Status Of Settlement Research Articles

The Impact of the Continued U.S. Interest Rate Increase and China's Response— An Analysis Based on the Case of Typical Developing Countries

The Fed's announcement of an increase in the federal funds rate has caused a global trend of interest rate hikes, resulting in the return of the U.S. dollar and global currency depreciation, making it the most important economic phenomenon in 2022. The subject of this paper is to analyze the economic impact of the Fed's interest rate hikes on developing countries, and this paper uses data from government portals in several developing countries to further study the response of each country and to identify possible solutions for developing countries to deal with the problem of interest rate hikes. The study finds that the Fed's interest rate hike has caused capital outflows, exchange rate depreciation, and increased financial risks, which are limited in scale, and the status of international settlement of RMB's currencies still needs to be improved. In order to support the stability and healthy development of China's financial system and currency in light of the current complex international situation, it is important to increase the implementation of prudent monetary policy, maintain independence and autonomy, strengthen macro-prudential regulation, stabilize the RMB exchange rate, and implement proactive fiscal policy.

Addressing Climate Impacts in Alaska Native Tribes: Legal Barriers for Community Relocation due to Thawing Permafrost and Coastal Erosion

Rural communities is Alaska—predominantly Alaska Native Tribes—are at the forefront of climate change impacts and climate justice concerns in the United States. According to the 2019 Alaska statewide threat assessment report, 29 communities are currently experiencing significant climate change-related erosion. Further, 38 communities faces significant flooding, and 35 have major problems with thawing permafrost. Some Alaska Native communities have explored community relocation to adapt to these impacts. Because federal law does not recognize gradual environmental impacts like thawing permafrost and coastal erosion as disasters, these communities are ineligible for disaster funding and struggling with how to adapt to the very urgent—albeit less immediate—issues that they face.This article analyzes the chalenges of Alaska Native Tribes attempting to access federal assistance for community relocation. While some posit that the federal trust responsibility for Tribal Nations might help leverage federal help with community relocation, the status of Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) extinguished almost all claims of aboriginal title and reservations in Alaska. General access to federal disaster funding and programs may be another avenue for assistance; however, the limited definition of "disaster" and overly burdensome requirements for federal programs mean that many Alaska Native communities are left to struggle on their own.In response to these challenges, this article explores possible solutions to help these communities with their relocation efforts. It examines the newly adopted Building Resilient Communities and Infrastructure Program as a potential funding opportunity for community relocation efforts, along with programs focused on climate justice. Finally, the article concludes by proposing the expansion of a state role in helping coordinate federal grant programs on behalf of Alaska Native Tribes and the funding of resilience officers by the federal government at regional Alaska Native organizations to navigate requirements for community relocation grant programs.

Resilience and Circularity: Revisiting the Role of Urban Village in Rural-Urban Migration in Beijing, China

Recent policies in China have encouraged rural-urban circular migration and an “amphibious” and flexible status of settlement, reacting against the recent risks of economic fluctuation in cities. Rural land, as a form of insurance and welfare, can handle random hazards, and the new Land Management Law guarantees that rural migrants who settle in the city can maintain their rights to farmland, homesteads, and a collective income distribution. Existing studies have pointed out that homeland tenure can reduce migrants’ urban settlement intentions (which is a self-reported subjective perception of city life). However, little is known about how the rural-urban circularity and rural tenure system (especially for those still holding hometown lands in the countryside) affect rural migrants’ temporary urban settlements (especially for those preferring to stay in informal communities in the host city). The existing studies on the urban villages in China have focused only on the side of the receiving cities, but have rarely mentioned the other side of this process, focusing on migrants’ rural land tenure issues in their hometowns. This study discusses the rationale of informality (the urban village) and attests to whether, and to what extent, rural migrants’ retention of their hometown lands can affect their tenure security choices (urban village or not) in Chinese metropolises such as Beijing. Binary logistic regression was conducted and the data analysis proved that rural migrants who kept their hometown lands, compared to their land-loss counterparts, were more likely to live in a Beijing urban village. This displays the resilience and circularity of rural-urban migration in China, wherein the rural migrant households demonstrate the “micro-family economy”, maintaining tenure security in their hometown and avoiding the dissipation of their family income in their destination. The Discussion and Conclusions sections of this paper refer to some policy implications related to maintaining the rural-urban dual system, protecting rural migrant land rights, and beefing up the “opportunity structure” (including maintaining the low-rent areas in metropolises such as Beijing) in the 14th Five Year Plan period.

