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Social inequality shapes peoples' chances and strategies to keep informed about current affairs. We study citizens' news media repertoires – individual patterns of combining selected news media – in a world region of extreme social inequality within and between countries: the Middle East and Northern Africa (MENA). We report a secondary analysis of a large-scale survey in seven MENA countries to develop news user typologies. We explore how digital forces shape news media repertoires to determine the influence of social inequality on the population's information routines regarding current affairs, and investigate the diversity of the inhabitants' media repertoires. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Online discourse integration, or the degree to which online user comments are responsive, that is, address or refer to other debate participants, is a normatively valued yet neglected quality dimension of online discussions. This preregistered study features the first cross-country/cross-platform investigation of online discourse integration, using manual and computational content analysis (N = 9835 and N = 30,753 positional news reader comments). Unexpectedly, about one quarter of the comments was responsive in both majoritarian and consensus-oriented democracies (Australia/United States vs Germany/Switzerland) and on platforms that separate or mix public and private contexts (websites vs Facebook pages of mainstream media), even though other deliberative quality criteria were previously shown to vary by country and platform. Comments that are responsive to fellow commenters in the opposing perspective camp were more likely to contain negative evaluations of those addressed, whereas comments responsive within the same perspective camp were more likely to contain positive evaluations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates how the acceptance of data-driven political campaigning depends on four different message characteristics. A vignette study was conducted in 25 countries with a total of 14,390 respondents who all evaluated multiple descriptions of political advertisements. Relying on multi-level models, we find that in particular the source and the issue of the message matters. Messages that are sent by a party the respondent likes and deal with a political issue the respondent considers important are rated more acceptable. Furthermore, targeting based on general characteristics instead of individual ones is considered more acceptable, as is a general call to participate in the upcoming elections instead of a specific call to vote for a certain party. Effects differ across regulatory contexts, with the negative impact of both individual targeting and a specific call to vote for a certain party being in countries that have higher levels of legislative regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research explores the perspectives of academic physicists from three national contexts concerning their roles and responsibilities within the realm of science. Using a dataset comprised of 211 interviews with scientists working in China, the United States, and the United Kingdom, the study seeks to explain whether and in what manner physicists conceptualize scientific ethics within a global or national framework. The empirical findings bring to light disparities across nations in the physicists’ perceptions of what constitutes responsible mentorship and engagement in public service. These cross-national variations underscore the moral agency of physicists as they navigate the ethical standards embraced by the global scientific community vis-à-vis those that are specific to their respective national contexts. The study’s empirical insights may carry significant implications for both policymakers and ethicists, underscoring the imperative of soliciting and acknowledging the perspectives of academic scientists working and living in disparate national contexts when formulating comprehensive science ethics frameworks. Such inclusive and context-aware approaches to shaping ethics in science can contribute to the cultivation of a more robust and universally relevant ethical foundation for the scientific community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unlike qualifying education, forensic social work education is heterogeneous. This review provides a cross-national comparison of 10 countries: the United States, Brazil, England, the Netherlands, Hungary, Kenya, South Africa, Thailand, India and Australia. It aims to understand education models across diverse contexts and encourage further reflection on forensic social work pedagogy. Findings revealed that there is little mandating of educational standards or curriculum requirements in forensic social work. Moreover, current modelling is drawn from Eurocentric epistemologies and has a duty to incorporate and celebrate First Nations, non-Western and culturally inclusive paradigms. Opportunities exist to develop international standards for forensic social work education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High and rising levels of economic inequality come at a tremendous cost to societies, yet the public is often hesitant to confront these inequalities. Prior research has attempted to explain this paradox, pointing to how it is driven by individuals' misperceptions of the extent of inequality, broader narratives that justify inequality, and distrust in government intervention and redistribution. These beliefs and attitudes are not simply a reflection of individual predispositions; they are also a product of societal debates. The limited scholarship on such debates has focused on elite discourse, examining how discussions about inequality unfold among people in positions of power in formalized contexts such as parliaments or the media. Most of this research has been conducted in the Global North. We know very little about how ordinary people talk about economic inequality, especially in the Global South. Everyday conversations about economic inequality deserve more scholarly attention because of their distinct form and extensive range, covering diverse voices and social situations. They reflect how societies struggle with economic inequality and how some groups are silenced, while others have their voices amplified. Finally, conversations may affect opinion formation differently than unidirectional exposure to information. This article reviews the literature and sets out a research agenda to comprehensively study how ordinary people talk about economic inequality in various contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives We examine cross-national variation in (a) loneliness trajectories and (b) the association between common social risk factors and chronic loneliness in middle and older adulthood. Methods Using longitudinal data, we assess the country-level prevalence of loneliness trajectories (chronic, transitory, and no loneliness) and the extent of common social risk factors for loneliness (living alone, widowhood, divorce, no grandchildren, having chronic conditions, and never