Search

The market power of monopolies can severely restrict citizens' freedom of choice. In the case of utilities, often portrayed as natural monopolies, such power may result in high prices and unreliable or absent services, especially in marginalized communities such as low-income neighborhoods or remote rural villages. While government regulation has been the traditional remedy to curb natural monopolies' power, in this paper, we address a different solution: monopoly bypassing through collective action. We present two types of monopoly bypassing—partial and complete—through the lens of civic wealth creation (CWC): the generation of social, economic, and communal endowments that benefit communities. Through our analysis of three water and sanitation utility services cases, we demonstrate how CWC is used to catalyze the collective action of engaged citizens to effectively bypass monopoly power. The cases highlight the three stakeholder categories involved in CWC initiatives—communities, enterprises, and regimes of support—and illustrate how they act collectively to provide credible market-based solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper advances a general and unified framework to explain the patterns of entry in an industry. The specificity of a type of entrant is examined based on the match between the entrant's prior experience, in terms of knowledge endowment, and the target industry context. The knowledge endowment is analyzed by focusing on its content—market, technological, organizational, and scientific—and its generic and specific nature. The target industry context is examined by looking at four basic dimensions: the stage of development of the target industry (the time dimension); the specific technological regime and related innovation patterns (the technological dimension); the demand regime (the demand dimension); and the institutional regime (the institutional dimension). These dimensions moderate the matching between the knowledge endowment of the type of entrants and the features of the industrial contexts. Our newly proposed taxonomy offers a more systematic and nuanced explanation of how the complex relationship between pre-entry experience and knowledge, entrants and the chosen target industry evolves over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We discuss that entry can be considered from various levels of analysis: entrepreneur-level, firm-level, and also at higher levels of aggregation, such as the industry-level and country-level. We also formulate a list of six challenges for econometric studies of firm entry, highlighting the data sources, typical empirical setups, potential sources of bias, and appropriate econometric techniques. While progress can be made with sophisticated econometric estimators, a pressing need for entry studies concerns detailed data on the gestation process, entry modes, and the value of resource endowments and knowledge endowments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After decades, dialogues on human resource management (HRM), intellectual capital (IC), and ambidexterity still continue, mirroring that the role of ambidextrous capability in translating the impact of HRM into superior performance remains unclarified. At this juncture, the current study proposes a novel theoretical framework to extend research on the relationship between IC‐enhancing HR practices and innovation. It is done sophisticatedly by examining how firm exploitative and exploratory capabilities mediate the relationship between different combinations of HR configurations and firm innovation. To this end, we designed rigorous time‐lagged research with three waves of data collection from the Iranian healthcare sector. Our analyses revealed that firm explorative and exploitative capabilities significantly mediate the relationship between human, social, and organizational capital‐enhancing HR configurations and firm innovation. More conspicuously, by unraveling interaction patterns among distinct HR configurations, our study revealed the intricacies of the functioning of IC‐enhancing HR practices in fueling firm ambidexterity. Hence, our study offers design options to navigate through exploitation and exploration in light of the firm's core innovation strategy. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of our findings and suggest future research avenues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Between 2006 and 2016 the prevalence of overweight and obesity among children and adolescents aged 5–19 years in Peru increased from 22.7 to 27.0%. This investment case quantifies the economic impacts of childhood and adolescent overweight and obesity in Peru. It identifies and quantifies the potential impact of a set of new or expanded interventions that can strengthen current national efforts to prevent and reduce child and adolescent overweight and obesity. Methods: A deterministic Markov cohort model with a societal cost perspective estimated reductions in mortality and morbidity from implementing interventions to prevent and reduce child and adolescent overweight and obesity and the impact in savings in healthcare costs and gains in wages and productivity. Interventions identified through a review of published literature includes a school-based social marketing campaign, exclusive breastfeeding promotion and support, a healthy food and drink policy for school premises, and a 20% subsidy on fruits and vegetables for people living below the national poverty line. The return on investment (ROI) was calculated along with the estimated cost savings associated with the interventions. Analysis was conducted to test ROI sensitivity to changes in the key parameters and assumptions. Results: Between 2025 and 2092, the expected combined direct and indirect healthcare costs attributable to child and adolescent overweight and obesity in Peru are 210.6 billion USD. The direct healthcare costs are 1.8 billion USD, and the indirect costs are 208.8 billion USD. Expected savings for all interventions combined is 13.9 billion USD with a per-person savings of 12,089.8 USD. The expected ROI of the four interventions combined is 39.3 USD (30-years), 64.6 USD (50-years), and 164.1 USD (66-years) per one USD invested. Conclusions: The overweight and obesity epidemic among children and adolescents in Peru requires wide-ranging and expanded implementation of policies to achieve long-term reductions in prevalence. This study's findings show that the four priority interventions have high ROIs and can be used to guide policy to address the complex interplay of factors that contribute to the obesogenic environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Determine relationships between college students' student loan presence and self-rated physical and mental health, major medical problems, mental health conditions, physical, dental, and mental health care visits and delays, and medication use and reductions. Participants: A total of 3,248 undergraduates at two regional public U.S. universities, surveyed Spring 2017. Methods: OLS and Logistic regression. Results: Loan presence was related to significantly worse self-rated physical and mental health and more major medical problems, but not to mental health conditions, or physical or mental health medication use. Respondents with loans were less likely to visit the dentist and more likely to report delaying medical, dental, and mental health care, and reducing medication use to save money. Conclusions: Results provide evidence of health and health care use divides among college students by loan presence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To understand the assistive product (AP) related needs, unmet needs, demands and barriers of older adults (OA) this study addresses older adults in Tompkins County, NY. Methods: This quantitative cross-sectional descriptive research study used the World Health Organization's rapid Assistive Technology Assessment (rATA). A convenience sample of adults 65 or older in Tompkins County, NY. were surveyed to understand their need for AP, access to it and satisfaction with it. Results: The mean age of the 102 respondents was 73 (SD=6.91). Ninety-five % of participants reported currently using an AP. The findings reveal that while OA are using AP in their everyday lives, barriers to getting the AP that they need remain. While 49% of participants had difficulty with their cognition, the use of AP for cognitive support was only reported by 10 % of the participants. Additionally, there are many different types of AP being used by older adults. These products not only assist users with impairments included on the survey such as hearing, vision, mobility, etc. but with other concerns such as comfort, safety, and injury prevention. One limitation of our study was that we utilized a convenience snowball method to recruit participants in a local area and thus the findings cannot be generalized beyond the study. Conclusion: OA identify both the need for AP that they do not have and a variety of barriers including lack of knowledge and funding for AP that interferes with their obtaining it. Ongoing research is needed to further understand the AT related needs of this growing population as there are many different areas in rehabilitation where work is needed to increase access to AP. IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION: Increasing awareness of options, improving funding, designing assistive products (APs) that are safe, and destigmatising the need for APs for older adults (OAs) are critical for those who work in rehabilitation. Continuing research that describes and documents the changing assistive technology needs of the OA population is critical as this group continues to grow and change. In this study, more OAs reported having cognitive disabilities than other impairments. Increasing access to APs for this group is important. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To identify correlations between demographic, health-related, environmental factors and the employment status of power wheelchair (PWC) users. Method: We retrospectively analysed semi-structured interviews with 128 participants, their assistants or family members, and the participant's provided medical records. Participants were adult PWC users who applied for grants in purchasing a new PWC for gaining or keeping employment between 2019–2021 in Mazovian Province, Poland. Results: Forty-six PWC users (35.9%) were employed while applying for the financial support programme. Fischer's Exact Test of Independence identified positive correlations between employment and education level (p < 0.001), residing in an urban area (p = 0.02), being employed before starting PWC use (p < 0.001), having vocational rehabilitation (p < 0.001), and living in a relationship (p = 0.002). There were no associations between employment status and sex, age at study entry, age at disability onset, living alone or with others, duration of PWC use, or full or part-time PWC use. Our findings indicate that PWC users are at risk of non-employment and financial hardship. This research may support policies for PWC provision that would support gainful employment. The results show that access to quality education, vocational rehabilitation, and perhaps the physical/emotional support from others in close relationships matter. These aspects should be considered in educational policies, transportation, and physical environmental accessibility for PWC users, supporting their gainful employment. IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION: Paid employment is recognised for its positive impact on the financial situation, health, and overall life satisfaction of power wheelchair users. Rehabilitation professionals can play a crucial role in facilitating the attainment and maintenance of employment throughout the clinical process. Educating power wheelchair users with factors conducive to supporting their employment, such as pursuing advanced education, utilising vocational rehabilitation services, residing in urban areas, fostering meaningful social relationships, and drawing upon previous employment experiences, may improve outcomes. Sex, age, disability cause, duration of disability, and reliance on a power wheelchair as the primary mode of mobility were found to be unrelated to employment status among power wheelchair users. Further investigation into the needs of the power wheelchair user population in their pursuit of gainful employment is justified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although assistive technology (AT) is recognized as a basic human right, access to AT, and particularly electronic aids to daily living (EADL), is limited. We aimed to understand how persons with high level spinal cord injury (SCI) prioritize EADL needs and assess satisfaction and efficacy of self-identified EADL. Thus, in this case series, we recruited three participants with C4, C5 or C6 SCI receiving in-patient SCI rehabilitation. Each received dedicated occupational therapy-based assistance in identifying EADL items within an unrestricted envelope of support ($5000 CDN) for use in maximizing physical independence and supporting their return to community-based living. Items identified were categorized by need (emergency/security; home environment control; or virtual access to the outside world). Each participant selected distinct EADL. Evaluation of selected EADL items indicated very high satisfaction. The selected EADL contributed to participants' returns to employment, community life, or reduced requirements for attendant services. These findings suggest that identification of essential technology should reflect the unique needs of each person and the context in which it will be used. These findings also support use of mainstream technology to meet EADL needs of individuals with limited physical abilities. IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION: Initial spinal cord injury (SCI) rehabilitation should provide individualized identification and selection of electronic aids for daily living (EADL) for those with very minimal arm and hand function, including mainstream voice-activated technologies, to increase independence and function. Individualized self-selection of EADL, rather than general prescription-based provision of EADL, is most appropriate for identifying key EADL that will enhance function and independence in the community. Support from occupational therapists with expertise in SCI rehabilitation can provide expertise in identifying and setting up EADL, including in the community, to ensure selected EADL function as intended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The elderly population faces reduced levels of health and performance, which necessitates the use of rehabilitation assistive technologies to maximize functional independence in daily activities. This study aimed to explain the experiences of the elderly regarding the use of rehabilitation assistive technologies based on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology. Methods: The present study was a qualitative study of the type of content analysis that was conducted in the city of Hamadan in 2022. Participants included 20 elderly aged 60 years or above who were selected as a purposive sample and subjected to individual semi-structured in-depth interviews. Data were analyzed using directed qualitative content analysis based on Hsieh and Shannon's approach. Data were coded using MAXQDA software (MAXQDA Analytics Pro 2020, VERBI GmbH Berlin). Results: According to the results, 260 primary codes were extracted, and they were classified into five predetermined categories of the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology, including performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, facilitating conditions, and behavioral intention, as well as two new categories of technology anxiety and perceived need for technology. After extracting 260 primary codes based on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology, 75 sub-categories were identified in 14 main categories. Conclusion: The themes obtained from the study indicate the necessity of providing the required conditions to maintain the complete independence and health of the elderly and strengthen their morale. The results can be helpful in the development of support strategies for family members, healthcare providers, and policymakers. IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION: Assistive rehabilitation technologies include low-tech assistive technologies. The use of assistive rehabilitation technologies is a potential solution to improve balance, quality of life, and increase activity and functional independence in the elderly. Since peers play a very important role as technology advocates in the intention to accept and use assistive technologies, the expression of the experiences and views of the elderly can encourage and support the use of assistive rehabilitation technologies by other elderly. This study found that the use of assistive rehabilitation technologies by the elderly is a relatively complex issue with various personal, social, economic, cultural and physical aspects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The psychological study of resilience has increasingly underscored the need for children and families to access material and psychological resources to positively adapt to significant stress. Redistributive policies—policies that downwardly reallocate society's social and economic resources—can offer economically disadvantaged families sustained access to these resources and mitigate the harmful impacts of adversity. This conceptual article builds upon and integrates insights from psychological and policy research to develop a unifying multilevel resilience framework, which we call the Social Determinants of Resilience. We examine four U.S. redistributive policies that have been extensively studied for their effects on child and family outcomes as case studies: (1) Medicaid expansion; (2) the Earned Income Tax Credit; (3) childcare subsidies; and (4) Temporary Assistance for Needy Families. Informed by a scoping review of each policy, we propose that redistributive policies promote children's resilience through three mechanisms by (1) increasing families' resource and service access; (2) reducing family stress; and (3) enhancing adaptive cognitions, emotions, behaviors, and interpersonal processes that protect against the development of psychopathology and promote positive mental health outcomes. Highlighting current evidence for these resilience mechanisms as well as gaps in knowledge, we conclude by setting a multidisciplinary research agenda that can leverage this conceptual framework to advance the science on how redistributive policies enable children and families to thrive. Public Significance Statement: Policies that support economically disadvantaged families such as Medicaid expansion, the Earned Income Tax Credit, childcare subsidies, and the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program mitigate adversity and promote children's resilience. This