TYPOLOGY OF DYSGRAPHIA ERRORS IN PERFORMING THE WRITING TASK 'PRODUCING YOUR OWN TEXT' BY BILINGUAL PRIMARY-SCHOOL STUDENTS

The article presents the results of a field logopedic study of third- and fourth-grade bilingual students and the research material created by them while carrying out a writing task of producing a text of their own. The aim of the experiment is to analyze the quantitative and qualitative parameters of the dysgraphia errors in bilingual students (ethnic Roma and Turks) at the text level and on this basis to identify their typology and dependence on some linguistic and social factors. For the purposes of the research, a toolkit has been developed that includes groups of methods for the study of the following: the psychosomatic and the academic status, the elementary graphic habits; the phonemic gnosis; writing in different situations; identification and typologization of typographical errors through a criterion system. The results clearly show that the prevailing errors made by the bilinguals are analytic-synthetic. Regarding the other types of errors, significant differences have not been registered. The analysis of the results showed significant differences in terms of gender, ethnicity/language status and type of settlement.

Human dependence on natural resources in rapidly urbanising South African regions

Enhancing the governance of social-ecological systems for more equitable and sustainable development is hindered by inadequate knowledge about how different social groups and communities rely on natural resources. We used openly accessible national survey data to develop a metric of overall dependence on natural resources. These data contain information about households’ sources of water, energy, building materials and food. We used these data in combination with Bayesian learning to model observed patterns of dependence using demographic variables that included: gender of household head, household size, income, house ownership, formality status of settlement, population density, and in-migration rate to the area. We show that a small number of factors—in particular population density and informality of settlements—can explain a significant amount of the observed variation with regards to the use of natural resources. Subsequently, we test the validity of these predictions using alternative, open access data in the eThekwini and Cape Town metropolitan areas of South Africa. We discuss the advantages of using a selection of predictors which could be supplied through remotely sensed and open access data, in terms of opportunities and challenges to produce meaningful results in data-poor areas. With data availability being a common limiting factor in modelling and monitoring exercises, access to inexpensive, up-to-date and free to use data can significantly improve how we monitor progress towards sustainability targets. A small selection of openly accessible demographic variables can predict household’s dependence on local natural resources.

Status of cardiovascular health in the Republic of Serbia: Results from the National Health Survey.

BackgroundCardiovascular diseases (CVD) remain the most significant cause of death in low- and middle-income countries where the burden of CVD continues to rise due to the increasing incidence of CVD. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of ideal cardiovascular health (CVH) across sex and age groups and to analyze associations between demographic and socio-economic variables and ideal CVH metrics in the adult population of the Republic of Serbia.MethodsInformation on demographic (age, sex, marital status, and type of settlement) and socio-economic characteristics (education, and wealth index), and the 7 ideal CVH metrics (smoking, physical activity, healthy diet, BMI, blood pressure, cholesterol, and glucose) was obtained for 13100 respondents aged 20 years and above, from the 2013 National Health Survey in the Republic of Serbia. According to the American Heart Association, the ideal CVH was defined as the simultaneous presence of 7 ideal CVH metrics.ResultsOut of all ideal CVH metrics, the most prevalent components were ideal glucose (92.2%), ideal cholesterol (86.4%) and ideal smoking (63%), while the least prevalent ideal CVH component was ideal healthy diet (2.4%). Only 0.1% had all 7 CVH components at the ideal level. According to the multivariable logistic regression analysis the higher number of ideal CVH metrics was observed in women (OR = 4.46), younger people (OR = 7.12), people living without partner (OR = 1.70), more educated (OR = 2.51 for middle educated and OR = 3.57 for high educated), as well as among the rich (OR = 1.43).ConclusionOur findings of existing age-specific, sex and socio-economic differences in the prevalence and number of ideal CVH metrics should serve for the development of appropriate CVD prevention policies tailored to fit specific needs of both sexes, all age groups and people with different socioeconomic status.