working) among adults 50 and older in 20 countries covering 47% of the global population in this age bracket. Additionally, we compare how the associations between social risk factors and chronic loneliness vary across countries. Results We find considerable variation in the prevalence of chronic loneliness cross-nationally, ranging between 4% (Denmark) and 15% (Greece) of adults 50 and older. Living arrangements have the most consistent association with the likelihood of chronic loneliness across countries, with those ever living alone having an 8% higher likelihood of chronic loneliness on average across countries, with a range of 2%–25%. Additionally, those who never report working and those with chronic conditions have a higher likelihood of chronic loneliness across more than a third of the countries. Discussion These results suggest that policies and interventions targeted to middle age and older adults living alone and with limited work histories or with chronic conditions are critical in reducing the public health challenges of chronic loneliness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we analyse loneliness trajectories for older people aged 50 or more in selected European countries by gender. We also focus on the relationship between disability and loneliness trajectories. We use three waves of the longitudinal SHARE database. Loneliness trajectories are non-linear, increasing with age for both genders, and have the same shape irrespective of disability status but with different levels of loneliness. Loneliness persistence increases with disability and disability severity, especially for women. Worsening (improving) disability increases (decreases) the risk of loneliness persistence. We build rankings of the country's effects on loneliness persistence by gender. Mediterranean and Eastern European countries have the highest persistence rates, while the lowest rates are in Northern countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rumination often leads to maladaptive consequences. Some studies report cross‐national disparities regarding the extent to which people ruminate, as well as its consequences. This study aimed to quantify the disparities in rumination between European (United Kingdom [UK]) and East Asian (Japan) countries, as well as compare its relation with depression. Gender differences were also examined. An online questionnaire survey targeting residents aged between 20 and 69 years was conducted in July 2022. Data from 3,551 participants (UK: N = 1,891, Japan: N = 1,660) were analyzed statistically using 2 × 2 multivariate analysis of variance and moderation analyses. Results showed a greater inclination towards rumination among UK residents, in comparison to those residing in Japan. The magnitude of rumination–‐depression association differed by country, with the association being more pronounced in the UK. Females displayed a higher inclination towards rumination in both the UK and Japan. In both countries, a robust association exists between rumination and concurrent depression. Implications of the findings and future directions are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Nurse leaders are challenged by ethical issues in today's complex health-care settings. The purpose of this study was to describe and analyze key elements of moral distress identified by nurse leaders from health-care systems in the USA, Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The aim was to develop an understanding of distressing ethical issues nurse leaders face in the USA and three German-speaking European countries. Design/methodology/approach: This descriptive cross-sectional study surveyed a convenience sample of nurse leaders in the USA, Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The voluntary, anonymous survey also included qualitative questions and was distributed using the Qualtrics® platform. A thematic analysis of the qualitative data in each country was carried out and a comparative analysis identified similarities and differences between the groups of nurse leaders comparing the US data to that from three German-speaking European countries. Findings: The survey was completed by 316 nurse leaders: Germany, Austria, and Switzerland (n = 225) and the USA (n = 91). Similar themes identified as causing all nurse leaders moral distress included a lack of individual and organizational integrity, hierarchical and interprofessional issues, lack of nursing professionalism, patient care/patient safety concerns, finances negatively impacting care and issues around social justice. Within these six themes, there were also differences between the USA and the three German-speaking European countries. Originality/value: Understanding the experiences associated with distressing ethical situations can allow nurse leaders and organizations to focus on solutions and develop resilience to reduce moral distress in the USA and three German-speaking European countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AIM: To synthesize international findings on the alcohol-dementia relationship, including representation from low- and middle-income countries. METHODS: Individual participant data meta-analysis of 15 prospective epidemiological cohort studies from countries situated in six continents. Cox regression investigated the dementia risk associated with alcohol use in older adults aged over 60 years. Additional analyses assessed the alcohol-dementia relationship in the sample stratified by sex and by continent. Participants included 24 478 community dwelling individuals without a history of dementia at baseline and at least one follow-up dementia assessment. The main outcome measure was all-cause dementia as determined by clinical interview. RESULTS: At baseline, the mean age across studies was 71.8 (standard deviation = 7.5, range = 60-102 years), 14 260 (58.3%) were female and 13 269 (54.2%) were current drinkers. During 151 636 person-years of follow-up, there were 2124 incident cases of dementia (14.0 per 1000 person-years). When compared with abstainers, the risk for dementia was lower in occasional [hazard ratio (HR) = 0.78; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.68-0.89], light-moderate (HR = 0.78; 95% CI = 0.70-0.87) and moderate-heavy drinkers (HR = 0.62; 95% CI = 0.51-0.77). There was no evidence of differences between life-time abstainers and former drinkers in terms of dementia risk (HR = 0.98; 95% CI = 0.81-1.18). In dose-response analyses, moderate drinking up to 40 g/day was associated with a lower risk of dementia when compared with lif-time abstaining. Among current drinkers, there was no consistent evidence for differences in terms of dementia risk. Results were similar when the sample was stratified by sex. When analysed at the continent level, there was considerable heterogeneity in the alcohol-dementia relationship. CONCLUSIONS: Abstinence from alcohol appears to be associated with an increased risk for all-cause dementia. Among current drinkers, there appears to be no consistent evidence to suggest that the amount of alcohol consumed in later life is associated with dementia risk.

