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Organizational commitment gets significant attention from both scientists and practitioners alike since the 1950s. This interest is evident in the literature in the area of management and organizational behaviour, in an impressive number of studies exploring the nature, antecedents, and outcomes of organizational commitment. The aim of this paper is to contribute to the clarification of the relationship between employees' demographic characteristics and their organizational commitment, since research studies imply mainly inconsistent results about this relationship. The empirical research was carried out in Croatia. The research sample includes 304 employees. A self-developed questionnaire was used for data collection, specifically about gender, age, tenure, education, and marital status. In order to assess organizational commitment, the Organizational Commitment Scale was applied. Research results showed no differences in organizational commitment regarding the employees' gender or marital status, while the differences in employees' organizational commitment exist regarding employees' age, tenure in organization and education. Dwelling into these differences, this paper demonstrates that the level of organizational commitment varies according to different subcategories of each demographic characteristic. In addition, this paper explains the origin and possible reasons of differences in organizational commitment regarding the different subcategories of each demographic characteristic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many indigenous cultures conceptualize health wholistically, whereby physical, mental, spiritual and relational dimensions of health are interconnected. Yet, quantitative approaches to studying Indigenous health remain anchored in western perspectives, that separate the dimensions of health. This paper aims to operationalize a wholistic indicator of health based on the IQI model of Inuit health. Variables from the 2017 Nunavik Health Survey (N = 1196) were selected based on their representativeness of IQI model. Exploratory Latent Class Analysis (LCA) was used to identify wholistic health profiles. Once participants assigned to their health profile, sociodemographic characteristics were compared across profiles, and multinomial regression models were used to examine the relationship between community-level social determinants of health and the profiles. The LCA revealed three health profiles, labelled as "excellent", "good" and "fair" based on the distribution of answers to the indicators. Nunavimmiut in "excellent" and "good" health were more likely to: rate their health positively; be over 30 years old; be in a relationship; and have participated or volunteered in community events. Nunavimmiut in "fair" health tended to report lower levels of community cohesion, family relationships, and emotional support. Intergrating culturally relevant models of health can support improved health status assessments and identify opportunities for health promotion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the older adult population rise globally, technologies to monitoring activities of daily living (ADL) may have a role in supporting aging in place for older adults. The objective of this systematic literature review was to study the scope, diversity and readiness of technologies developed to monitor ADL in older adults. We systematically searched two scientific databases (CINAHL and IEEE), following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. We included studies on technologies used to monitor older adults' ADL in the home but excluded studies focused on communication technologies (phone calls, text messages) or monitoring postures alone. The JBI checklist for case series was used for quality assessment. Extracted details included population characteristics, ADL assessment outcomes, types of monitoring technology, and technology readiness and usability. The search found 147 papers, with 16 papers included in the final analysis. The literature described 48 types of technologies. Of moderate quality studies, five studies used wearables at technology readiness level 4–6 to monitor basic ADL (walking, transfers and walking up stairs) and one used ambient sensors to detect urinary incontinence. Monitoring technologies remain at development stages. More research is needed to strengthen technologies that monitor activities of daily living. Monitoring activities of daily living at home remains focused on using wearables to assess in-home functional mobility to support rehabilitation. Technologies remain a 4–6 readiness level and there is a lack of evidence to recommend in-home monitoring technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper uses Individual Deprivation Measure data from Indonesia and South Africa to demonstrate the effects of coverage bias associated with mobile phone-based sampling and data collection approaches that restrict sampling frames to those who own or have access to a mobile phone – a increasingly common method. Analysis of this data demonstrates substantial differences across multiple living standards indicators and demographic characteristics between those who own a mobile phone, individuals with access to a phone and those who neither own nor access mobile phones. This paper highlights the implications of such sampling approaches, and calls for the explicit consideration of the limitations of inferences that can be drawn from qualitative and quantitative analyses because of these substantive differences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, the author reflects on the paper "Striving against adversity: the dynamics of migration, health and poverty in rural South Africa," by Mark A. Collinson. He relates the aspect of rural-to-urban migration as the most important demographic phenomenon across the developing world. He stresses that Collinson's paper highlights the important issue of what happens to those family members left behind when an adult family member migrates to the city for employment.

This paper primarily aimed at examining the influence households' demographic characteristics on the level of their financial literacy in Tanzania. The paper employs secondary data from the FinScope survey conducted by Financial Sector Deepening Trust (FSDT). To do so, the study employed both bivariate and multivariate analytical techniques. The study, reveals that the adult population exhibits large financial literacy gap- and, therefore, adults should not be considered as a homogenous group- rather gender, age, education and income levels of the households, which are showcased in this study, to also be taken into consideration while designing financial literacy improvement public initiatives. In particular, the study concludes that men are more inclined to have higher levels of financial literacy than women something which limits their financial decisions making ability. It is also concluded that younger households and those with higher income levels are equipped with higher financial literacy levels. Likewise, more educated and employed households tend to have higher levels of financial literacy. It, therefore, follows that programs to foster financial knowledge among households should be targeted at marginalized groups like women, the elderly and those with low incomes and educational attainment. As the main contribution of the research, it is highlighted that this is a pioneer study in the Tanzanian context, by proposing a model that identifies which socioeconomic and demographic factors influence the propensity for a low or high financial literacy level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between urban density and social conditions in urban areas has received increasing attention in recent research. However, there is a lack of understanding of