A Study on the Choices of Residences and Stable Settlements of North Korean Defectors

대구·경북에 거주하는 북한이탈주민의 거주지 선택요인과 안정적 정착요인이 무엇인지, 어떤 차이가 있는지 규명하기 위해 북한이탈주민 162명(대구 72명, 경북 90명)을 대상으로 2016.12.1 - 12.31까지 설문조사를 실시한 결과를 바탕으로 거주지 선택과 안정적 정착의 요인분석, 거주지 선택과 안정적 정착에 미치는 영향분석을 실시하였다. 첫째, 거주지역(대도시, 중소도시)과 거주지 선택요인간의 교차분석 결과, 거주지 선택요인에 있어서, 대도시 거주자는 사회·문화적 요인에 더 많은 비중을 두고 있고, 중소도시 거주자는 생계형으로 경제적 요인에 더 많은 비중을 두고 있었다. 둘째, 거주기간(7년 이상, 7년 미만)과 안정적 정착요인과의 교차분석 결과, ‘낮은 물가·전월세’ 변수를 안정적 정착의 가장 중요한 요인으로 응답한 북한이탈주민은 7년 이상(정착) 거주자가 7년 미만(미정착) 거주자에 비해 많고,‘낮은 세금’ 변수의 경우 7년 미만 거주자가 7년 이상 거주자보다 많았다. 셋째, 17개 변수 가운데‘낮은 물가·전월세’라는 변수(경제적 요인)가 거주지 선택에 많은 영향을 미치는 것으로 나타났다. 반면, 안정적 정착에 미치는 영향 변수를 보면, 거주기간 (7년 이상, 7년 미만)을 기준으로 할 때 특히‘편리한 사회복지시설 이용’(정치·정책적 요인)와‘신앙생활’(개인·심리적 요인) 2개 변수가 특히 많은 영향을 미치는 요인으로 나타났음이 특징이다.This study aims at figuring out factors of the choices of residences and stable settlement of North Korean defectors who reside in Daegu and Gyeongbuk. For this, the questionnaire survey was conducted on 162 North Korean defectors(72 people in Daegu and 90 people in Gyeongbuk, respectively) during the period between December 1 and December 31, 2016. Based on the results, the factor analysis of the choices of residences and stable settlements, the analysis of the effects affecting the choices of residences and stable settlements, and the analysis of relations between the choices of residences and stable settlements were made. First, for the analysis of descriptive statistics, figuring out levels of the influences of 17 factors on choices of residences or stable settlements, existence of families, relatives, and acquittances in personal and psychological factors, chances of jobst in economic factors, and better environment in socio-cultural factors were commonly the highest factors while for political and policy factors, convenient transportation in choosing residences and safe security in stable settlements had the highest influences, respectively. Second, among 17 factors, low price and lease fee (economic factor) had huge effects on selecting residences while for factors affecting stable settlements, based on residence period(over 7 years and less than 7 years), especially, two factors of convenient use of social welfare centers (political and policy factor) and religious life (personal and psychological factor) had huge influences. Third, based on satisfaction in stable settlement, three factors, better living environment, educational environments for their children or for themselves (socio-cultural factors) and support and privilege by local governments(political and policy factors) had huge influences, in particular. As 45.2% of North Korean defectors responded that they left North Korea due to lack of food and economic difficulties and considering the questionnaire with these results(Korea Hana Foundation, The Survey of the Current Status of Settlement of North Korean Defectors in 2016), the desire of economic survival is the highest concern for them.