article proposes a conceptual framework for how psychological and policy research on resilience can be integrated to identify the mechanisms through which these policies promote the human capacity to thrive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early literacy promotion in pediatric primary care supports parents and caregivers reading with their children from birth, offering counseling in interactive, developmentally appropriate strategies and providing developmentally and culturally appropriate and appealing children's books. This technical report reviews the evidence that reading with young children supports language, cognitive, and social-emotional development. Promoting early literacy in pediatric primary care offers a strengths-based strategy to support families in creating positive childhood experiences, which strengthen early relational health. An increasing body of evidence, reviewed in this report, shows that clinic-based literacy promotion, provided with fidelity to an evidence-based model, has benefits for children, for parents and caregivers, and for pediatric physicians and advanced care providers as well. Reading with young children supports early brain development and the neural "reading network," and improves school readiness. High-quality literacy promotion is especially essential for children who face disparities and inequities because of social factors, systemic racism, and socioeconomic risk. All families benefit from high-quality and diverse books and from developmentally appropriate guidance supporting interactions around books and stories. Thus, literacy promotion can be a universal primary prevention strategy to strengthen families and support healthy development. Partnerships at community, local, and state levels offer opportunities for integration with other programs, services, and platforms. Literacy promotion in primary care pediatric practice, recognized by the AAP as an essential component since 2014, has become increasingly common. There are successful models for public funding at federal, state, county, and municipal levels, but sustainable funding, including payment to pediatric physicians and advanced care providers, remains a need so that the benefits of pediatric early literacy promotion and the joys of books and shared reading can truly be offered on a population level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. By 2023, 1,080,000 cases of COVID-19 have been reported in Harris County. Systemic inequity and vaccine hesitancy have contributed to COVID-19 disparities. Community Health Workers provide health education and instrumental support to alleviate health disparities among vulnerable communities. We conducted an analysis of Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) analysis in June 2022 among a broad coalition of Community Health Work stakeholders to better understand the local landscape in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods. We recruited 33 community health workers and industry stakeholders in Harris County, Texas, to participate in the SWOT analysis. Participants were asked to describe their opinions on the SWOT facing the Community Health Work landscape and then rank the outcomes of the analysis to prioritize action. Results. A total of 19 themes were identified. Weaknesses included lack of respect and resources for Community Health Workers and poor coordination and capacity among the workforce infrastructure. Limited funding and lack of appreciation for Community Health Workers were deemed important threats. Diversity and community connection were critical strengths, and strong education, training, and raising awareness for community health work were considered opportunities to overcome identified weaknesses and threats. Discussion. Increased funding, greater coordination, greater respect, and amplified training can improve capacity for Community Health Workers and, therefore, improve public health outcomes for respiratory illness and viral infections such as COVID-19. This analysis helps fill an important research gap on the topic Community Health Workers responding to public health crises with racially disparate outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is evidence of an overall decline in women's mental health, particularly those with young children, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, research has also found heterogeneity in women's mental health responses. This longitudinal study sampled low-income women with young children by recruiting from the government's child care financial subsidy waitlist. To examine heterogeneity in women's mental health responses to COVID-19, a latent transition analysis was employed to identify profiles of anxiety, depression, and stress among 289 low-income mothers. Using these identified profiles, we examined the transitional patterns between profiles before and during COVID-19 and the sociodemographic and familial factors related to these profiles. A three-profile solution was identified prior to COVID-19 and a four-profile solution during COVID-19, with some profiles exhibiting qualitatively different defining characteristics. Latent transition analyses found diverse patterns of mental health changes after the onset of COVID-19. Mothers with better mental health prior to COVID-19 tended to have the most stable mental health during COVID-19. In contrast, mothers who were highly stressed prior to COVID-19 were equally likely to improve or decline after the onset of the pandemic. In addition, the relationships between race, parenting practices, child temperament, and child mental health were significantly related to mothers' mental health profiles. These findings describe mothers' experiences and areas where policymakers and practitioners can tailor support to low-income women with young children. Significance: What is already known on this subject?: There is a bidirectional relationship between maternal and child mental health. Child and maternal mental health challenges increased, on average, during the COVID-19 pandemic. What this study adds?: A person-centred longitudinal approach is an effective tool for identifying maternal mental health profiles over time. It provides a more nuanced understanding of how mothers' mental health is impacted. Low-income mothers' responses to the pandemic were heterogeneous and did not uniformly decline as previously (majorly) reported. In addition, poor maternal and child mental health and difficult child temperament pre-COVID-19 were risk factors for poor mental health trajectories in mothers from low-income families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AIM This qualitative study aimed to identify effective retention strategies for Native American nursing students. BACKGROUND Native Americans are underrepresented in nursing and health education programs, comprising only 1.3 percent of the nursing workforce in the United States. METHOD A basic qualitative design grounded in self-determination theory was used to solicit narrative accounts from 12 Native American nursing students. RESULTS Semistructured interviews revealed three themes: nursing program experience, methods to enhance persistence, and hindrances to persistence. Social support emerged as a critical factor, with participants emphasizing the significance of cultural awareness activities, safety classes, and celebrations fostering a sense of belonging. CONCLUSION The study found that social support, financial aid, and cultural awareness are essential for Native American nursing students to succeed. Limited resources and online learning challenges are barriers that need to be addressed. Tailored support systems, financial assistance, and culturally responsive education can enhance retention and success rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Burgess et al. (2016) emphasized the importance of parental support in youth sports as they provide financial, informational, and emotional support to the youth-athlete. Parents also play a "significant role in shaping youth sport experiences" (Sheridan et al., 2014, p. 198). Research around parental support has been conducted in sports such as tennis, gymnastics, and football. The aim of the present study was to examine the parents' perspective of parental support in female youth golf, exploring how they support their female youth golfers, and if the support changes through their child's development. Twenty-two semi structured interviews were conducted with parents (14 fathers, 10 mothers) of high-performance female golfers in the specializing or investment stages of Côté's (1999) DMSP. Participants were recruited from six countries (England, Ireland, Scotland, New Zealand, Australia, Canada). Using thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2012) six higher order themes were identified, namely, parental support: emotional, practical, technical, financial, organizational, and reflective support. The results align with the grounded theory of parental support (Burke et al., 2023a) providing an insight into the parents' perspective of providing support aligning with informational, emotional, and instrumental support of the theory. Furthermore, the current research presented novel findings regarding reflective support that parents provide. Findings highlighted that parental support changed depending on temporal differences (place in the golf season) and their daughter's development. The present research reinforces the need to provide support programs for parents based on their needs, rather than programs designed from a governing body or coaches perspective. Lay summary: Parents perspective of parental support and associated temporal changes were explored in female youth golf. Six themes of support were identified: emotional, practical, technical, financial, organizational, and reflective support. Changes in parental support were dependent on their daughter's development (level of maturity or level of play) and the time of year differences. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Sport psychologists can build upon the current findings when assisting the development of youth athletes, by involving the parent in managing emotions for their child-athlete but also providing some help for how parents may manage their own emotions to avoid having a negative impact on their youth athlete. Findings can be applied by practitioners, governing bodies, and sporting organizations to develop and implement suitable assistance for parents based on the needs of parents and to assist with the changes in support that occur when supporting their youth athlete. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