Previous research has shown that providing intensive informal care can have a negative effect on an individual’s mental health. However, few studies have been able to draw a precise comparison between the experiences of in-home and out-of-home caregivers. This study used data from 16 countries collected from 2011–2019 as part of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) to conduct asymmetric panel fixed-effects models that examined within-person variation in depression scores after a respondent started providing daily or almost daily personal care either inside or outside of their home. The results substantiated previous findings that in-home caregivers experience more pronounced increases to their reported depressive symptoms after starting to provide daily personal care than do out-of-home caregivers. In addition, in-home caregivers in countries with greater governmental responsibility for long-term care provision (The Northern and Central Clusters) reported fewer increases to their depressive symptoms after starting to provide care than caregivers in countries where long-term care responsibility predominantly rests on families (The Southern and Eastern Cluster). Further, Northern Cluster countries most successfully shrank the pool of out-of-home care providers. Together, these findings underscore the context-specific nature of caregiver wellbeing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives Identifying social policies that can promote cognitive health is crucial for reducing the global burden of dementia. We evaluated the importance of educational attainment for later-life cognitive function in various social and geographic settings. Methods Using harmonized data for individuals aged ≥65 years from the United States Health and Retirement Study (HRS) and its international partner studies in England, Mexico, China, and India, and each study's respective Harmonized Cognitive Assessment Protocol (HCAP), we conducted a cross-national comparative study to examine the role of educational attainment in later-life cognitive function across countries (n = 14,980, 2016–2019). We used multivariable-adjusted regression to estimate associations between educational attainment and harmonized global cognitive function scores. Results In Mexico, China, and India, the general cognitive function scores on average are approximately one standard deviation of the HRS-HCAP cognitive function score distribution lower compared to the United States and England, paralleling patterns of educational attainment across countries. In all countries, higher educational attainment was associated with progressively higher later-life cognitive function scores. Population-level differences in educational attainment explained about 50%–90% of the observed differences in cognitive function scores across countries. Discussion The relationship between education and later-life cognitive function across social and geographic contexts underscores the crucial role of education to promote cognitive health and reduce dementia risk. Continual improvement of educational attainment in low- and middle-income settings may yield a significant pay-off in later-life cognitive health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Biosimilar medicines are defined as biological products highly similar to an already licensed biological product (RP). The market entry of biosimilars is expected to reduce the costs of biological treatments. Objective: This study aims to evaluate the range of differences between the prices of biosimilars and the corresponding RP for biologicals approved in four countries. Method: This is a cross-national comparison of pricing of biosimilars in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, and Italy. The study examined online price databases provided by the national authorities of the investigated countries. Biosimilar price difference was calculated by subtracting the unit price of the biosimilar by the unit price of the RP, and then dividing it by the unit price of the RP. The results were presented as percentage. Results: Brazil had the highest median price reduction (− 36.3%) in biosimilars price, followed by Italy (− 20.0%) and Argentina (− 18.6%). All the biosimilars in Italy were priced below the RP presenting a minimum reduction of 6.3%, while in Australia, most of the prices of biosimilars were equal to the RP. In Argentina, one infliximab-biosimilar displayed price above the RP (40.7%) while the lower priced brand had a reduction of 14.4%. Brazil had four biosimilars with prices above the respective RP, including isophane insulin (1), insulin glargine (1) and somatropin (2). Conclusion: The study revealed a marked dispersion in the price's differences between biosimilars and RP across the studied countries. Governments should evaluate whether their policies have been successful in improving affordability of biological therapies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

South Korea is an aging society with a rapidly increasing number of people with dementia. In that context, this study aimed to compare dementia nursing home building standards in South Korea and Germany, based on the minimum physical and architectural requirements specified by both countries' relevant laws, to gain insights into improving South Korean building standards. I examined South Korea's Welfare of Senior Citizens Act and its Enforcement Regulations, and Germany's Federal Nursing Home Act (HeimG), Regulation on Minimum Standards for Nursing Homes (HeimMindBauV), and the corresponding state regulations. The analysis revealed differences regarding the basic requirements, facility sizes, composition of necessary rooms, and detailed regulations pertaining to these rooms. South Korea emphasized autonomy, including barrier-free and compensatory environments, as well as safety and security. Meanwhile, Germany enhanced similar aspects of autonomy to those in South Korea, including the barrier-free standard DIN 18040-2. Additionally, Germany incorporated features such as familiarity, sensory stimulation, legibility, and social interaction, reflecting aspects that offer orientational cues for autonomy. Improving South Korean building standards requires stronger regulations on the autonomy of individuals with dementia. Further, additional regulations on familiarity, sensory stimulation, legibility, and social interactions should be considered. The results provide foundational data for cross-national comparisons to establish building standards for dementia-friendly built spaces in dementia nursing homes in South Korea. Further surveys on spatial utilization, discussions, and the application of proposed improvements in Korea would contribute to enhancing the dementia-friendly nursing home design in the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Initial validation of the Generic Conspiracist Beliefs Scale (GCBS) identified five correlated factors: Government Malfeasance, Malevolent Global Conspiracies, Extraterrestrial Cover‐up, Personal Well‐being and Control of Information. Despite replications of this structure, ensuing research, mostly using translated versions of the GCBS (i.e., Persian and Japanese), has reported factorial alternatives. Concomitantly, researchers postulated that belief in conspiracies was higher in historically troubled societies (e.g., Serbia). To further assess the cultural stability of the five correlated factor solution and test the assumption that GCBS scores are affected by social‐political instability, a Serbian adaptation of the GCBS was assessed alongside the standard English language version. Data were collected from Serbian (n = 259, 44.40% males) and UK samples (n = 402, 52.25% males). Within samples, confirmatory factor analysis replicated the five‐factor solution. Additionally, national and gender invariance was confirmed. National comparisons (Serbia vs. UK) revealed that the Serbian sample scored higher on Government Malfeasance, Malevolent Global Conspiracies, Personal Well‐being and Control of Information, whereas the UK sample scored higher on Extraterrestrial Cover‐up. There were no gender differences on GCBS factors. Findings indicated that while the Serbian GCBS was interpreted similarly to the GCBS, societal factors influenced endorsement of belief facets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How much, and in what ways, do cultural ideas contribute to understanding cross‐national differences in the extent of long‐term care (LTC) policy marketisation? We argue that differences in cultural ideas in the political sphere about 'ideal' ways of