Potensi Kemunculan Kembali Malaria Di Kabupaten Pangandaran

Although at present the number of malaria cases in Pangandaran is low, a time will increase again because malaria is a re-emerging disease. To determine the potential of reemergence of malaria, have done the research by identifying the pattern of disease, the malaria parasite, knowledge, attitudes and behavior as well as the mobilization of the population, and environmental factors and entomology malaria. The collected data were analyzed to determine the potential reemergence of malaria using dynamic analysis system. Identification of the parasitological are showed that all of the blood sample results were all negative Plasmodium spp The results of interviews showed that the state of knowledge in the category malaria mostly not good (64.58%), 28.23% of respondents have a regular ART wander, 11.53% of them never came home ill with malaria. While the environmental status of settlement of respondents relation to malaria transmission mostly (67.99%) is not good. Survey entomologist discovered 1,037 mosquitoes which consists of 8 species of Anopheles spp. Most are An. vagus (67.89%) while the least is An. indefinitus. Based on the methods of arrest, most in catching a rest at home (98.46%) and least is the catch UOD (0.10%). The analysis data had been resulted that highest leverage effect on the reemergence of malaria is the mobilization of the population. So that be advised to monitoring the population migrating to and from endemic areas, especially outside Java through migration survey.

Perancangan Sistem Monitoring Penyelesaian Berkas Pidana Dengan Metode Rule Based Expert Systems dan Teknologi Radio Frequency Identification

The process of criminal cases settlement is based on the regulation of time limit on trial. It is difficult to see the each stage of process because of the number of case files handled. To know the status of settlement, it needs monitoring system of RFID technology built by design to a model of Rule Based Expert Systems. It facilitates the process of data files so it can produce the right, quick and accurate report. The priority of criminal case files is based on the level of completion difficulty while the tracking involves 3 locations: police, public prosecutor and district court. Rule Based Expert System method works following an expert's knowledge in solving a problem. The design that has been made is capable of being implemented and according to the user’s needs. It helps to quickly generate the right information of criminal case settling time process.

Halicarnassus – Salmakis. A pre-Classical sympoliteia?

Summary: The article focuses on the status of the settlement of Salmakis and the Salmakitans mentioned in two Halicarnassian inscriptions: Syll.3 46 and Syll.3 45 respectively. On the basis of some thematic and formal features of Syll.3 45, it is suggested that the status quo mirrored in the inscription is that resulting from a sympoliteia whereby Halicarnassus had absorbed the neighbouring polis of Salmakis. The article closes with some considerations on the possible location of Salmakis.

Evolyutsiya obshchinnogo uklada kolonii Sarepta na protyazhenii xix veka

The article analyzes the social and economic processes that took place in the Sarepta missionary settlement near Tsaritsyn (now Volgograd, Russia) in the 19th century. Those processes eventually led to dramatic changes in the life of Sarepta residents and to the loss of status of missionary settlement. Sarepta was founded in 1765 by the Moravians to fulfill missionary activities among the Kalmyks. Initially the life in Sarepta was based on communal principles. The Sarepta Moravians were organized into groups (choirs) according to their sex, age, and marital status. The choirs lived by strict rules and were supervised by superiors. The Sarepta economy was organized in a similar way with the single ruling centre and communal distribution of the production. In the course of the 19th century the Sarepta community was gradually disorganized under the pressure of a number of factors. The key factor consisted in the development of capitalism. Facing a severe competition from manufacturers of the region, Sarepta had to respond to the needs of time and introduce private entrepreneurship which was more effective but incompatible to the communal economic system. Another destructing factor was the inflow of non-Moravian population into Sarepta caused by the deficit of workforce in the settlement. Those newcomers were free from the restrictions imposed upon Sarepta Moravians by the community authorities. Alongside with the strengthening of their economic position they made more and more insistent claims on the Moravian communal property. Rights-of-ownership conflicts between Sarepta inhabitants and the Directorate of the Moravian church in Germany eventually led to exclusion of Sarepta from the system of Moravian settlements in 1892.