I use a dictator game, with a preceding production phase, to explore how different sources of unearned inequality influence distribution decisions. The experiment introduces three inequalities: (1) inequality due to investment success, (2) inequality of initial endowments, and (3) inequality in a real-effort task requirement for receiving the initial endowment. I find that participants in rural Ghana respect each inequality, adjusting their allocation decisions in response to investment success, the distribution of initial endowments, and the effort requirement. Their distributional preferences suggest an interaction between the sources where those with high initial endowments are more likely to respect project success outcomes. Moreover, participants demonstrate a self-serving bias in fairness preferences, where those with high initial endowments and successful projects are more likely to respect inequality. Finally, I find a significant increase in self-allocations when participants must exert effort to receive their endowment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Family caregivers experience health, financial, and social burdens related to caregiving responsibilities. North Carolina has an estimated 1.3 million caregivers, equating to a value of $13.1 billion per year. Caregiving demands warrant additional understanding of the caregiver lived experiences. Our objective was to document these North Carolina caregiver experiences during the era of COVID-19 through focus groups. Participants were recruited through diverse community organizations. All 44 caregivers who completed interest solicitation surveys were invited to participate; 29 caregivers participated across 11 groups. Thematic analysis was used to code and synthesize transcripts from each participant using Dedoose software and guided by the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research (COREQ). Themes included: caregiver routines (caregiving as an all-encompassing role; dimensions of support); most challenging parts (exhaustion and defeat; lacking support; evolving relationships); most rewarding parts (care recipient resilience; quality time; sense of purpose); social service and healthcare system interactions (positive interactions; negative interactions; inaccessible services); COVID-19 impacts on caregiving (opportunities; challenges); and caregiver suggestions for system improvements (increasing financial support; improved coordination; ideological shifts). Caregivers shared unmet needs, challenges, and opportunities for improvement. Examining these needs and experience-informed recommendations can help advance additional caregiving research, policy-making, and program development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although financial trust has been modeled as a critical predictor of retirement financial planning activities, insufficient understanding has been developed concerning the relationship between financial trust and the effectiveness of the model of retirement financial planning. This current research creatively evaluated the moderating role of financial trust in the model of retirement financial planning in a sample of young working adults in Shanghai and Shenzhen, China (N = 422). Results presented evidence to support financial trust strengthened the pathways in the model of retirement financial planning. For example, social support was positively and significantly linked to retirement financial behaviors in the subsample reporting high financial trust but not among those with low trust; Risk tolerance was positively and significantly associated with retirement financial planning behaviors in the high-trust subsample but not in the low-trust subsample; Future time perspectives positively and significantly connected to retirement goal clarity in the high-trust but not low-trust respondents. Our findings improve the understanding of the model of retirement financial planning by increasing its complexity and providing new entry points to enhance retirement financial planning, namely promoting financial trust among the public. The results also propose a potential mechanism that can be used to explain how manipulation of financial trust will lead to better retirement financial planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-conflict divorce proceedings in Turkey typically span 2 years but can extend to 6, reinforcing the perception that institutional violence against women has been widespread under the conservative Justice and Development Party's 20-year rule. This study poses two primary research questions: (1) What are the legal, sociocultural, financial, and psychological experiences of high-conflict divorced women? (2) Which statutory social services could women access during and after the high-conflict divorce process? Employing a feminist qualitative research approach, this study draws on 20 semi-structured interviews with women in Istanbul who have undergone high-conflict divorces. The goal is to understand these women's experiences and pinpoint the disparities between their needs and the support available from statutory social services. The findings illuminate the challenges women face while dealing with patriarchal norms within societal, cultural, and financial realms amid the divorce process. Additionally, the study reveals the inadequacies of current family-oriented services and emphasizes the urgent need for women's rights-based support, including psychosocial, legal, and financial assistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

CarePortal allows community members to partner with the Division of Family and Child Services and make donations intended to prevent children from entering foster care or support current foster/kinship placements. This paper builds on the existing literature to estimate the average, per-child economic impact of preventing a child's entering care ($83,270.54) and the economic impact of one dollar donated to strengthen an existing foster placement ($2.20). These estimates were used to evaluate the economic impact of all CarePortal donations in Glynn County, Georgia, in FY2021, a total of $5,704,451.92, impacting 97 children and helping strengthen 19 foster/kinship homes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives. To describe 4 unique models of operationalizing wastewater-based surveillance (WBS) for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in jails of graduated sizes and different architectural designs. Methods. We summarize how jails of Cook County, Illinois (average daily population [ADP] 6000); Fulton County, Georgia (ADP 3000); Middlesex County, Massachusetts (ADP 875); and Washington, DC (ADP 1600) initiated WBS between 2020 and 2023. Results. Positive signals for SARS-CoV-2 via WBS can herald a new onset of infections in previously uninfected jail housing units. Challenges implementing WBS included political will and realized value, funding, understanding the building architecture, and the need for details in the findings. Conclusions. WBS has been effective for detecting outbreaks of SARS-CoV-2 in different sized jails, those with both dorm- and cell-based architectural design. Public Health Implications. Given its effectiveness in monitoring SARS-CoV-2, WBS provides a model for population-based surveillance in carceral facilities for future infectious disease outbreaks. (Am J Public Health. 2024;114(11):1232–1241. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2024.307785) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Competition and cooperation are not always at odds and contributions to public goods are almost never one‐off one‐shot temporally isolated events. We examine voluntary contribution in a new public good experiment where "self‐love" competitive motivations and time dynamic interdependencies are simultaneously considered. The competitive motivations are manipulated via subjects competing in each group (intragroup competition) for higher return factors on their public expenditure, whereas time dynamic interdependencies are modeled by letting returns from previous periods available for future contributions to public goods (CG). We ran two control conditions where intragroup competition (C) and time dynamic interdependencies (G) are separately implemented. Our findings showed that shares of endowment contributed were significantly greater and increasing over time when endowments growth and heterogeneous returns factors were simultaneously introduced. This effect can be attributed to return factors obtained in previous periods. Accordingly, wealth exponential growth has been greatly accelerated relative to our control condition. Distributive equity concerns have been also documented. Although Gini coefficients were significantly lower in the presence of heterogeneous return factors and endowments growth, inequality trends seemed to converge at control condition values in the long term. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The importance of pharmacovigilance (PV) in ensuring drug safety, especially in the detection and prevention of adverse drug reactions (ADRs) is critical. However, PV activities in Nigeria still face many challenges, such as very low spontaneous reporting rates, and inadequate training and funding. This study assessed the state of pharmacovigilance in the federal capital territory of Nigeria (FCT), using WHO pharmacovigilance indicators. Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey was carried out among secondary healthcare facilities in the FCT. The WHO Pharmacovigilance Indicators Questionnaire, which consists of the structural, process and outcome measures, was used to collect data from the focal person for pharmacovigilance at all the consenting facilities. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize all variables. Ethical approval was obtained from the Ethics Review Committee of the FCT development authority. Results: Of the 14 secondary healthcare facilities in the FCT, 11 agreed to the study (response rate = 84.6%). Among the respondents, 4 (36.4%) were females, and 2 (18.2%) had 9 years of experience in pharmacovigilance. For the core structural indicators, 7 (63.6%) of the facilities had a pharmacovigilance center while only 4 (36.4%) had a copy of the Nigerian pharmacovigilance policy. Regarding financial provisions, 10 (90.9%) hospitals reported that there was no regular financial provision for the center while 10 (90.9%) centers had a standard adverse drug reaction reporting form. For the core process indicators, the mean ± SD of the nine core process indicators ranged from 0.9 ± 3.0 to 75.6 ± 38.6 and the total number of reports in the local database, therapeutic ineffectiveness, and medication error were limited. Conclusion: The assessment of pharmacovigilance activities in the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria revealed significant gaps in infrastructure, financial support, and process implementation. Despite the presence of pharmacovigilance centers in the majority of facilities, the lack of consistent financial support and limited adherence to core process indicators highlight the need for enhanced training, resources, and policy enforcement to improve ADR reporting and overall drug safety monitoring. Strengthening these areas is crucial for advancing pharmacovigilance practices and ensuring patient safety in Nigeria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There are high documented rates of exposure to traumatic events and mental health disorders among youths yet existing disparities in access to care for racial and ethnic minority youths and youths in rural communities. Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) is an evidence-based behavioral health therapy for children. The delivery of TF-CBT via telehealth can decrease access to care barriers. An interdisciplinary clinical team developed a training program to guide clinicians to effectively provide TF-CBT via telehealth. The goal of this study was to describe variation in implementation processes of the telehealth TF-CBT program and identify barriers and facilitators to program implementation post-training, which were utilized to develop implementation strategies for intervention sustainability. Methods: Using a mixed-methods approach, data were collected on telehealth implementation processes and facilitators and barriers to the delivery of telehealth TF-CBT. This study was guided by an adapted implementation science framework, namely the Exploration, Preparation, Implementation, Sustainment model. Interviews and surveys were completed with clinical site leaders who had participated in the telehealth TF-CBT training. Results: Throughout clinical sites, there was varied adoption and penetration of the telehealth TF-CBT program. Facilitators to implementation included leadership and site staff buy in, community needs, and training resources, while barriers included funding, available logistical resources, and child and family involvement. Conclusions: The feedback gained from this project assisted in the development of implementation strategies for increased adoption and sustainment of TF-CBT delivered via telehealth. Strategies include ongoing interactive assistance and resource support, enhanced training for stakeholders, and program adaptations, with the goal to increase access to quality mental health care for underserved populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The virtual water strategy (VWS) is an effective tool to balance regional water resource endowments and guarantee water supply security. However, because of self‐interested games around VWS (human decision bias), there is a need for methods to maintain reliable cooperation between governments, virtual water (VW) enterprises and research institutions. This study builds a multi‐agent evolutionary game model to analyse the relationship of players and their impacts on VWS through changing decision mechanisms and the paths to enhance their confidence in cooperation. Considering differences in initial willingness to cooperate and changing factors affecting payoffs, an evolutionary game can produce changing stable equilibriums or stable cooperations, even if some players are reluctant to cooperate. Therefore, to promote the development of VWS, a multistep support mechanism can be built for the VW industry, which fosters model enterprises and optimizes the cooperation framework to stimulate research innovations at scientific institutions. Highlights: Traditional virtual water strategy (VWS) studies ignored the specific implementation and stakeholder game issues.A multi‐agent evolutionary game model is built to analyse the stable states and decision mechanisms for VWS.The payoffs of each game player will affect its strategy choice and the speed of model evolution.It is clearly possible for the stakeholders to form a stable equilibrium of long‐term cooperation around the VWS.Changing the factors of one game player may indirectly lead to changes in the strategies of other players. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Community health programs (CHPs) are integral components of primary health care (PHC) systems and support the delivery of primary care and allied health and nursing care services. CHPs are necessary platforms for delivering health services toward universal health coverage (UHC). There are limited prior studies on comprehensive evidence synthesis on how CHPs strengthen community health systems for the demand and supply of PHC services. Therefore, this scoping review synthesized existing evidence on the interlinkage between CHPs and the community health system and beyond for delivering and utilising PHC services toward UHC. Methods: We conducted a scoping review of research articles on CHPs. We identified research articles in six databases (PubMed/Medline, CINAHL, Scopus, Cochrane, Web of Science, and Embase) and Google Scholar using search terms under three concepts: CHPs, PHC, and UHC. Of the 3836 records identified, 1407 duplicates were removed, and 2346 were removed based on titles and abstracts. A total of 83 articles were eligible for the full-text review; of them, 18 articles were removed with reasons, and the other 16 were included through hand search. Themes were identified and explained using Sacks and colleagues' "Beyond the Building Block" framework. Results: A total of 81 studies were included in the final review. Studies described CHPs as foundations for community health system readiness for PHC services, including decentralization in the health sector, community-controlled governance, resource mobilization, ensuring health commodities (e.g., through community pharmacies), and information evidence. These foundational inputs mediate the actions of CHPs by partnership with community organizations and health workforces (e.g., community health workers). CHPs contributed to improved access to health services by providing health services in public health emergencies, affordable and comprehensive care, and modifying social determinants of health. Conclusions: CHPs are platforms for implementing and delivering PHC services close to communities. They help to modify social determinants of health, promote health and wellbeing, reduce care costs, prevent disease progression, and reduce hospitalisation rates. CHPs are integral parts of community health systems and require investment to improve access to PHC services. Gaps and challenges of CHPs include inadequate funding, limited engagement of the private sector, poor quality of health services, and limited focus on non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Further implementation research is needed to mitigate the burden of NCDs. Health systems efforts focus on increasing resources (e.g., financial and human) required in CHPs to ensure the quality of PHC services provided through CHPs toward better service access, and reaching the unreached and achieve equity and universality of PHC services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Decentralisation has increasingly