organising the provision of care shed light on these differences, relatively independently of the governing parties' positions on the left/right spectrum. Our comparative case study of two conservative welfare states, Germany and Austria, supports this argument. LTC policy marketisation in the mid‐1990s was, in both cases, based on left‐libertarian ideas. While these ideas gained strong political support from parties across the left/right spectrum in Austria, they were combined with etatist ideas in Germany, resulting in a substantially lower potential for marketisation in Germany's LTC policy. Our study also shows that, by contrast with neo‐liberal ideas, left‐libertarian ideas address care recipients' self‐determination and divert attention away from social problems associated with LTC marketisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prolonged grief disorder (PGD) is now included as a diagnosis in international classification systems. Most research on PGD is based on Western populations, but first data from non-Western countries have recently become available. Little is still known about country-related effects on PGD's prevalence. Determining possible causes of variations in the prevalence of PGD as defined by DSM-5-TR and ICD-11 within and between countries. We retrieved data from 24 prevalence studies, the World Bank and the 2022 World Risk Report. Negative binomial regressions were used to explore methodological, loss-related and country context characteristics as predictors of PGD. The average rate of PGD was calculated using random effects models. The included studies comprised 34 samples from 16 countries (20,347 participants). Non-probability sampling and older mean age of the sample as well as lower country vulnerability were associated with higher PGD rates. The average PGD prevalence was 13 % (95 % CI [11, 22]), varying from 5 % (95 % CI [3, 11]) in probability to 16 % (95 % CI [13, 25]) in non-probability samples. Samples from Europe and North America were overrepresented. For about half of the countries, data were available from only one sample. While confirming the importance of studies' methodological quality, the results show that PGD is of public health relevance around the world, but especially common in less vulnerabled countries with better access to daily necessities and healthcare services, highlighting sociocultural impacts on grief processing. Further investigations of cross-national differences are needed. • This is the first investigation cross-country variations in prevalence rates of prolonged grief disorder (PGD) • On the basis of 34 samples from 16 countries, we found that PGD rates could be predicted by age, sampling approach, and country vulnerability • This shows that PGD is of relevance around the world, but seems to be more common in less vulnerable countries with good access to daily necessities and healthcare services [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives Social inequalities in mortality are poorly studied in much of the Asia-Pacific. Using data from harmonized nationally representative longitudinal health and aging surveys our study systematically assesses mortality disparities across 3 standardized measures of socioeconomic status in 7 Asia-Pacific countries. Methods We used data from multiple waves of 7 representative sample surveys: the Health, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia survey, China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study, the Indonesian Family Life Survey, the New Zealand Health, Work and Retirement survey, the Korean Longitudinal Study on Ageing and the Health, Aging and Retirement in Thailand survey, and the Japanese Study of Aging and Retirement. We use Cox proportional hazards modeling to examine how the hazard of mortality differs across domains of social stratification including educational attainment, wealth, and occupational status across countries. Results We found consistent and pervasive gradients in mortality risk in the high-income countries by all available measures of social stratification. In contrast, patterns of inequality in adult mortality in middle-income and recently transitioned high-income countries investigated varied depending on the measure of social stratification, with strong gradients by wealth but mixed gradients by education. Discussion Analyzing social gradients in mortality in the Asia-Pacific shows that inequalities, especially wealth-based inequalities, in later-life health are present across the region, and that the magnitude of social gradients in mortality is overall larger in high-income countries as compared to middle-income countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the acceleration of urbanization, the municipal waste (MW) problem has transformed into a global challenge for urban sustainability. To elucidate historical trends, current focal points, and future directions in MW research, we conducted a bibliometric analysis and employed knowledge graph visualization to scrutinize a total of 34 212 articles, which were published between 1991 and 2021 in the Web of Science (WoS) core database. The results indicated that current major research themes encompass waste classification and recycling, waste management and public behavior, waste disposal methods and technologies, as well as environmental impact and evaluation. There has been a shift in the research focus from the environmental impacts of waste incineration to sustainable management related issues. A comparison of research from six typical countries revealed the differences in research priorities and techniques advantages. Scholars from the USA and Britain initiated MW research earlier than other countries and investigated management issues in depth, such as public behavior and willingness to pay. Meanwhile, Japanese, German, and Swedish scholars conducted extensive studies on advanced waste treatment technologies, such as disposal and recycling, risk assessment, and waste-to-energy techniques. Chinese scholars placed particular emphasis on end-of-pipe treatments and their associated environmental impacts. Hotspots and potential future frontiers were identified by burst detection analysis. Keywords with high value of burst index (BI) worldwide are food waste and circular economy. Chinese scholars have put great efforts on waste environmental impact and its recycling technologies, while we' re expecting to further investigating vulnerable population. Furthermore, this study contributes to bridging the regional gap of scientific research among different countries and fostering international collaboration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Introduction Comparing antibiotic prescribing between countries can provide important insights into potential needs of improving antibiotic stewardship programs. We aimed to compare outpatient antibiotic prescribing in early life between children born in Denmark and Germany. Methods Using the Danish nationwide healthcare registries and a German claims database (GePaRD, ~ 20% population coverage), we included children born between 2004 and 2016, and followed them regarding outpatient antibiotic prescriptions until end of enrollment or the end of 2018. We then determined the median time to first antibiotic prescription. Based on all prescriptions in the first 2 years of life, we calculated the rate of antibiotic treatment episodes and for the children’s first prescriptions in this period, we determined established quality indicators. All analyses were stratified by birth year and country. Results In the 2016 birth cohorts, the median time to first antibiotic prescription was ~ 21 months in Denmark and ~ 28 in Germany; the rate of antibiotic treatment episodes per 1000 person-years was 537 in Denmark and 433 in Germany; the percentage of prescribed antibiotics with higher concerns regarding side effects and/or resistance potential was 6.2% in Denmark and 44.2% in Germany. In the 2016 birth cohorts, the age at first antibiotic prescription was 50–59% higher compared to the 2004 birth cohorts; the rate of antibiotic treatment episodes was 43–44% lower. Conclusions Infants in Denmark received antibiotics markedly earlier and more frequently than in Germany, while quality indicators of antibiotic prescribing were more favorable in Denmark. Although both countries experienced positive changes towards more rational antibiotic prescribing in early life, our findings suggest potential for further improvement. This particularly applies to prescribing antibiotics with a lower potential for side effects and/or resistance in Germany.