Factors affecting the knowledge of Chuvash language amongst school students in Russia

This paper empirically studies the impact of socioeconomic status and type of settlement on Chuvash language knowledge in the Chuvash Republic, Russia. In addition to presenting our survey results of 2,848 schoolchildren from September, 2012 to October, 2013, this research uses logit regressions to test the effect of social class, family income, parental education, rural origin, ethnicity, parental language proficiency, population size and distance to the capital city (Shupashkar/Cheboksary) on Chuvash language knowledge. In contrast to most of the previous literature, we do not analyze the effect of migration on language; the surveyed schoolchildren were usually born in Chuvashia, Russia. Our findings suggest that socioeconomic status, embodied principally in schoolchildren’s rural origin, has a negative impact on Chuvash knowledge. Schoolchildren living and studying in bigger towns and cities, and near the capital, are less likely to have a good Chuvash knowledge. These results are robust to different indicators of the key explanatory variables and econometric methods.

Impact of language barriers on complications and mortality among immigrants with diabetes: a population-based cohort study.

Our objective was to examine the effect of language barriers on the risk of acute and chronic complications of diabetes and on mortality among immigrants. Linked health and immigration databases were used to identify 87,707 adults with diabetes who immigrated to Ontario, Canada, between 1985 and 2005. These individuals were included in our cohort and stratified by language ability at the time of their immigration application. Primary end points included: one or more emergency department visit or hospitalization for 1) hypo- or hyperglycemia, skin and soft tissue infection, or foot ulcer and 2) a cardiovascular event or death between April 1, 2005, and February 29, 2012. Our cohort was followed up for a median of 6.9 person-years. Immigrants with language barriers were older (mean age, 49 ± 15 vs. 42 ± 13 years; P < 0.001), more likely to have immigrated for family reunification (66% vs. 38%, P < 0.001), had less education (secondary school or less and no education, 82% vs. 53%; P < 0.001), and a higher use of health care (mean visits, 8.6 ± 12.1 vs. 7.8 ± 11.2; P < 0.001). Immigrants with language barriers were not found to have higher adjusted rates of diabetes complications (acute complications: hazard ratio [HR] 0.99, 95% CI 0.93-1.05; cardiovascular events or death: HR 0.95, 95% CI 0.91-0.99). Significant predictors included older age, being unmarried, living in a rural neighborhood, and having less education. Immigrants who were older (≥65 years) and who had arrived through family reunification had a lower risk of cardiovascular events or death (HR 0.88, 95% CI 0.81-0.96). In a heterogenous immigrant population with universal insurance, language barriers were not found to increase the risk of diabetes complications. However, their effect may vary based on age at time of landing, education level, marital status, and neighborhood of settlement.

Fluid experiences: Comparing local adaptations to water inaccessibility in two disadvantaged neighborhoods in Niamey, Niger

Institutional and governance reforms in the urban water sector in Niger have not translated into increased water access for residents in disadvantaged neighborhoods in Niamey. These disadvantaged neighborhoods have little in common besides their inaccessibility to water, and even this experience of lack of water differs greatly between places. This paper takes a small-scale approach to understanding water (in)accessibility, and shows that knowledge of local contexts are imperative for building malleable and sustainable solutions. Approaching water from a neighborhood scale, we show that location, tenure status, and age of settlement are poor predictors of access to piped water, but they continue to guide urban water policies and developments. In the gaps of local accessibility, water vendors provide services that leave room for local geographic and household contexts in ways that normative policy models fail to accommodate.

Response of primary vectors and related diseases to impoundment by the Three Gorges Dam

To investigate the impact of the Three Gorges Dam on the local ecological environment. We conducted a 3-year cross-sectional survey of natural focus infectious diseases in the area before and after the water level rose to 156 m to evaluate the dam's health impacts. Direct and indirect immunofluorescence methods were applied to detect rat antigen and antibody of haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS). Fresh rat kidneys were inoculated in Korth's culture medium to detect Leptospira. A group of captured crabs were ground to observe the metacercariae of Paragonimus. Serum samples were collected from healthy local individuals. ELISA kits were used to detect human antibody against HFRS and paragonimiasis. Human Leptospira infections were detected by a microscopic agglutination test. Upstream rodent density increased significantly with Rattus flavipectus and Apodemus agrarius as the major pathophoric genera. The infection rate of human HFRS and Leptospira in the upstream human population samples was significantly higher than in the downstream samples and correlated with the increase in rodent density. Paragonimus infection rates remained at a low level during the study. Culex pipiens fatigan and Armigeres obturbans were the dominant species of mosquito. The creation of the Three Gorges Dam changed the proliferation of intermediary agents of diseases, but not notably. However, the ecological effects on the environment may require a prolonged period of time to manifest themselves; thus, long-term and effective surveillance of vectors and related diseases needs to be established.