been adopted by countries as an important health sector reform aimed at increasing community participation in decision making while enhancing swift response at decentralised levels, to accelerate the attainment of health system goals. Kenya adopted a devolved system of government where health services delivery became a function of the 47 semi-autonomous county governments with planning and budgeting functions practised at both levels of government. This study sought to explore challenges facing health sector planning and budgeting and how they affect immunisation service delivery at the county level. Methods: Data were collected through 77 in-depth interviews of senior county department of health officials across 15 counties in Kenya. We applied an inductive thematic approach in analysing the qualitative data using NVIVO software. Findings: The study found a lack of alignment between planning and budgeting processes, with planning being more inclusive compared to budgeting. Inadequate capacity in conducting planning and budgeting and political interference were reported to hinder the processes. Limited budget allocations and delayed and untimely disbursement of funds were reported to affect execution of health and immunisation budgets. Low prioritisation of preventive health interventions like immunisation due to their perceived intangibility influenced resource allocation to the programs. Conclusion: The findings highlight the need for effective strategies to align planning and budgeting processes, increased technical support to counties to enhance the requisite capacity, and efforts to improve budget execution to improve budget credibility. Counties should plan to increase their funding commitment toward immunisation to ensure sustainability of the program as Kenya transitions from GAVI support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The single-child issue is a significant contributor to population decline, which adversely affects both parents and children. Despite government-approved incentives, the single-child problem remains a major population challenge. This study was conducted to explore the perceptions and experiences of single-child couples regarding childbearing incentives. Methods: This qualitative study used conventional content analysis and was performed on 21 single-child couples in Mashhad, North East Iran, selected through purposive sampling from urban health centers. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews until saturation was reached. The data were analyzed using the Elo and Kyngas (J Adv Nurs 62(1):107-15, 2008. 10.1111/j.1365-2648.2007.04569.x) method with MaxQDA10 software. Results: Two generic categories emerged from the data analysis including (1) "Advertising and providing information as an influencing factor to encourage childbearing", which included two subcategories of "Attention to the key lever of advertising" and "Necessity of adopting advertising policies and creating a culture of respecting maternal role", and (2) "Focusing on effective incentive policies", which consisted of three subcategories of "Adopting incentive policies to reduce people's financial problems", "Avoiding punitive policies" and "Need to adopt incentive policies for working women and elites". Conclusions: Incentive policies should focus on the culture building of the general public, implementing effective incentive policies, and addressing economic challenges, particularly for specific groups such as working women and higher education students. In addition, a public mobilization effort is needed to effectively implement population laws. Plain English summary: Single-child issue is a challenge, being a cause of population decline, and poses adverse effects on both parents and children. Various childbearing incentive policies exist, but single-child couples' perceptions regarding these incentives have been less explored. To encourage childbearing, it is crucial to implement effective advertising and information release among the target groups, based on respecting the maternal role and addressing conflicting attitudes towards the influence of employment and education on maternal role. Avoiding punitive policies, using financial incentive policies to reduce people's financial burdens and being ensured of their implementation, and adopting incentives to support working women and elites (female students in higher education), would be among the effective fertility incentives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Questions: What are the current barriers and facilitators to the role of ED physiotherapists? How do ED physiotherapists believe their role may be optimised within the context of the ED? Design: Mixed methods study using a cross sectional survey. Participants: Australian physiotherapists currently providing services to patients within an Australian emergency department. Intervention: N/A. Outcome measures: The survey included questions related to the level of integration of ED physiotherapy into emergency department teams and wider health system, and open answer questions to identify the factors which impact and influence ED physiotherapy practice, and the future of ED physiotherapy. Results: 1 - Organisational culture, 2 - training and credentialling, 3 - governance, legislation and policies, 4 - funding, and 5 - advocacy and research were the five major themes generated from participant comments on existing facilitators and barriers to their role and the role of ED physiotherapists nationally. Six themes were generated from participant comments regarding the strategies to overcome barriers and facilitate an increased contribution by ED physiotherapists in the future: 1 - Training opportunities and specialisation pathways, 2 - Organisational culture, 3 - Governance, legislation and policies, 4 - Funding, 5 - Advocacy, 6 - Medicolegal Risks. Conclusion: Australian emergency department physiotherapists perceive their roles and emergency physiotherapy service provision to be impacted by complex and multi-factorial influences. The overall contribution of ED physiotherapy is susceptible to influence from non-linear interactions of various agents and factors which span all levels of the health system. Trial registration: N/A. Key Messages: What was already known on this topic Very little was previously known regarding the perceptions of ED physiotherapists and how to increase their contribution to emergency department care. ED staff understanding of ED physiotherapy role was previously identified as the main barrier to the ED physiotherapist's role. What this study adds This study demonstrated and details the complex and multifactorial influences which are perceived to impact ED physiotherapists currently and into the future. This research may be used to better inform healthcare redesign and innovation to improve ED physiotherapist's ability to respond to ED workforce shortages and increased demand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research Data Management (RDM) skills encompass a set of abilities needed for RDM services. This study sought to assess the RDM skills of health librarians in Nigeria that can enable the provision of RDM services in health libraries. Employing the descriptive survey method, data was collected using a questionnaire adapted from Federer (2018). Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Among other findings, the results showed that, health librarians are inadequately skilled in RDM. Although they have adequate library and personal skills, these are not enough for rendering RDM services in health libraries in Nigeria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Long COVID is a life‐limiting condition that affects 65 million people worldwide. It devastates lives with uncertain illness trajectories, and yet, there are many research uncertainties as there is a lack of understanding of its causes, effective treatments and management plans. We set out to identify current research priorities for people with Long COVID, carers, healthcare professionals and researchers. Methods: A systematic literature review and previous Long COVID priority‐setting exercises identified three broad under‐researched areas of Long COVID research within the fields of Public Health and Health Services Research: symptoms; managing day‐to‐day life; and the emotional impact of Long COVID. We disseminated an elicitation survey that asked for research questions in these areas; responses were analysed and summarised into 42 research questions. A survey was then disseminated, asking respondents to prioritise these 42 questions. Workshops were held with people with Long COVID, carers, healthcare professionals and researchers to analyse responses and agree the top 10 priorities. Results: The top priorities in order were pharmacological treatment of Long COVID; understanding the pathophysiology; nonpharmacological symptom management; improving public and professional understanding of Long COVID; understanding of the long‐term risks of Long COVID; improving financial and social supports; improving understanding of postviral syndromes; diagnostics; service redesign/pathways; and the well‐being of children with Long COVID. Conclusion: Four years into the pandemic, there is an emphasis on the need for research on treatment, understanding and support for people living with Long COVID. Patient and Public Contribution: People with Long COVID and carers were involved in the study design, survey design, dissemination, data analysis, interpretation and reviewing and editing the manuscript. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of Muslim philanthropy is often described as an emerging, multidisciplinary space of inquiry that takes contemporary Muslim practices of generosity such as giving and volunteering alongside behavioral motivations as objects of analysis. This emerging field follows over a century of knowledge production about Islamic charitable practices and institutions stemming from early orientalist studies of legal texts on endowments to more contemporary sociological and anthropological analyses of ritual exchange and giving across various Muslim‐majority and minority societies and communities. As the study of Muslim philanthropy grows, these two literatures are often brought together in generative, if uneven ways. In this paper, we review key themes and questions in the study of Islamic charity and ask what impact it has had on the study of Muslim philanthropy. This article surveys recent literature on charitable endowments/trusts (waqf), obligatory alms giving (zakat), and "extemporaneous charity" (sadaqa). We end with an analysis of dominant definitions of philanthropy currently used in philanthropic studies to argue that non‐denominational categories like "religious charity" exclude many religious practices that Muslims consider central to their charitable actions and their motivations, a point crucially missing in much philanthropy literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was conducted to determine the relationship between care burden and spiritual well-being of mothers of children with cerebral palsy and the topics of support that mothers need. This study, which was conducted as a relationship seeker, was completed in approximately 7 months. Data were collected through interviews with 270 mothers of children with cerebral palsy. A questionnaire, Spiritual Well-Being Scale and Burden Interview Scale was used to collect data. It was found that mothers needed a lot of support, such as requesting an increase in physical therapy hours and the need for financial support. There was a moderate negative relationship between SWBS and BIS (r = − 0.39, p = 0.01). According to the results of this study, we can say that spiritual well-being is related to the care burden of mothers, so nurses caring for these children should understand the burden of the mothers of these children and evaluate spiritual well-being [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The impact of COVID-19 and its mitigation measures have exacerbated the global mental health crisis. Digital mental health interventions (DMHIs) may have the potential to address health system gaps and global health inequalities in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Aims: This thesis aims to map the current state of DMHIs in Nigeria and illustrate their progress, limitations, and challenges. Methods: Twenty interviews were conducted with researchers, healthcare providers, and digital health experts. Interviews were recorded and transcribed. Then data were coded and analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: The majority of DMHIs in Nigeria are private mental health service delivery platforms that connect directly to mental health professionals. The target audience encompasses all mental health conditions and ages. Advantages of DMHIs include increasing efficiency, accessibility, addressing stigma, and filling the mental health service gap. Disadvantages include skepticism, limitations of applicability, lack of accessibility to internet and technology, lack of sustainability and infrastructure, and lack of funding and policies. Conclusion: The lessons learned in the Nigerian context can inform the delivery of DMHIs in other low-resource settings. Future research should examine user and provider feedback of DMHIs to allow for comparative analysis, more conclusive and replicable results to inform DMHI design and implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The discourse surrounding China's influence in the Middle East and North Africa tends to oscillate between extremes, in some instances portraying China as a burgeoning hegemon poised to displace America's regional primacy, while in others describing its influence as insufficient to effect meaningful change. China has made significant inroads in the region through diplomacy, trade, investment and infrastructure projects, enhancing its economic presence and raising Beijing's profile in regional geopolitics. However, examining the nature of interdependence between China and Middle Eastern nations reveals that China's capabilities, while increasingly formidable, are tempered by equally formidable constraints. Mutual dependencies, regional dynamics, limited hard power, domestic priorities, geography and the agency of regional states all modulate the extent to which China can exercise influence and impose its will. While Beijing's strategy of gradually shifting asymmetries in China's favour certainly warrants scrutiny, undue alarmism and complacency alike could increase the likelihood of faulty assessments and misguided policymaking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the strategies employed by a community hospital in Pennsylvania with designated with the American Nurses Credentialing Center Magnet Recognition Program in helping foster and increase nurse satisfaction. Cited are the benefits of having a shared governance structure at the hospital, the effectiveness of clinical ladder programs (CLP) in increasing nurse engagement, and career advancement opportunities that the hospital provides to its employees.

Aim: To analyse the qualitative evidence on the role of critical care nurses in rapid response teams. Design: Qualitative systematic review. Methods: This qualitative systematic review employed Bettany‐Saltikov and McSherry's guidelines and is reported according to the Enhancing Transparency in Reporting the Synthesis of Qualitative Research checklist. Two pairs of blinded researchers screened the articles. The data were synthesised using a thematic analysis approach. Data Sources: A systematic literature search was conducted using the CINAHL, Embase and MEDLINE databases. Results: Seven studies were included, and three main roles were identified: (1) balancing between confidence and fear in clinical encounters, (2) facilitating collaboration and (3) managing challenging power dynamics in decision‐making. Conclusion: Critical care nurses possess extensive knowledge and skills in providing critical care to patients experiencing deterioration on general wards. They play a vital role in facilitating collaboration between team members and ward staff. Furthermore, within the rapid response team, critical care nurses assume leadership responsibilities by overseeing the comprehensive coordination of patient care and actively engaging in the decision‐making process concerning patient care. Implications for the Profession: Highlighting the central role of critical care nurses in rapid response teams as well such a team's benefits in healthcare organisations can promote applications for funding to support further quality assurance of rapid response teams and thus enhance patient safety. Impact: Health care organisations can assure the quality of rapid response team by providing economical resources and training. The education providers should facilitate and standardise curriculum for critical care nursing students to achieve necessary knowledge and skills as members in rapid response teams. Patient or Public Contribution: No patient or public contribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2017 the Scottish Government passed the Child Poverty (Scotland) Act with the commitment to significantly reduce the relative child poverty rate from the current prevailing level of around 25% to 10% by 2030/31. In response, the government introduced the Scottish Child Payment (SCP) that provides a direct transfer to households at a fixed rate per eligible child – currently £25 per week. In this paper we explore, using a micro to macro modelling approach, the effectiveness of using the SCP to achieve the Scottish child poverty targets. While we find that the ambitious child poverty targets can technically be met solely using the SCP, the necessary payment of £165 per week amounting to a total government cost of £3 billion per year, makes the political and economy-wide barriers significant. A key issue with only using the SCP is the non-linearity in the response to the payment; as the payment increases, the marginal gain in the reduction of child poverty decreases – this is particularly evident after payments of £80 per week. A 'policy-mix' option combining the SCP, targeted cash transfers and other policy levels (such as childcare provision) seems the most promising approach to reaching the child poverty targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many policies target the economic and social consequences of regional inequality. This study experimentally investigates factors explaining the public degree of consent to financial transfers to disadvantaged regions. The main hypothesis of this study is that most people use the deservingness-heuristic not only to judge individuals but also to judge regions. We argue that people advocate interregional transfers based on perceived deservingness determined by recipient region's need, lack of responsibility for the need, likelihood of reciprocity, and by a shared identity. To support this hypothesis, we conducted a factorial survey in Germany asking respondents to rate transfers to needy regions under different