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This paper addresses doctor-patient communication about C-sections (CSs) in Shanghai, China. Specifically, we examine the information discrepancies between obstetricians' and patients' perceptions of CS and the important factors affecting shared decision-making. We conducted semi-structured individual interviews with 12 postnatal women who experienced CS and with 12 obstetricians. We identified barriers to patient-doctor communication and shared decision-making: obstetricians' lack of time in outpatient prenatal visits to explain the implications of CSs, family members' knowledge and opinions on CSs, and information from media and social networks. The lack of communication between the expectant women and the obstetricians was driving the women's distrust in the latter. The lack of obstetricians' time to communicate with the pregnant woman led to low trust in the medical staff and overutilization of CS, whereas a lack of financial resources led to underutilization of CS. The obstetricians suggested providing expectant women with more education programs and midwifery support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need for agile governance to effectively address and prevent future global crises. Scholars have examined China's grid system and its application by local governments in controlling the spread of COVID-19. Our research supports these findings, and we further argue that the grid system enhances responsiveness, inclusiveness, and transparency in governance, thereby benefiting both the government and its citizens. Through a detailed case study of grid governance in the M District of Shanghai from July 2020 to August 2022, we explore the operational mechanisms of the grid system. By incorporating the safety valve theory, we propose that the community grid, the smallest administrative unit in China, functions as an institution to issue pre-emptive warnings, integrate communities, and alleviate pressures during times of crisis, contributing to governance agility. As grid governance has constantly been strengthened, this research not only advances our comprehension of the effectiveness of grassroots governance in China, but also offers valuable insights pertaining to crisis management in mega-cities worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite rapid economic growth in China since 1978, rural-urban inequality has widened. High levels of socioeconomic inequality can have profound implications for child development and lifelong educational equity. Using a dataset containing early childhood development (ECD) outcomes of 0- to 3-year-olds (N = 9,053) from study sites in Eastern, Central, and Western China, the study finds that the risks of cognitive, language, and motor delay are, respectively, 43.2, 18.3, and 20.7 percentage points higher in rural study sites than in urban Shanghai (ps <.01). Impact evaluation of cluster-randomized experiments shows that parental training (focusing on child psychosocial stimulation and caregiver-child interaction) can improve parenting beliefs and practices (or investments) and ECD outcomes of disadvantaged rural children (p<.01). Such programs can play an important role in advancing progress toward more social equality and economic equity, the stated goals of China's "Common Prosperity" policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]