approach is presented conceptualising uncertainties in a comparative, prospective, attributional LCA. This is achieved by considering a set of cornerstone scenarios representing future developments of an entire Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) product system. We illustrate the method using a comparison of future transport systems. Scenario modelling is organized by means of Formative Scenario Analysis (FSA), which provides a set of possible and consistent scenarios of those unit processes of an LCI product system which are time dependent and of environmental importance. Scenarios are combinations of levels of socio-economic or technological impact variables. Two core elements of FSA are applied in LCI scenario modelling. So-called impact matrix analysis is applied to determine the relationship between unit process specific socio-economic variables and technology variables. Consistency Analysis is employed to integrate unit process scenarios, based on pair-wise ratings of the consistency of the levels of socio-economic impact variables of all unit processes. Two software applications are employed which are available from the authors. The study reveals that each possible level or development of a technology variable is best conceived of as the impact of a specific socio-economic (sub-) scenario. This allows for linking possible future technology options within the socio-economic context of the future development of various background processes. In an illustrative case study, the climate change scores and nitrogen dioxide scores per seat kilometre for six technology options of regional rail transport are compared. Similar scores are calculated for a future bus alternative and an average Swiss car. The scenarios are deliberately chosen to maximise diversity. That is, they represent the entire range of future possible developments. Reference data and the unit process structure are taken from the Swiss LCA database 'ecoinvent 2000'. The results reveal that rail transport remains the best option for future regional transport in Switzerland. In all four assessed scenarios, four technology options of future rail transport perform considerably better than regional bus transport and car transport. and Recommendations. The case study demonstrates the general feasibility of the developed approach for attributional prospective LCA. It allows for a focussed and in-depth analysis of the future development of each single unit process, while still accounting for the requirements of the final scenario integration. Due to its high transparency, the procedure supports the validation of LCI results. Furthermore, it is well-suited for incorporation into participatory methods so as to increase their credibility. and Future Work. Thus far, the proposed approach is only applied on a vehicle level not taking into account alterations in demand and use of different transport modes. Future projects will enhance the approach by tackling uncertainties in technology assessment of future transport systems. For instance, environmental interventions involving future maglev technology will be assessed so as to account for induced traffic generated by the introduction of a new transport system.

Mortality due to infectious and parasitic diseases in the elderly in Brazil

To describe the mortality due to infectious and parasitic diseases in persons over 65 years of age in all of Brazil and in individual states and to study the association between that mortality due to these causes and specific socioeconomic variables over the period from 1980 to 1995. Data were obtained from Brazil's national Mortality Information System. Standardized mortality rates were calculated for tuberculosis, Chagas' disease, and sepsis. The relative contribution of these causes of death to overall mortality was also calculated. The study also analyzed the relationship between mortality rates and gender and the following socioeconomic variables: per capita gross domestic product; number of hospital beds per inhabitant; proportion of the total population living in urban areas; number of benefits provided per capita by the social welfare system; number of deaths reported for every 100 hospitalizations; and life expectancy at birth. A normal multiple linear regression model was used for this analysis. There were no significant changes in the proportion of deaths due to infectious and parasitic diseases in the elderly population during the period studied, regardless of sex. However, for both men and women there was a sizeable decrease in the impact of tuberculosis and Chagas' disease, while that of sepsis appeared to increase. According to the results of the ecological analysis, socioeconomic indicators had little power to explain the differences in mortality patterns seen in the different states of the country. Our results suggest that policies to prevent and control infectious and parasitic diseases among the elderly in Brazil have stagnated. Given this situation and the progressive increase in the elderly population, mortality due to infectious and parasitic diseases is not likely to decrease in this age group, at least in the near future.