the dynamics between urban densification and these social conditions from a place-specific perspective, taking into account the institutional, socio-cultural, and contextual complexities. This paper seeks to enhance this understanding by unpacking the relationship between soft densification and place attachment in Tehran, Iran. The paper develops a framework for studying 'soft densification' as a process of incremental place change by prioritising local knowledge. The findings suggest that soft densification impacts place attachment by disrupting the everyday functionality of place, eroding its physical characteristics, erasing some of its collective and personal memories, and altering its socio-demographic structure. The paper highlights the importance of thinking 'procedurally' and 'topologically' about urban densification and calls for incorporating local knowledge and experiences into policy planning and urban decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fun and social affiliation are good predictors of long-term intention to use game-based interventions including those for motivating physical activity, yet current player matching algorithms are poor at facilitating social connectedness. In this paper, we report on the results of a study investigating how different player traits are associated with interest in social features of an exercise game for improving player experience through better player matching using common and complementary characteristics. Twelve conceptual scenarios were illustrated using storyboards and data was collected from 196 respondents who rated their attitudes and preferences towards gamification elements. Correlational results showed that all scenarios, except for cutting corners, were perceived as persuasive, enjoyable, engaging and are likely to increase future exercise intention for players who score high on Philanthropist- and Socialiser-oriented traits. Results also showed that many players favour the altruistic donation feature. Furthermore, qualitative results underscore that it is the player's partner that matters more than the players' personalities. We conclude with practical recommendations for designing more personalised exercise games that can include more socially engaging game mechanics in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Countries around the world are working to develop social protection floors to help reduce poverty. Ensuring workers can earn adequate wages is an important component of social protection floors. In this paper, we explore who receives minimum, poverty, median, and living wages in Jordan, comparing 2010 and 2016, and in Tunisia in 2014. We demonstrate that while the majority of workers do earn at least minimum and poverty wages, only a minority of workers earn a living wage. The chances of earning minimum, poverty, median, and living wages depend on the characteristics of workplaces, specific work characteristics (especially job formality and skills required), and the demographic characteristics of workers. While results are consistent with wages reflecting, in part, workers' productivity, they may also reflect rents, efficiency wages, and for minimum wages issues with enforceability and policy design. These findings highlight which workers are vulnerable to low earnings and where greater enforcement or redesign of minimum wage legislation might be needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the computational burden, especially in high-dimensional settings, sequential imputation may not be practical. In this paper, we adopt computationally advantageous methods by sampling the missing data from their perspective predictive distributions, which leads to significantly improved computation time in the class of variable-by-variable imputation algorithms. We assess the computational performance in a comprehensive simulation study. We then compare and contrast the performance of our algorithm with commonly used alternatives. The results show that our method has a significant advantage over the commonly used alternatives with respect to computational efficiency and inferential quality. Finally, we demonstrate our methods in a substantive problem aimed at investigating the effects of area-level behavioral, socioeconomic, and demographic characteristics on poor birth outcomes in New York State among singleton births. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organizations play an essential role in solving community problems and social media facilitates their efforts. This paper illustrates an approach to using the social media data of organizations to observe community-level social capital unobtrusively by comparing communities that differ by racial composition and poverty. Data from the IRS, US Census Bureau, and social media platforms revealed that most nonprofit organizations in a mid-sized city in the South have a social media presence, with Facebook substantially more prevalent than Instagram or Twitter. Disparities based on community poverty and race emerged. Exceptions and implications for practice and future research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A rural–urban poverty gap exists in most countries around the world, and this paper employs a novel approach to explain this difference, using logistic regression to examine the effects of rural–urban residence type, individual socio-economic and demographic characteristics, and changes in government policies on the likelihood of being poor in England. Unusually, rural areas in England have lower poverty rates than urban areas, so the direction of the typical rural–urban poverty gap is reversed, but the method employed here would be applicable in either direction. We disaggregate micro-data from the Understanding Society Survey (USS) into three residence types (predominantly rural; significantly rural and predominantly urban), and combine these USS data with information on changes in councils' spending power, in service spending and in per capita income lost from cuts to welfare benefits since 2010. The results demonstrate that rural residence provides a buffer against poverty in England, a so-called 'rural advantage effect', but this is reduced or becomes non-significant after controlling for individual socio-economic and demographic characteristics and changes in government policies. Furthermore, working-age poverty has increased more rapidly in rural areas than urban between 2010 and 2018. Our analysis also reveals how national policies have differential spatial impacts on local populations according to their diverse characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The last 10 years have seen a surge of interest in loneliness and interventions to reduce it. However, there is little evidence regarding differential treatment effectiveness and predictors of treatment outcome. This paper aimed to investigate possible predictors of treatment response. We analysed data from two clinical trials of an evidence-based loneliness intervention: Groups 4 Health (G4H). Study 1 had 163 observations across two timepoints, n = 94; Study 2 had 297 observations across four timepoints; n = 84. Theorised predictors—symptom severity at baseline, program engagement, and demographic characteristics—were assessed for their effect on the primary outcome: loneliness. Across both trials, participants with more severe baseline loneliness or social anxiety, or who attended more sessions, experienced greater improvement in loneliness. In Study 2, those with diagnosed mental illness or more severe baseline depression also tended to have better outcomes. There was no evidence that age, gender, or ethnicity predicted program efficacy. Overall, those with greater need—reflected in either severity of loneliness or psychological distress—tended to show greater improvement over time. This was due, in part, to greater engagement with the