ABSTRACT Using aggregated national data, this paper re‐examines the outcomes of the Australian and Norwegian protective systems during the past decade and compares it to the trends and issues identified in our earlier 2012 study. We outline the context of increased service demand affecting both countries with rapid expansion and reform of their policies and approaches. A convergence has been occurring regarding their focus upon risk and its relationship with family support. However, in Australia, there was an increasing attempt to provide greater support and reduce its rate of investigation of notifications, but there was increasing rates of children in state care, particularly for Indigenous children. In Norway, there is less appetite for risk and consequently far higher rates of investigation, but their propensity for providing a diverse array of family support has been decreasing yet remains far greater than in Australia. Nonetheless, Norway's rate of children in state care is increasing, but not for children under 5 years, whereas Australia is removing far more infant children and having them in care longer, while Norway has far more adolescents in care, particularly in residential care. Within stretched systems, both countries are needing to develop workforce planning and development strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Women are consistently underrepresented in physics when compared to biology. Yet how scientists themselves explain the causes of this underrepresentation is understudied outside the US context. In this research, we ask the following question: How do scientists in different national/regional contexts explain why there are fewer women in physics than biology? Using original survey data collected among academic biologists and physicists in the US (N = 1777), Italy (N = 1257), France (N = 648), and Taiwan (N = 780), we examine how scientists' social identities, social locations, and country context shape essentialist, individualist, and structural explanations of gender inequality. Findings indicate that scientists across national contexts attribute the unequal gender distribution in physics and biology to women's individual choices. Explanations for the gender distribution also vary by social identities and social locations (gender, discipline, and seniority) in country‐specific ways. Scientists and advocates ought to engage conversations that explicitly confront scientists' assumptions about individual choices in global science. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Attitudes justifying intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW) contribute to its persistence, and cross-national research on these attitudes can provide a window into the normative context of IPVAW and a key indicator to monitor global progress in preventing IPVAW. Monitoring cross-national attitudes about IPVAW requires psychometrically comparable cross-national data. Hence, assessing the measurement invariance of available attitudinal items is key to make unbiased comparisons. Method: This study draws on data from 126,858 women 15–49 years who participated in the United Nations Children's Fund Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS) in 12 Latin-American and Caribbean (LAC) countries between 2013 and 2020. We use exact and approximate invariance methods to assess the cross-country measurement invariance of five items designed to measure attitudes justifying IPVAW. Results: Items were approximately invariant across included countries. Attitudinal scores derived from the alignment optimization (approximate invariance) model rank the countries in four blocks based on paired comparisons of latent mean attitudes. In relative terms, women in Guyana had the highest levels of IPVAW justification, and women in Costa Rica, Mexico, Dominican Republic, and Cuba had the lowest levels of IPVAW justification. Conclusions: This study confirms that MICS items to measure IPVAW attitudes are approximately invariant in national samples of reproductive age women in 12 LAC countries. The analysis shows the appropriate analytical steps to assess and to ensure cross-national comparability of these items and represents an important first step in efforts to monitor global progress in preventing IPVAW with robust survey measures of attitudes justifying this type of violence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

INTRODUCTION: We conducted a cross‐national comparison of the association between main lifetime occupational skills and later‐life cognitive function across four economically and socially distinct countries. METHODS: Data were from population‐based studies of aging and their Harmonized Cognitive Assessment Protocols (HCAPs) in the US, South Africa, India, and Mexico (N = 10,037; Age range: 50 to 105 years; 2016 to 2020). Main lifetime occupational skill was classified according to the International Standard Classification of Occupations. Weighted, adjusted regression models estimated pooled and country‐specific associations between main lifetime occupational skill and later‐life general cognitive function in men and women. RESULTS: We observed positive gradients between occupational skill and later‐life cognitive function for men and women in the US and Mexico, a positive gradient for women but not men in India, and no association for men or women in South Africa. DISCUSSION: Main lifetime occupations may be a source of later‐life cognitive reserve, with cross‐national heterogeneity in this association. Highlights: No studies have examined cross‐national differences in the association of occupational skill with cognition.We used data from Harmonized Cognitive Assessment Protocols in the US, Mexico, India, and South Africa.The association of occupational skill with cognitive function varies by country and gender. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Comparing antibiotic prescribing between countries can provide important insights into potential needs of improving antibiotic stewardship programs. We aimed to compare outpatient antibiotic prescribing in early life between children born in Denmark and Germany. Methods: Using the Danish nationwide healthcare registries and a German claims database (GePaRD, ~ 20% population coverage), we included children born between 2004 and 2016, and followed them regarding outpatient antibiotic prescriptions until end of enrollment or the end of 2018. We then determined the median time to first antibiotic prescription. Based on all prescriptions in the first 2 years of life, we calculated the rate of antibiotic treatment episodes and for the children's first prescriptions in this period, we determined established quality indicators. All analyses were stratified by birth year and country. Results: In the 2016 birth cohorts, the median time to first antibiotic prescription was ~ 21 months in Denmark and ~ 28 in Germany; the rate of antibiotic treatment episodes per 1000 person-years was 537 in Denmark and 433 in Germany; the percentage of prescribed antibiotics with higher concerns regarding side effects and/or resistance potential was 6.2% in Denmark and 44.2% in Germany. In the 2016 birth cohorts, the age at first antibiotic prescription was 50–59% higher compared to the 2004 birth cohorts; the rate of antibiotic treatment episodes was 43–44% lower. Conclusions: Infants in Denmark received antibiotics markedly earlier and more frequently than in Germany, while quality indicators of antibiotic prescribing were more favorable in Denmark. Although both countries experienced positive changes towards more rational antibiotic prescribing in early life, our findings suggest potential for further improvement. This particularly applies to prescribing antibiotics with a lower potential for side effects and/or resistance in Germany. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study analyses 17 care economies using 2016 Luxembourg Income Study data to contribute to extant debate regarding the ongoing utility of care regimes as a classificatory schema for cross-national comparison. Examining similarities and differences in the provision of low-status work in health, education, social work, and domestic services – the 'care economy' – the data reveal devaluation of the labour done by immigrant women care workers, net of national and regime-level variation. In addition, numerous similarities across liberal, corporatist, social democratic, and central and eastern European care regimes emerge, in terms of the overrepresentation of immigrant women in low status care work, and the disproportionate financial penalties these workers incur. Together, findings suggest that notwithstanding national and policy-specific differences, there has been considerable convergence across economies of care towards a 'migrant in the market' model of employment. Such large-scale evidence of this trend calls into question the ongoing efficacy of care regimes for national comparisons of migrant care work under conditions of neoliberal globalization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid demographic ageing constitutes a significant challenge for the Chinese social system. As China has only recently begun developing a long‐term care (LTC) policy, care provision is currently based on family care. However, the prevalence of such care is declining due to low social recognition and conflicts between family members' care and work responsibilities. Thus, a comprehensive LTC policy should expand extra‐familial care services and make family care attractive. Germany's LTC insurance is an example of a policy that integrates extra‐familial and family care. This study analyses whether China's LTC policy can gain insights from Germany's LTC policy in view of the findings from Chinese LTC pilot projects. We argue that a policy that supports extra‐familial and family care would facilitate the LTC provision preferred by older people, while also supporting relatives who wish to provide care according to their values of intergenerational solidarity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Social activity has long been recognized as an essential component of active aging. How- ever, an overlooked dimension is cross-national comparison within Asia on social activity and its relationship to the functional decline. This study examined functional decline among older Thai and Japanese adults over a two-year period and compared associated social and other factors. Methods: We collected data from two waves of a longitudinal cohort survey administered in Nakhon Pathom, Thailand and the city of Tosa, Japan, covering community-dwelling adults aged ≤ 65. The data cover basic activities of daily living (ADL), sociodemographic traits, health status, depression, and social activities. A total of 338 Thai and 869 Japanese participants with no functional limitations participated at baseline, and 216 Thai and 480 Japanese participants completed the follow-up study after two years. Results: At follow-up, Thai participants reported a higher percentage of functional decline than Japanese participants (22.2% vs. 13.5%). Risk factors associated with functional decline in Thai participants were increased age, female gender, low economic satisfaction, and low social activity levels. Functional decline among Japanese participants was associated with increased age, low social activity levels, and arthropathy. Low social activity was a strong predictor of decline in ADL, and the association was significant even after adjusting for related factors in Thai and Japanese individuals. Conclusion: Although there were differences in the variables associated with ADL decline between Thai and Japanese participants, our results support the promotion of social activities for older adults to preserve a healthy functional status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

INTRODUCTION: We compared gender disparities in later‐life memory, overall and by education, in India and the United States (US). METHODS: Data (N = 7443) were from harmonized cognitive assessment protocols (HCAPs) in the Longitudinal Aging Study of India‐Diagnostic Assessment of Dementia (LASI‐DAD; N = 4096; 2017‐19) and US Health and Retirement Study HCAP (HRS‐HCAP; N = 3347; 2016‐17). We derived harmonized memory factors from each study using confirmatory factor analysis. We used multivariable‐adjusted linear regression to compare gender disparities in memory function between countries, overall and by education. RESULTS: In the United States, older women had better memory than older men (0.28 SD‐unit difference; 95% CI: 0.22, 0.35). In India, older women had worse memory than older men (−0.15 SD‐unit difference; 95% CI: −0.20, −0.10), which attenuated with increasing education and literacy. CONCLUSION: We observed gender disparities in memory in India that were not present in the United States, and which dissipated with education and literacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Qualitative cross-country comparative analysis is a method used to compare qualitative data from two or more countries to generate new insights and understandings for research, policy, and practice. Little is known about what is challenging and/or enjoyable for researchers employing this approach.This paper reflects on the experiences of 21 researchers who took part in qualitative cross-country comparative analyses for papers that were submitted to a special issue of a peer reviewed journal. We draw on semi-structured interviews with researchers from the UK, Brazil, Japan, Germany, Spain, Australia, Canada, and USA, all of whom are members of the DIPEx International research collaboration.The cross-country analyses were based on interview studies about various aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic. We explore researchers’ accounts of qualitative cross-country comparative analysis and their perspectives on working in international and interdisciplinary teams. Themes explored include Anglo-centrism, working across disciplines, translation for analysis, and leadership.We conclude with recommendations for future qualitative cross-country comparative health research endeavours, encouraging more qualitative health research in this sphere. We emphasise the potential of qualitative cross-country comparative research to significantly develop medical sociology and qualitative health research generally, in this case through improving our understanding of complex, potentially global, phenomena, such as experiences of a pandemic.