Selected somatic parameters by socio-cultural characteristics of Czech adult population

Results of Czech adult (older than 18 years) population testing are presented. Five somatic parameters were determined: body height (BH), body weight (BW), BMI (BMI), fat tissue percentage (%FAT), and waist hips rate (WHR), which were measured by machine Inbody 720, with some socio-cultural characteristics. Questionnaires were used to examine parameters of individual sport activity, life status, education level and magnitude of settlement. The presented results show negative trends. All observed parameters seem to be more or less mutually connected. The values of watched characteristics (except BH) increase according higher age, both in groups of males and of females, too. Parameter BH shows that secular trend in Czech population continues, when younger generations are taller like olders. Majority of adult Czech population does not practice any sport activity. This prevailing inactivity of the population influenced negatively our watched somatic paramaters. Those individuals who are single or possess good education levels, have better results in all observed parameters. Magnitude of settlement determines only slight differences in these watched parameters. These results are part of The project Creating a research team for the purpose of determining the level of physical activity (inactivity) in selected age groups of the population of men and women in the Czech Republic (CZ.1.07/2.3.00/20.0044) and is financed by the European Social Fund and the state budget of the Czech Republic.

Consensual unions in Serbia: 2011 census results

The rise of cohabitation is one of the most noticeable changes in partnership behavior in the past several decades, present throughout Europe, with great variation of prevalence across countries. Until now, the extent of consensual unions in Serbia has not been known due to the lack of data, except some very scarce information emanated from a very few surveys. The 2011 Census, for the first time, included the question on the de facto marital status. This enables insight into the prevalence of consensual unions, as well as on the characteristics of union members. The paper analyzes frequency of consensual unions, as well as characteristics of persons living in them, according to the sex, age, education, legal marital status, ethnicity, religious affiliation and type of settlement. Most of the consideration has been given to the regional level (NUTS 2). The paper also analyzes families of cohabiting couples with and without children. This is possible because the data for the families of cohabiting couples without children and cohabiting couples with children were shown separately for the first time in the 2011 Census.

Prevalence and determinants of unintended pregnancy among women in Nairobi, Kenya

BackgroundThe prevalence of unintended pregnancy in Kenya continues to be high. The 2003 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey (KDHS) showed that nearly 50% of unmarried women aged 15–19 and 45% of the married women reported their current pregnancies as mistimed or unwanted. The 2008–09 KDHS showed that 43% of married women in Kenya reported their current pregnancies were unintended. Unintended pregnancy is one of the most critical factors contributing to schoolgirl drop out in Kenya. Up to 13,000 Kenyan girls drop out of school every year as a result of unintended pregnancy. Unsafe pregnancy termination contributes immensely to maternal mortality which currently estimated at 488 deaths per 100 000 live births. In Kenya, the determinants of prevalence and determinants of unintended pregnancy among women in diverse social and economic situations, particularly in urban areas, are poorly understood due to lack of data. This paper addresses the prevalence and the determinants of unintended pregnancy among women in slum and non-slum settlements of Nairobi.MethodsThis study used the data that was collected among a random sample of 1262 slum and non-slum women aged 15–49 years in Nairobi. The data was analyzed using simple percentages and logistic regression.ResultsThe study found that 24 percent of all the women had unintended pregnancy. The prevalence of unintended pregnancy was 21 per cent among women in slum settlements compared to 27 per cent among those in non-slum settlements. Marital status, employment status, ethnicity and type of settlement were significantly associated with unintended pregnancy. Logistic analysis results indicate that age, marital status and type of settlement had statistically significantly effects on unintended pregnancy. Young women aged 15–19 were significantly more likely than older women to experience unintended pregnancy. Similarly, unmarried women showed elevated risk for unintended pregnancy than ever-married women. Women in non-slum settlements were significantly more likely to experience unintended pregnancy than their counterparts in slum settlements.The determinants of unintended pregnancy differed between women in each type of settlement. Among slum women, age, parity and marital status each had significant net effect on unintended pregnancy. But for non-slum women, it was marital status and ethnicity that had significant net effects.ConclusionThe study found a high prevalence of unintended pregnancy among the study population and indicated that young and unmarried women, irrespective of their educational attainment and household wealth status, have a higher likelihood of experiencing unintended pregnancy. Except for the results on educational attainments and household wealth, these results compared well with the results reported in the literature.The results indicate the need for effective programs and strategies to increase access to contraceptive services and related education, information and communication among the study population, particularly among the young and unmarried women. Increased access to family planning services is key to reducing unintended pregnancy among the study population. This calls for concerted efforts by all the stakeholders to improve access to family planning services among the study population. Increased access should be accompanied with improvement in the quality of care and availability of information about effective utilization of family planning methods.