program among those who were lonelier. We discuss how loneliness interventions can be deployed most effectively to combat this profound public health challenge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Big data analytics, an emerging and most useful technology in the field of data analysis dealing with huge quantity of data, is used in this paper for exploring the domain and the repercussions of climate change with its adverse effects on health. Humans have failed until now to prevent the generation of greenhouse gases in the stratosphere which does not allow us to prevent health impacts that climate change is likely to direct upon humans and cause of global warming. Mining of climate, temperature, global health and death dataset, helps in visualization of data and the clear analysis of the problem. Technologies, related to the Big Data field, have been applied for analyzing and drawing correlations among radical features which are causing climate change. The first is the use of pollution datasets in different cities of the United States. The second technology used is Global temperature analysis with the help of datasets of different chronological timelines and the third is NCHS Leading causes of deaths in the United states using demographic and medical characteristics, Decision tree modeling using ML LIB is one of the key features in proper analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Occupational fatality rates are useful in communicating key safety challenges associated with different industries or affecting different populations within those industries. Though seemingly intuitive, the calculation and use of fatality rates associated with farming needs to be carefully considered. This paper highlights difficulties and variability in Farm Fatality Rate (FFR) measures, proposes a series of rates appropriate for assessments of farm safety, and demonstrates their usage through an analysis of farm workplace deaths in Ireland between 2008 and 2016. Six FFRs are calculated including: the Farm Household Rate (FHR); Farm Operator Rate (FOR); Family Worker Rate (FWR), Worker Rate (WR), Seasonal Fatality Rate (SFR) and, Enterprise Fatality Rate (EFR). To assess trends over time we calculate the rate using appropriate numerators and denominators in three sub-periods. FFRs vary considerably depending on which numerator and denominator are deployed. Over the period, the FHR, FOR, and FWR increased due to growth in the number of fatalities and a slight decrease in the denominator populations. The WR has declined substantially over the full period. The QFR increased substantially for Q2–Q4 whilst the EFR highlights workers on dairy or beef enterprises being particularly at risk. The characteristics of farm workforces present many challenges to the calculation of occupational fatality rates. We propose six alternatives that provide insights into the risks faced by farm households, farm operators, farm workers, seasonally and by type of farm enterprise. We recommend that, regardless of the rate used, the limitations associated with all fatality rates are clearly explained, particularly when engaging with media and occupational health and safety stakeholders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to investigate how learning style affects the performance of the ‘working’ customer in one self-service context – retail Self Check-Out Tills (SCOT). For the purposes of this paper, we have adopted the UK term Self Check-Out Tills (SCOT), also known as ‘self-service registers’ in other countries, to describe this form of self-service in retail stores). The study uses qualitative and quantitative data collected from users of retail SCOT. Initial exploratory factor analysis of 232 SCOT users revealed significant differences in learning styles. Three categories emerged: ‘regular reassurance’, ‘motivated practice’ and ‘cautious discovery’. Customers adopting different learning styles varied in their perceptions of ability and enjoyment with SCOT, and in their capability of helping other customers with SCOT. The demographic make-up of customers adopting the different learning styles was also shown to vary. Previously, little has been done to identify the specific training needs of working customers. This research begins to address this knowledge gap. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Autonomous vehicles (AVs) have the potential to offer a large number of benefits such as reducing the energy consumed and reducing the anxiety of the drivers. On the other side, the degree to which AVs will be adopted mainly depends on the public attitude and acceptance of this emerging technology. Over the last few years, AVs got involved in multiple accidents with different levels of severity. These accidents were widely covered in the media, creating a debate about the safety of this technology and discouraging people from adopting this new technology even if it offers a safer environment. In this study, a questionnaire survey was conducted to understand the impact of accidents involving AVs on the public perception of this technology for respondents with different demographic characteristics (age, gender, education, income, and prior knowledge about AVs). The results show the most negative shift in the attitude occurs for respondents who are older, female, and have no prior knowledge about AVs or their incidents. Additionally, the results shed light on the importance of educating the public about AVs in order to guarantee the highest level of acceptance. Finally, the findings of this paper can help AVs developer, policymakers, and transport planning agencies in understating the public attitude after accidents in order to react properly to avoid discouraging people from adopting AVs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines trends of internal migration in China across two decades, with a focus on changes in socio-demographic predictors of origin-destination patterns. We use four microdata samples of the China decennial census and minicensus. After introducing a description of overall internal migration trends and providing a discussion of the utility of the urban hierarchy framework, we proceed with a two-step statistical approach. We look first descriptively at interprovincial bilateral migration flows. We then turn to a multivariate analysis of outmigration and destination selection as a function of age, sex, educational attainment and hukou status. Our results reveal the differential attractiveness of origins (for retention) and destinations by demographic characteristics and position within the urban hierarchy, and also indicate shifts in the strength of predictors over time. Greater educational attainment and urban hukou strongly favour the selection of a destination within the top levels of the urban hierarchy. Over time, selectivity by gender weakens. Although urban hukou and schooling become slightly less powerful predictors of interprovincial migration, attractiveness of top-tier destinations increases once individual demographic characteristics are controlled. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some accounts focus on the role of governmental systems in the management of the 2020-22 Coronavirus/Covid-19 pandemic. But studies with such an emphasis have typically taken second place to interpretations of outcomes in terms of cases and deaths based on cultural and demographic differences. In theory, federal systems would seem to have certain advantages in managing pandemics given the presumed ability to co-manage national challenges at the federal level (testing, vaccines, resources, etc.) with local differences in demography and behaviour at the state level. This paper argues that, in the case of the United States, its federal system was central to its failure in managing the pandemic. But rather than an indictment of federalism broadly construed, this was the result of a vision of federalism put into practice since the 1980s reflecting a strict division of powers between the states and the federal government. Rather than partners or collaborators with the federal government, the states became competitors with one another and with the federal government. This was the recipe for failure more than was federalism as such. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The Automated Neuropsychological Assessment Metrics (ANAM) has long been used to assess cognition in military samples before deployment and following injury. The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of various demographic factors on the ANAM4 Military Expanded (ANAM4 ME) performance of Special Operations Forces (SOF) and to provide regression-based normative data for clinicians working with SOF personnel. Method: The sample was a large active duty military sample of SOF and support personnel (n = 24,072) who were tested under a new baseline policy. Results: Performance differences based on demographic variables were generally small. In general, increasing age was associated with significantly worse performance, except on mathematical processing. Higher education level was associated with better performance on most subtests, as expected, but was associated with worse performance on spatial processing. Conclusion: This paper provides regression formulas for calculating adjusted scores based on the most relevant demographic variables, as well as base rates of obtaining one or more clearly above or below average scores across the entire ANAM4 ME battery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For years now, the Indian healthcare system has been viewed through the lens of heteronormativity, sidelining sexual and gender minorities. Despite the lack of established data, an estimated 45.4 million people in India belong to the LGBTQ community and these individuals face increased risk of various physical and mental health disorders. Given the rapidly changing sexual demographic of the country, along with the changes of legislation and other factors that mold it, this paper systemically reviews LGBTQ individuals vulnerabilities toward various communicable and non-communicable diseases along with the lacunae in the primary healthcare system and the need for their inclusion in it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent votes for populist parties and policies have been a focus for an increasingly significant body of academic research. In the UK this has particularly focused research on the drivers of the vote to leave the European Union (Brexit) in 2016. In spite of a growing body of work on the subject, the literature investigating the applicability of spatial econometric methods is surprisingly thin. This paper applies such methods to hitherto unused data for the West Midlands region, where we have an unusually rich set of small-area results. The work finds substantial spatial autocorrelation even after demographic differences are accounted for. Whilst focusing on a particular region, the rise of populism globally gives these findings a wider salience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

‘Ethnicity’ and disparate group-based socio-economic development make governance in Africa problematic. This paper explores them through a lens - objectively, subjectively or a combination thereof - to understand governance patterns in Africa, with special reference to Kenya and its Luo community. Whilst demonstrating the argument that negative ‘ethnicity’ owes its existence largely to colonialism, we contend that the phenomenon particularly thrives under capitalist dispensations. We employ a historical narrative to explain the marginalization of the Luo of Kenya. We argue that politically constructed stereotypes and prejudices, associated with the Luo, can be traced to the colonial era. We find that a new form of authoritarianism is emerging in Kenya under the Jubilee Administration that negates the new constitution and threatens the fragile peace in the country. Accordingly, the paper concludes that with the view to combat ethnic strife and violence, purposeful, meaningful efforts should be made, to acknowledge the democratic rights of the Luo, and other politically marginalized communities, in all sectors of the Kenyan society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New mobility transport systems are expected to be autonomously driven. Even if public interest and a priori acceptability of such systems are high, there is only a few studies with people that already experienced an automated mobility system. This paper presents the results of a questionnaire study after experience the automated vehicle in the Tornado project. 155 users tested the vehicle in an itinerary of 6.5 km with an average speed of 25 km/h and a maximum speed of 50 km/h including straight stretches, intersections, traffic lights, roundabouts, narrow roads and a tunnel. Questionnaire content is based on some of the determinants of the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) and car technology acceptance models (CTAM) together with an additional determinant introduced to analyze if vehicle performance seems natural. Usefulness, safety and enjoyment of automated vehicles already claimed in other projects are here confirmed even if speed is increased compared to previous projects. The increase in the maximum speed is not directly associated to a reduction on the safety feeling on-board. Answers have also been correlated to demographic characteristics of respondents, confirming some findings in the literature, and adding new ones related to previous autonomous vehicle experience and education level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a world in which Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) are increasingly being installed on highways, the proper calibration of ITS algorithms is emerging as an essential component of such systems. The key to calibration is profound and correct understanding of reactions by drivers to ITS interventions. Speed compliance is a special kind of driver behavior, highly related to resultant road safety. This paper, using data gathered from a representative sample of 39 research participants in a dynamic driving simulator experiment in the Czech Republic, presents an approach for modeling driver speed compliance based on socio-demographic characteristics. In this approach, logistic regression model was applied to understand the factors influencing driver speed compliance. The results of this study support the goal of establishing optimal speed limits for drivers on Variable Message Signs on the Prague Ring Road by addressing issues related to driver speed compliance. These findings provide the basis for policy development aimed at ensuring the consistent and practical design of Variable Speed Limit systems on Czech highways and beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rock music is an integral part of American culture. This paper presents a study of sensing and analysing over 57,000 rock music live performances between 2007 and 2017. Spatial traces of 575 rock music artists performing in concerts nationwide were collected from a major music streaming platform Spotify. Location-based concert data were analysed to explore economic and geographic factors linked to the landscape of rock music live performance and to reveal the importance of population demographics and leisure and hospitality (LH) economics to the culture and music industries from a spatial aspect. Over 90% of rock concerts between 2007 and 2017 were found in 250 counties. The aim of the study is to specify and develop a model that reasonably accounts for spatial heterogeneity present in the concert data. By regressing rock concert data against demographic data and LH establishment data, ordinary least squares (OLS) models were better fitted in metropolitan counties than non-metropolitan counties. Spatial dynamics of concerts were revealed by local R2 values and the obtained structure in the form of spatial heterogeneity was then explained using geographically weighted regression (GWR) models. High population density and LH services in industry-leading cities such as New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago and Houston exhibit advantages in explaining rock concert distributions. Findings from the models reflect the live music industry's interrelationships to the LH industry and suggest LH services being essential considerations in selecting concert destinations for rock musicians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Indonesia has the third largest population of smokers in the world, however, little is known about the use of chewing tobacco/betel quid in Indonesia. This paper describes the characteristics of chewing tobacco/betel quid users in Indonesia, to understand the user population and inform future research. Methods: The 2011 Indonesia GATS included 8,176 adults ages 15 and older. These data are weighted to be nationally representative. Weighted descriptive statistics and multivariate logistic regression were run using SAS 9.4. Results: Estimated national prevalence for exclusive chewing tobacco/betel quid use was 0.9%, for exclusive smoked tobacco use was 33.9% and for dual use was 0.8%. Multivariate logistic regression analyses showed that exclusive chewing tobacco/betel quid users were significantly more likely to be female, and to be older adults (45-64); while smokers are more likely to be male and younger (25-44). Conclusions/Importance: These results provide information on the different characteristics of users by product type, and show that users' demographics vary by their product of choice. This study helps to inform researchers and practitioners of the burden of chewing tobacco/betel quid use in Indonesia. These data, especially specific data on chewing tobacco/betel quid use patterns, are limited in this context, and this knowledge can help to identify populations who need quit tobacco interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2006, public schools in Kyrgyzstan introduced free meals for all primary school children as a nutrition and poverty measure. This paper attempts to assess how participation in the free meals programme affected the school attendance of primary and secondary school students. The analysis of demographic differences in schooling across income groups and the investigation of the effects of free meals on school attendance is performed using annual panel data from the Life in Kyrgyzstan survey from 2010 to 2013. The sample includes around 3,200 school students that were in Grades 1 and 9 the previous academic year. School attendance is measured in terms of number of weeks missed from school during the last academic year, reported by students' parents. Results from panel regression models show that students participating in the programme have lower odds and lower rates of missing school in later years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using data from a questionnaire survey of residents in 15 sub-provincial cities and 4 provincial-level municipalities in China, this paper presents an analysis of the political communication efficiency of the government annual report (GAR). The study had three findings. First, GARs' relevance, reliability, and clarity impacted its communication efficiency; but, some demographic characteristics like gender, profession, age, and education, also had effects on efficiency. Second, political embeddedness and psychological distance also affected GARs' communication efficiency; for example, public servants and regular viewers of CCTV news had higher awareness of GARs. Finally, accessibility was a factor of policy communication efficiency for GARs. Through a combination of using the indirect channels found in the private sector, and further developing its own direct channels like government websites, China's governments can greatly improve their efficiency of policy communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large housing estates (LHEs) in eastern Germany are often stigmatised in media and public discourses. They are considered symbols of the state-socialist era. Furthermore, LHEs are usually presented as monotonous entities without inner variation, including in scientific literature. This poses the risk of a general and thoughtless stigmatisation of these estates. This paper focuses on the concept of territorial stigmatisation. Although stigmatised from the outside, in many cases the internal image contrasts with the external one. Previous literature indicates four main aspects that need more attention in scientific studies on LHEs and territorial stigmatisation: (1) a longterm perspective including the area's historical development, (2) the analysis and evaluation of micro-scale data independent of common statistical boundaries, (3) the residents' perceptions of their living environment, and (4) a more critical reflection in the academic discourse about one's own role as a knowledge producer. By using the Leipzig-Grünau LHE as an example, we explore, first, how the internal image has changed over time, and second, whether micro-scale differences within the estate can be identified. We draw on findings of a long-term study investigating the development of the Leipzig-Grünau LHE since 1979. The results illustrate that the respective historical context has had a major influence on image generation over time. Furthermore, a micro-scale analysis reveals that even subspaces in immediate proximity differ with regard to socio-demographic characteristics, the housing and neighbourhood conditions and ownership. In particular, the residents perceive their living environment in a more nuanced way, which influences their image of the estate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most developing nations are facing rapid population aging with limited economic and social resources. In Ghana, a National Aging Policy (NAP) was promulgated by the government in 2010 to ensure the well-being of older adults. Since its passage, the NAP has yet to be funded and implemented. In this paper we synthesize key information on policies and programs targeted at older adults in Ghana and identify the challenges that are adversely impacting their welfare, including the non-implementation of the National Aging Policy. To give the NAP needed attention and promote its implementation, a national coordinating body exclusively devoted to older adults is an essential first step. Critical next steps are offered to promote the effective implementation of the NAP and ensure the well-being of older adults in Ghana. With its current foundation of support programs for older adults, Ghana has the opportunity to be the lead nation in Sub-Saharan Africa to establish a national level office dedicated to promoting older adults' well-being and including them in the nation's development efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This editorial introduces a set of papers on differential embodiment in spatial tasks. According to the theoretical notion of embodied cognition, our experiences of acting in the world, and the constraints of our sensory and motor systems, strongly shape our cognitive functions. In the current set of papers, the authors were asked to particularly consider idiosyncratic or differential embodied cognition in the context of spatial tasks and processes. In each contribution, differential embodiment is considered from one of two complementary perspectives: either by considering unusual individuals, who have atypical bodies or uncommon experiences of interacting with the world; or by exploring individual differences in the general population that reflect the naturally occurring variability in embodied processes. Our editorial summarizes the contributions to this special issue and discusses the insights they offer. We conclude from this collection of papers that exploring differences in the recruitment and involvement of embodied processes can be highly informative, and can add an extra dimension to our understanding of spatial cognitive functions. Taking a broader perspective, it can also shed light on important theoretical and empirical questions concerning the nature of embodied cognition per se. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper applies a demographic characteristics perspective to understand the internal contingencies of the relationship between university-industry collaboration (UIC) motivation (commercialisation, learning, accessing the resources, and teaching) and UIC performance (number of publications, number of patents, commercial products, and number of business cooperation cases). The paper focuses on two aspects of demographic characteristics, age and gender among UIC scholars, and their effect on scholars' UIC motivation as potential enhancements to improve UIC performance. We collected data from 376 scholars with UIC experience in Taiwan, and the proposed hypotheses were empirically tested. Our results extend the literature by showing that specific categories of UIC performance depend on a scholar's specific type of UIC motivation. We also specify the moderating effect of demographic characteristics on the relationship between specific subconstructs of UIC motivation and UIC performance. The study's implications and future research directions are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reviews the concept of the family life cycle in light of demographic patterns and social trends in the United Kingdom and assesses the usefulness and limitations of three different structures from US literature for marketing management on this side of the Atlantic. It is the first attempt to relate some of the classifications used in the business literature to British demographic statistics. Trends in marriage, birth, divorce, death and female employment are examined to show how the structure of the family life cycle is altering. The implications of these changes for using the family life cycle in consumer research and market segementation analysis are considered and a revised family life cycle structure is proposed which increases coverage of the UK population to over 80% of households compared to the average 70% coverage offered by the other schemes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The social class attainment gap in education is now attracting an increased level of concern. Despite the efforts of the British New Labour government to address the continuing underachievement of working class pupils in England, there has been little progress. This paper reports on one aspect of a wider research study carried out in an Initial Teacher Education department in which this persistent educational problem was explicitly addressed. In this study student teachers were prompted to explore their own understandings of social class and underachievement by acting as school-based researchers. The data collected by the student teachers revealed both silence and resistance surrounding social class in educational contexts. They identified social class and underachievement as overlapping constructions that were inextricably linked to the perceptions and practices of the teacher. Importantly, in reflecting on their experiences of the research process the student teachers were able to identify significant implications for their own future professional practice. This paper concludes by emphasising that Initial Teacher Education (ITE) provides an important context in which to raise social class issues and to ensure that student teachers are effectively prepared to recognise and address the institutional barriers to learning faced by underachieving working class pupils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the physical and mental health of people everywhere. The aim of the study is to understand how people living in 15 countries around the globe experience an unexpected crisis which threatens their health and that of loved ones, and how they make meaning of this disruption in their narratives. Data were collected through an anonymous online survey during May–September 2020, which was during or just after the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, depending on the country. The questionnaire included demographic and three open-ended questions as prompts for stories about experiences during the initial months of the pandemic. The text was analyzed through inductive thematic content analysis and quantified for full sample description, demographic and subsequently international comparisons. The final qualitative dataset included stories from n = 1685 respondents. The sample was 73.6% women and 26.4% men. The mean age of participants was 39.55 years (SD = 14.71). The identified four groups of overarching themes were: The presence and absence of others; Rediscovering oneself; The meaning of daily life; Rethinking societal and environmental values. We discuss the prevalence of each theme for the sample as a whole and differences by demographic groups. The most prevalent theme referred to disruptions in interpersonal contacts, made meaningful by the increased appreciation of the value of relationships, present in (45.6%) of stories. It was more prevalent in the stories of women compared to men (χ² = 24.88, p =.001). The paper provides a detailed overview of the methodology, the main themes identified inductively in the stories and differences according to select demographic variables. We identify several major ways of making meaning of the pandemic. The pandemic has impacted many aspects of people's lives which give it meaning, no matter where they live. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides an analysis of characteristics of Police Justifiable Homicide (PJH) events with female victims, including a comparison with a sample of male victims of PJH. Cases were identified using the FBI's Supplemental Homicide Report, and include all-female justifiable homicide victims for a 7-year period (2007-2013), along with a random sample of male victim events in the same period. Additional qualitative information was assembled from newspaper articles related to these cases. In addition to basic demographic characteristics, the following are also examined: the incidence of injury or death of other people (including law enforcement officers) in these events, the type of weapon which was used by the PJH victim, the evidence of mental illness or suicidal behaviors in the victim, and the role of domestic violence in the justifiable homicide event. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Second generation direct acting antivirals (DAAs) drastically changed the landscape of chronic HCV (CHCV). Aim of this paper was to assess the effectiveness of DAAs, also looking at the demographic characteristics of subjects enrolled. Ambispective multi-center real-life study conducted among patients with CHCV treated with DAAs in Campania Region (Southern Italy). Patient were enrolled in two cohorts according to time of enrolment. 