Wildlife-Based Tourism and Increased Support for Nature Conservation Financially and otherwise: Evidence from Sea Turtle Ecotourism at Mon Repos

The arguments of most conservationists supporting ecotourism have been based on the view that it is environmentally friendly as a resource-use and that receipts from it can counter demands to use the natural resources involved for more extractive economic purposes. But wildlife-based ecotourism can also have positive impacts in itself on the willingness of tourists to pay for wildlife conservation, strengthen the pro-conservation attitudes of tourists, and foster personal actions by them that contribute to wildlife conservation. These aspects are explored in this article on the basis of a survey of tourists visiting Mon Repos Beach near Bundaberg, Queensland, for the purpose of watching marine turtles. The results enable several of the conservation impacts of this experience on tourists to be quantified, and highlight important relationships between specific socio-economic variables and the willingness of tourists to pay for the protection of sea turtles. Furthermore, it is shown that the on-site experiences of ecotourists have positive impacts on the willingness of tourists to pay for the conservation of wildlife, and that willingness to pay is sensitive to whether or not wildlife is seen. It is suggested that in situ ecotourism is likely to be a more powerful force for fostering pro-conservation attitudes and actions among visitors than ex situ wildlife-based tourism in aquaria and zoos.

A GIS–Environmental Justice Analysis of Particulate Air Pollution in Hamilton, Canada

The authors address two research questions: (1) Are populations with lower socioeconomic status, compared with people of higher socioeconomic status, more likely to be exposed to higher levels of particulate air pollution in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada? (2) How sensitive is the association between levels of particulate air pollution and socioeconomic status to specification of exposure estimates or statistical models? Total suspended particulate (TSP) data from the twenty-three monitoring stations in Hamilton (1985–94) were interpolated with a universal kriging procedure to develop an estimate of likely pollution values across the city based on annual geometric means and extreme events. Comparing the highest with the lowest exposure zones, the interpolated surfaces showed more than a twofold increase in TSP concentrations and more than a twentyfold difference in the probability of exposure to extreme events. Exposure estimates were related to socioeconomic and demographic data from census tract areas by using ordinary least squares and simultaneous autoregressive (SAR) models. Control for spatial autocorrelation in the SAR models allowed for tests of how robust specific socioeconomic variables were for predicting pollution exposure. Dwelling values were significantly and negatively associated with pollution exposure, a result robust to the method of statistical analysis. Low income and unemployment were also significant predictors of exposure, although results varied depending on the method of analysis. Relatively minor changes in the statistical models altered the significant variables. This result emphasizes the value of geographical information systems (GIS) and spatial statistical techniques in modelling exposure. The result also shows the importance of taking spatial autocorrelation into account in future justice – health studies.

Changes in Vacation Travel in Response to Motor Fuel Shortages and Higher Prices

This study presents findings from a survey administered in November 1975 among a sample of households in southeastern Wisconsin to determine, among other things, the shifts in travel vacations that occurred in response to the higher fuel prices that developed between 1973 and 1975 and that might occur in response to the alternative futures of still higher fuel prices and restricted fuel availability. Specific socioeconomic variables significantly distinguished between households that changed vacation plans and those that did not make changes between 1973 and 1975. We found that the following variables significantly influenced vacation travel: occupation of the household head, household income, education level of the household head, age of the household head, number of children in the household aged 15 and under, and geographic location of the household. Under futuristic alternatives of either higher prices or restructed fuel availability households were willing to experiment with various vacation adjustment strategies. This indicates a lack of clear preference among households for any one strategy.

Social class influence on female sport involvement

The purpose of this investigation was to analyze specific socioeconomic variables that may influence female participation in various sport types (team, individual, dual, and mixed). The first hypothesis predicted that sport type would be function of socioeconomic status. This hypothesis was verified, since team sport participants tended to come from a lower class background, while individual and dual sport participants had a higher social class status. The second hypothesis examined the relationship between reference group influence (family versus peer) and type of sport participation. No relationship was found between sport type and reference group influence. In addition, no relationship was found when socioeconomic status and type of reference group influence were examined together.