Socioeconomic inequalities, health damaging behavior, and self-perceived health in Serbia: a cross-sectional study

AimTo analyze the association of socioeconomic factors with self-perceived health in Serbia and examine whether this association can be partly explained by health behavior variables.MethodsWe used data from the 2007 Living Standards Measurement Study for Serbia. A representative sample of 13 831 persons aged ≥20 years was interviewed. The associations between demographic factors (age, sex, marital status, and type of settlement), socioeconomic factors (education, employment status, and household consumption tertiles), and health behavior variables (smoking, alcohol consumption) and self-perceived health were examined using logistic regression analyses.ResultsA stepwise gradient was found between education and self-perceived health for the total sample, men, and women. Compared to people with high education, people with low education had a 4.5 times higher chance of assessing their health as poor. Unemployed (odds ratio [OR], 1.64; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.29-2.10), inactive (OR, 2.82; 95% CI, 2.49-3.19), and the most deprived respondents (OR, 1.17; 95% CI, 1.02-1.34) were more likely to report poor self-perceived health than employed persons and the most affluent group. After adjustment for demographic and health behavior variables, the magnitudes of all associations decreased but remained clearly and significantly graded.ConclusionsThis study revealed inequalities in self-perceived health by socioeconomic position, in particular educational and employment status. The reduction of such inequalities through wisely tailored interventions that benefit people’s health should be a target of a national health policy in Serbia.

Utility of data from a national health survey: Do socioeconomic inequalities in morbidity exist in Serbia?

The aim of this study was to analyse the impact of demographic and socioeconomic factors on morbidity in Serbia. Additionally, knowing that there is no a gold standard for measuring morbidity we were concerned whether the results of this study depend on the choice of morbidity indicator. Data from the 2006 National Health Survey for Serbia were used. A representative sample of 14,522 persons aged ≥20 years were interviewed. The associations between demographic factors (age, gender, marital status, and type of settlement), socioeconomic indicators (education and wealth index), and health status (morbidity index derived from self-reported data) were examined using linear and logistic regression analyses. Women, elderly people, those who live in urban settings, and those with lower education had higher morbidity regardless of using a morbidity index as a continuous variable (composite index ranging from 0 to 20) or a categorical variable (morbidity status tertiles). Respondents who belong to the most deprived group had higher scores of morbidity index in comparison with the respondents from the most affluent group, but no significant association was found when morbidity status was examined as the outcome. In addition, when those who belong to the middle class group were compared to the most affluent group, they had good more frequently than average morbidity status. This study suggests that demographic and socioeconomic inequalities in morbidity exist in Serbia. Wise and comprehensive health policies and interventions for reducing these inequalities are urgently needed which primarily focus on the most disadvantaged socioeconomic groups.