1,479 patients were enrolled. Patients aged ≥60 years were 74.7% in the historic cohort (953 patients) and 70.2% in the prospective cohort (526 patients. Patients aged ≥ 60 years showed a higher prevalence of genotype 1b (p<0.001) and 2 (p<0.001), while patients aged < 60 years showed a higher prevalence of genotype 1a (p<0.001), 3 (p<0.001) and 4 (p<0.05). SVR12 was 98.5% in both cohorts. SVR12 was similar among patients of the prospective cohort aged < and ≥ 60 years (99.4% vs 98.1%). SVR12 among patients with and without cirrhosis was 96.0% and 98.9%, respectively. DAAs provide high efficacy also in harder to treat patients. The effectiveness of DAAs is leading to a shift in patients characteristics with a greater prevalence of younger subjects and persons with mild liver disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although a substantial body of literature exists that details how to address ethical issues and provide oversight for traditional research study designs, there currently is very little guidance available to researchers on how to deal with the unique and novel challenges that arise when conducting research that goes outside of these well-defined boundaries. One such example is North--South (N-S) team-based global population health (GPH) research. This paper presents a Network of Ethical Relationships (NER) model which can allow GPH researchers better understand and resolve ethical issues that arise in N-S collaborative research efforts. The NER model elucidates some of the core relationships involved in GPH research and sheds light on the complex milieu of moral, institutional, societal and legal processes in which it is embedded. The utility of the NER model is examined by reviewing 14 GPH research teams, looking at two relationships in more detail -- Researcher--Ethics Board, and Researcher--Funder relationships. The paper argues that improved dialogue and flexibility in the application of formal ethical rules and procedures can lead to research being conducted in a more ethical manner since it better accounts for the multitude of voices and perspectives influencing researchers' choices and actions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Persecution and Deservedness Scale (PaDS) is a measure widely used to assess persecutory thinking. This paper aims to test the psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the Short-Form Persecution and Deservedness Scale (SF-PaDS), factor structure, and distribution scores across demographic characteristics. For this purpose, a representative sample of Spaniards (N = 1,947) was used. The internal consistency of the scale was good (α =.84) and it showed adequate convergent validity, with significant moderate correlations with loneliness, depression and anxiety, and mild significant correlations with mistrust of others. The confirmatory factor analysis and the parallel analysis revealed a unifactorial structure. Analyses showed no significant differences across gender or educational level, but there were significant differences regarding age, history of mental health difficulties, income and employment status. Thus, our results indicate that the Spanish version of the SF-PaDS is a valid and reliable measure of persecutory thinking within the Spanish context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper contributes to research on neighborhood effects and knowledge about the conditions associated with community-level patterns of police behavior by examining whether levels of violence, racial and ethnic composition, and socioeconomic disadvantage are associated with officer-involved shootings in Houston, TX. In addition, drawing from the ecological theory of policing, this study explores whether spatial heterogeneity exists in the observed relationships. Poisson regression models reveal that community violence and neighborhood racial and ethnic context are meaningful indicators of on-duty officer-involved shootings. Socioeconomic disadvantage did not emerge as a significant variable in the models estimated. Results from Geographically Weighted Poisson Regression (GWPR) models indicate statistically significant spatial variation in the effects for all the key community factors. The findings highlight the importance of local context for developing a greater understanding of police violence across the urban landscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this paper is to describe the attitudes and opinions of Europeans on speeding and compare them amongst countries and based on demographic characteristics as well as to provide a number of recommendations to be used in the effort to reduce speeding and improve road safety. The analysed data were collected within the E-Survey of Road Users' Attitudes (ESRA) project, a joint initiative of research organisations in 17 European countries aiming at collecting comparable (inter)national data on road users' opinions, attitudes, and behaviour with respect to road traffic risks. Data from more than 17,000 road users were collected. The speeding aspects analysed concern acceptability of unsafe traffic behaviour related to speeding, self-declared behaviour in traffic, attitudes towards unsafe traffic behaviour, support for road safety policy measures, and reported police cheques and perceived likelihood of getting caught for speeding. All reported attitudes depend on participants' gender and age. The majority of people who accept driving over the speed limit do not believe that speed limits are set at acceptable levels. The ESRA results are also compared to those of previous similar studies. Finally, key recommendations concerning speeding were formulated, addressed to stakeholders at three different levels, namely, European-level, national/regional level, and particular stakeholders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to identify demographic differences in U.S. adults' value of sustainably produced foods and explore how marketing influences self-reported purchasing behavior. A secondary data analysis of questions from the 2017 International Food Information Council's Food and Health Survey was conducted. Descriptive statistics, one-way ANOVAs, and Tukey's Multiple Means Test were used to identify and compare differences in demographic groups. On average, people of color, persons with less education, and low-income earners valued sustainable food more than their peers. While some participants reported purchasing foods or beverages advertising sustainability, marketing did not influence restaurant choice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whether we like it or not, algorithmic decision-making systems (ADMSs) are all around us. These systems assist both public institutions and private organizations in making decisions that exert a significant impact on our lives. The widespread use of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) systems and the potential risks of using them are the subjects of intensive, ongoing research. It is imperative to ensure their fairness and transparency. The understanding that ADMSs should be subject to human supervision and examined for laypeople's perceived fairness is clear. Laypeople's perceptions regarding ADMSs' fairness, their understanding of the reasons underlying the systems' outcome (decision), and their comprehension of the linkage between the explanations and the results, influence their willingness to trust the systems, use them and accept their decisions. To determine and better understand which factors affect laypeople's perceptions of the fairness of algorithmic decisions, we conducted an online between-subject experiment, employing a case study of a simulated AI-based recruitment decision-support system. We focused on three aspects: system characteristics (SC), personality characteristics (PC), and demographic characteristics (DC). We conducted an in-depth analysis to determine which explanation increases the perceived fairness the most. Based on the results, we suggest a framework for predicting a layperson's perception of the fairness of the explanations. Our findings may help in understanding how to involve humans in the development and evaluation process of ADMSs, how to create personalized explanations based on the SC as well as on users' PC and DC, and, consequently, how to enhance laypeople's fairness perceptions regarding ADMSs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper considers the pupil intakes to Academies in England, and their