Empirical evidence of established measurement invariance of job insecurity measures may enhance the practical utility of job insecurity as a valid predictor when utilised over different cross-national samples. This study investigated the measurement invariance of the nine-item versions of the Job Security Index (a measure of cognitive job insecurity) and the Job Security Satisfaction Scale (a measure of affective job insecurity), across four countries (i.e. the United States, N = 486; China, N = 629; Italy, N = 482 and South Africa, N = 345). Based on a novel bifactor-(S-1) model approach we found evidence for partial metric, partial scalar and partial strict invariance of our substantive bifactor-(S-1) structure. The results extend measurement invariance research on job insecurity with obvious pragmatic implications (e.g. scaling units, measurement bias over cross-national interpretations). Contribution: This research provides evidence to support the applied use of cross-national comparisons of job insecurity scores across the nationalities included in this study. Theoretically, this research advances the debate about the nature of the relationship between cognitive and affective job insecurity, suggesting that in this cross-national dataset, a model where cognitive job insecurity is specified as the reference domain outperforms a model where affective job insecurity is assigned this status. Practically, it demonstrates that it is sensible and necessary to differentiate between cognitive and affective job insecurity and include measures of both constructs in future research on the construct.

Using attitude data from the International Social Survey Programme (ISSP) of 2012, we study the prevalence of the second half of the gender revolution – the involvement of men/fathers in care and housework on equal terms with women/mothers. With a focus on the collective consciousness in 27 societies, we (1) map patterns of support for different family model ideals; (2) study the extent to which these ideals are related to national-level indicators of gender equality and modernization; (3) analyse similarities and differences between groups of societies, with a focus on which ideals represent conservative and progressive alternatives in each society; and (4) analyse group differences and the degree to which these ideals are contested within societies. We find that the ideal of a father as provider and a mother as caregiver persists but is challenged in nearly all societies by other alternatives, including: mothers' part-time work; full-time work for both mothers and fathers; and a dual-earner/dual-carer ideal, with shared responsibilities for paid (part-time) and unpaid work. On the societal level, modernization and gender equality are positively associated with both progressive family ideals and marked group differences, indicating that fathers' involvement in the family is a contested issue in progressive societies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Past research on the influence of crisis on environmental attitudes shows an ambiguous picture. On the one hand, there is evidence of a short-term negative effect of economic factors on environmental attitudes, which is supported by the theory of affluence and the theory of postmaterialism. On the other hand, national studies on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic show a positive influence in terms of an increase in collective values and thus also environmental attitudes. This paper aims to investigate if this proposed positive effect of the pandemic found in some countries can be supported, since this has not been analyzed systematically through a cross-national point of view. For this purpose, the Values in Crisis dataset is used, which was collected in 18 countries at the beginning of the pandemic. The results indicate that influences of COVID attitudes affect environmental concerns differently across countries. There is support for a positive impact on environmental concerns across nations, but this cannot be concluded overall. The results are discussed in the context of their limitations and should provide the foundation for further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Certain countries are well known for being destination countries for sexual exploitation of children in the context of travel and tourism (SECTT). Various factors are assumed to be at play to increase the vulnerability of countries, and the children that live within them, to being destinations for SECTT. The current study uses a cross-national, quantitative approach to examine these assumptions, by investigating macro-level factors relating to tourism, children's living conditions, governance, and economic development that may account for the variation in SECTT occurrence. Our findings indicate that destination countries are, on average, characterized by lower economic wealth and are located closer to the equator. Unlike assumed in previous literature, governance and tourism are not significantly related to destination countries for SECTT. The results for children's living conditions are unexpected: while bivariate analyses show that destination countries have poorer children's living conditions, a positive relation emerges in multivariate models when controlled for economic development. More specifically, we find that within the group of countries with poor economic conditions, SECTT is more likely to occur in countries with better protection of children's rights to life and education. We explore potential explanations for this finding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Political leaders construct meanings for current events in support of their existing policy goals, but the constructed meanings do not change when policy goals change. Consequently, the established narrative of the past becomes part of the policymaking terrain, justifying existing policies and creating criteria for policy success. It must be navigated by leaders seeking to reach their policy objectives. References made by U.S. and Israeli political leaders to the event known as "9/11" from 2002 through 2019 reveal how they renegotiated its meaning as their policy goals evolved. Policy goals at the time of the event shaped the meanings made of the event. As policy goals changed, existing meanings could not be discarded or reshaped at will, nor could 9/11 simply be forgotten. Instead, leaders navigated and amended the inescapable public memory of 9/11 to support varying policy goals over a 20-year time span. For Israel, 9/11 made a chronic problem an international cause célèbre, offering potential to generate international response to a commonly marginalized threat, a narrative prime ministers sought to adapt as their policy goals changed. In the U.S. the George W. Bush Administration's narrative of 9/11 promoted and sustained the administration's policies and goals, making it difficult for Barack Obama's administration to change course unless it could tell a different story. Both cases demonstrate that arguments made for or against policies are contingent upon how the past is narrated. Collective remembrance can affect the contours of public policy, for the remembered past constitutes the terrain of policymaking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: A cross‐national comparative (CNC) study about opioid utilization would allow the identification of strategies to improve pain management and mitigate risk. However, little is known about the accessibility and validity of information in healthcare databases internationally. This study aimed to identify the feasibility of using healthcare databases to conduct a CNC study of opioid utilization and its associated consequences. Methods: A cross‐sectional survey was launched in March 