attainment, based on a re-analysis of figures from the Annual Schools Census 1989–2012, the Department for Education School Performance Tables 2004–2012 and the National Pupil Database. It looks at the national picture, and the situation for Local Education Authorities, and also examines in more detail the trajectories of the three original Academies. It confirms earlier studies in finding no convincing evidence that Academies are any more (or less) effective than the schools they replaced or are in competition with. The prevalence of Academies in any area is strongly associated with local levels of SES segregation, and this is especially true of the more recent Converter Academies. Converter Academies, on average, take far less than their fair share of disadvantaged pupils. Sponsor-led Academies, on the other hand, tend to take more than their fair share. Their profiles are so different that they must no longer be lumped together for analysis as simply ‘Academies’. Academies are not shown to be the cause of local SES segregation. Instead, they are merely more likely to appear in areas that already have inequitable school mixes. This means, of course, that Academies are not helping reduce segregation (as was one of their original purposes) or increase social justice in education, and the paper concludes that homogeneous Maintained schools should be preferred for this purpose. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

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This paper investigates the characteristics and functional-demographic diversity of municipalities in Poland that use spatial data. It answers the question about the relationship between accessibility to services of general interest (SGI; public administration, child-care, educational, medical, and cultural services) in municipalities and their demographic conditions. Demographic literature devotes much space to demographic transformations in the context of their underlying causes and spatial variations and to the impact of these changes. Meanwhile, transport-focused approaches concentrate on the spatial accessibility of SGI themselves, the methods for measuring them and the various methodologies employed. This study combines these two study areas in order to present the broadest possible approach to the accessibility of SGI among communities at different stages of demographic advancement. We found that the nature of demographic processes is associated with the level of accessibility to SGI. Notably, accessibility to educational and medical services in depopulating areas is better than in ageing areas. The opposite is true for cultural services. The poorest accessibility affects those communities where the two above demographic processes overlap. There is clear variation in the accessibility of SGI: functional urban areas having the best accessibility and remote areas the worst accessibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper describes the methodology and sample characteristics of the Neuropsychological Norms for the U.S.-Mexico Border Region in Spanish (NP-NUMBRS) Project, which aimed to generate demographically-adjusted norms for a battery of neuropsychological tests in this population. The sample consisted of 254 healthy Spanish-speakers, ages 19-60 years, recruited from the U.S.-Mexico border regions of Arizona (n = 102) and California (n = 152). Participants completed a comprehensive neuropsychological test battery assessing multiple domains (verbal fluency, speed of information processing, attention/working memory, executive function, learning and memory, visual-spatial skills and fine motor skills). Fluency in both Spanish and English was assessed with performance-based measures. Other culturally-relevant data on educational, social, and language background were obtained via self-report. Demographic influences on test performances were modeled using fractional polynomial equations that allow consideration of linear and non-linear effects. There were no significant demographic differences between participants tested in Arizona and California. Age and gender were similar across education ranges. Two thirds of the sample were Spanish dominant and the remainder were considered bilingual. Individual articles in this Special Issue detail the generation of demographically adjusted T-scores for the various tests in the battery as well as an exploration of bilingualism effects. Norms developed through the NP-NUMBRS project stand to improve the diagnostic accuracy of neuropsychological assessment in Spanish-speaking young-to-middle-aged adults living in the U.S.-Mexico border region. Application of the present norms to other groups should be done with caution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines how different types of travellers use an online travel marketplace in different ways. To measure different travelling behaviours, we use 20 features collected from a survey of 2,467 users along with real transaction data in the context of an online marketplace connecting local tour guides and travellers. We identify six idiosyncratic groups of travellers: Shopaholics, Budget Explorers, Long-Term Travellers, Trend Setters, Resort Addicts, and Social Trippers. They are remarkably distinctive in their demographic characteristics, travel motivations, and their actual usage patterns in the online travel marketplace. This paper contributes to the literature on traveller segmentation and practices through its exploration of different traveller usage patterns in the online travel marketplace. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Electronic health records (EHRs) are structured, distributed documentation systems that differ from paper charts. These systems require skills not traditionally used to navigate a paper chart and to produce a written clinic note. Despite these differences, little attention has been given to physicians' electronic health record (EHR)-writing and -reading competence. Purposes: This study aims to investigate physicians' self-assessed competence to document and to read EHR notes; writing and reading preferences in an EHR; and demographic characteristics associated with their perceived EHR ability and preference. Methods: Fourteen 5-point Likert scale items, based on EHR system characteristics and a literature review, were developed to measure EHR-writing and -reading competence and preference. Physicians in the midwest region of the United States were invited via e-mail to complete the survey online from February to April 2011. Factor analysis and reliability testing were conducted to provide validity and reliability of the instrument. Correlation and regression analysis were conducted to pursue answers to the research questions. Results: Ninety-one physicians (12.5%), from general and specialty fields, working in inpatient and outpatient settings, participated in the survey. Despite over 3 years of EHR experience, respondents perceived themselves to be incompetent in EHR writing and reading (Mean=2.74, SD=0.76). They preferred to read succinct, narrative notes in EHR systems. However, physicians with higher perceived EHR-writing and -reading competence had less preference toward reading succinct (r=-0.33, p<0.001) and narrative (r=-0.36, p<0.001) EHR notes than physicians with lower perceived EHR competence. Physicians' perceived EHRwriting and - reading competence was strongly related to their EHR navigation skills (r=0.55, p<0.0001). Conclusions: Writing and reading EHR documentation is different for physicians. Maximizing navigation skills can optimize non-linear EHR writing and reading. Pedagogical questions remain related to how physicians and medical students are able to retrieve correct information effectively and to understand thought patterns in collectively lengthier and sometimes fragmented EHR chart notes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]