2018, including experts interested in CNC studies comparing opioid utilization by purposeful sampling. An electronic survey was used to collect database characteristics, medicine information, and linkage information of each aggregate‐level dataset (AD) and individual patient‐level dataset (IPD). Results: Overall, participants from 21 geographical regions reported 18 ADs and 19 IPDs. Information on dispensed medications is available from 17 ADs and 17 IPDs. Of the 16 ADs that include primary care settings, only 9 ADs can obtain information from secondary care settings. Fourteen IPDs included patients' characteristics or could be retrieved from linkage databases. Although most ADs are publicly accessible (n = 13), only five IPDs can be accessed without extra cost. Conclusion: Most ADs could be used to report opioid utilization in a primary care setting. IPDs with linkage databases should be applied to identify potential determinants, clinical outcomes, and policy impact. Data access restrictions and governance policies across jurisdictions can be challenging for timely analysis and require further collaboration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a study of emotional reactions to climate change utilizing representative samples from France, Germany, Norway, and the United Kingdom (UK). Drawing on appraisal theories of emotion, we examine relations between appraisals, emotions, and behavioral intentions in the context of climate change. We compare the four countries concerning emotional differences and commonalities and relate our findings to pertinent models of cultural values. Five distinct emotions were measured: worry, hope, fear, outrage, and guilt. In addition, the survey asked respondents to appraise a set of climate-related statements, such as the causality of climate change, or the efficacy of mitigation efforts. Also, a set of climate-relevant actions, such as willingness to reduce energy consumption or support for climate policies, was assessed. Findings show that appraisals of human causation and moral concern were associated with worry and outrage, and appraisals of efficacy and technological solutions were associated with hope. Worry and outrage are associated with intentions to reduce one’s energy consumption, whereas hope and guilt are related to support for policies such as tax and price increases. A country comparison shows that French respondents score high on outrage and worry and tend to engage in individual behaviors to mitigate climate change, whereas Norwegian respondents score high on hope and show a tendency to support policies of cost increase. Generally, worry is the most and guilt the least intense emotion. Moral concerns and perceived collective efficacy of one’s country in addressing climate change are relatively strong in France, while beliefs in human causation and in negative impacts of climate change prevail in Germany, and confidence in technological solutions are prevalent in Norway. In sum, findings reveal typical patterns of emotional responses in the four countries and confirm systematic associations between emotions and appraisals as well as between emotions and behaviors. Relating these findings to models of cultural values reveals that Norway, endorsing secular and egalitarian values, is characterized by hope and confidence in technological solutions, whereas France and Germany, emphasizing relatively more hierarchical and traditional values, are rather characterized by fear, outrage, and support for behavioral restrictions imposed by climate change policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rising socio-economic inequality has been paired with tolerance of inequality. When explaining individual tolerance of unequal income distribution, contextual factors capturing socio-economic conditions and objective inequality are less important than individual-level values and beliefs about the origins of and reasonings behind the unequal circumstances. These inequality-legitimizing narratives constitute a range of ideas from equal opportunities and individual liberties to egalitarian values and beliefs about the function of meritocracy. Findings from the linear mixed effects models on the cross-sectional data from the Integrated Values Study (2017–2020) on 34 OECD countries support the argument that individuals' agreement with inequality legitimizing narratives predicts higher tolerance of unequal income distribution. However, country-level objective inequality and economic prosperity both fail to directly predict tolerance of unequal incomes. When compared to contextual factors, the acceptance of inequality legitimizing narratives is a significantly better predictor of inequality tolerance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is impossible to think without making comparisons. In the absence of comparison, all scientific inquiry and investigation is meaningless. Comparison has a significant history in the study of human science, history, and culture. Comparative study in the subject of social theory may be seen since ancient Greek, and this unbroken history was only strengthened as time has elapsed. Comparison research is a process of determining and quantifying correlations between two or more variables by studying various groups that are subjected to various treatments, either by decision or by circumstances. A comparative analysis compares two or more similar groups, individuals, or conditions to arrive at a conclusion. Due to the result of ongoing processes such as the massive expansion in telecommunications, technical breakthroughs, and the inherent amplification of globalization trends, comparative research, particularly cross-national comparison, has received much interest lately. As a result, instances of comparative techniques may be found throughout the modern social sciences, health sciences, and humanities. Researchers have compared cases to each other, use statistical techniques to establish quantitative comparisons, compare cases to theoretically produce results, and compare case values on important factors to actual rates to examine co-variation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is strong evidence from research conducted in the United States that fraction magnitude understanding supports mathematics achievement. Unfortunately, there has been little research that examines if this relation is present across educational contexts with different approaches to teaching fractions. The current study compared fourth and sixth grade students from two countries which differ in their approach to teaching fractions: Australia and the United States. We gathered data on fraction and decimal magnitude understanding, proportional reasoning, and a standardized mathematics achievement test on whole number computation. Across both countries, reasoning about rational magnitude (either fraction or decimal) was predictive of whole number computation, supporting the central role of rational number learning. However, the precise relation varied, indicating that cross-national differences in rational number instruction can influence the nature of the relation between understanding fraction and decimal magnitude and mathematics achievement. The relation between proportional reasoning and whole number computation was fully mediated by rational magnitude understanding, suggesting that a key mechanism for how reasoning about rational magnitude supports mathematics achievement: proportional reasoning supports the development of an accurate spatial representation of magnitude that can be flexibly and proportionally scaled, which in turn supports children’s mathematics learning. Together, these findings support using measurement models and spatial scaling strategies when teaching fractions and decimals.