hypothetical conditions. We demonstrate, as predicted by the deservingness hypothesis, that consent to transfers to other regions is positively influenced by the extent of need and, in particular, past effort of the recipient region as well as by a shared identity. The results suggest that regional policies are particularly accepted when they target needs caused by factors beyond the control of recipient regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The comparative study of housing decommodification lags behind classical welfare state research, while housing research itself is rich in homeownership studies but lacks comparative accounts of private and social rentals due to missing comparative data. Building on existing works and various primary sources, this study presents a new collection of up to forty-eight countries' social housing shares in stock and new construction since the first housing laws around 1900. The interpolated benchmark time series generally describes the rise and fall of social housing across a residual, a socialist, and a Northern-European housing group. The decline was steeper than for the classical welfare state, but the degree of erosion was surprisingly small in some countries where public housing associations remained resilient. Within the broader housing welfare state, social housing correlates positively with rent regulation and allowances, but negatively with homeownership subsidies and liberal mortgage regulation. A multivariate analysis shows that social housing is rather explained by housing shortages and complementarities with rental and welfare policies than by typical welfare state theories (GDP, political parties). Generally, the paper shows that conventional housing typologies are difficult to defend over time and argues more generally for including housing decommodification in welfare state research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Babies in the United States fare worse than their peers in other high-income countries, and their well-being is starkly unequal along socioeconomic and racialized lines. Newborn health predicts adult well-being, making these inequalities consequential. Policymakers and scholars seeking to improve newborn health and reduce inequality have recently looked to direct cash transfers as a viable intervention. We examine the only unconditional cash transfer in the United States, the Alaska Permanent Fund Dividend (PFD), to learn if giving pregnant people money improves their newborns' health. Alaska has paid its residents a significant dividend annually since 1982. The dividend's size varies yearly and is exogenous to Alaskans and the local economy, permitting us to make causal claims. After accounting for fertility selection, we find that receiving cash during pregnancy has no meaningful effect on newborn health. Current theory focuses on purchasing power and status mechanisms to delineate how money translates into health. It cannot illuminate this null finding. This case illustrates a weakness with current theory: it does not provide clear expectations for interventions. We propose four components that must be considered in tandem to predict whether proposed interventions will work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors describe the phases (conceptualizing, actualizing, and ensuring success of science) necessary for developing a successful research grant application for funding. Emphasis is on the development of an important and novel research question, clear conceptualization of the study, development of specific aims, theory to guide the study, a well-designed approach, and the role of teamwork to enhance success. The challenges that can occur during these phases of grant writing are also addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The major aim of this study was to understand the experience of resilience in adolescents and young adults within the context of a unitary caring science and to generate insights into ways to cultivate resilience in adolescents and young adults who have experienced adversity. Four major essences emerged and were synthesized into one statement. Maintaining hope and optimism for a promising future is acknowledging awareness and acceptance and experiencing connectedness while embracing power in the situation. The essences were interpreted within a theory of unitary caring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Why do governments make concessions to some rebels but not others? We argue that the origins of rebel groups influence the bargaining process, and the government's willingness to make concessions in particular. Rebel groups inherit different resource endowments – community ties and military expertise – from pre-existing "parent" organizations. These resource endowments are visible to the government, and they provide critical information about the likely durability of the rebellion. We expect that rebel group origins facilitating these endowments are associated with the state offering concessions earlier in the conflict. Employing original data on rebel group origins, as well as information on government concessions during post-Cold War African conflicts, we find general support for our expectations, although not all types of parent organizations are equally beneficial to rebel groups when it comes to extracting concessions from the state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In Pakistan, family planning has traditionally been perceived as primarily a women's concern, resulting in the exclusion of men from relevant initiatives. This situation is further exacerbated by cultural and social barriers that hinder men's access to family planning services. This study addresses a significant research gap by assessing the extent of family planning service provision for men in urban areas of Karachi. It delves into the exploration of men's involvement in family planning service delivery, identifies existing gaps in services catering to men, records men's perceptions of accessibility and acceptability of these services, and ultimately offers recommendations to enhance men's involvement and strengthen service provision to better meet their needs. Methods: We employed a qualitative exploratory research design using semi-structured interviews to investigate perceptions regarding family planning service provision to men. This approach involved 25 interviews, comprising eight key informant interviews with stakeholders, eight with service providers, and nine in-depth interviews with married men. Results: This study highlights the limited engagement of men in family planning programs, primarily due to entrenched sociocultural norms that confine female healthcare providers to serving women, hindering men's involvement. While national and provincial policies endorse men's participation, they lack defined roles for male providers. Behavioral and information-sharing barriers at the community level discourage male healthcare providers from collaborating with females. Family planning programs, except for NGO-led vasectomy projects, fail to adequately address men's needs. Despite policy recognition, implementation remains inadequate. Bridging the men's involvement gap necessitates more male providers and improved contraceptive stigma combat training. Further research is vital to explore effective methods for involving men in community and service delivery in family planning. Conclusion: There is a need to change the perception that contraception is solely the responsibility of women, as men's participation in family planning in Karachi is limited. Engaging men can yield positive health and non-health outcomes. Culturally sensitive services, developed with community input using a couple-centered approach, are crucial for equitable family planning. Further research is needed to explore men's inclusion strategies in service provision and utilization. Plain English Summary: Many family planning efforts focus solely on women, leaving out men, especially in Pakistan, due to cultural and social barriers. This study aimed to explore men's involvement in family planning programs in Karachi. We talked to 25 different people, such as those who run family planning programs, provide services, and married men. We found that men aren't much involved in these programs. Female health providers usually help women, which discourages men from participating or getting involved in such programs. Even though there have been policies to include men since 2002, they don't have specific roles defined. Men don't discuss family planning much with female providers due to behavioral differences and lack of open communication. Men mostly prefer condoms, and apart from a small NGO-run vasectomy project, there are few programs-tailored to their needs. Although policies exist, they're not fully in practice. To change this, we need more male providers and improved training to reduce the stigma around contraception. Future research should explore more effective ways to involve men in family planning, both in communities and service levels. Overall, getting men involved in family planning is important, and services need to be developed with input from communities and couples to ensure fairness. More research is needed to figure out the best ways to do this. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Caregivers in home care settings may experience significant physical, emotional, and financial burdens in providing toileting assistance. However, few studies have evaluated these three aspects of caregiver burden. Therefore, this study aimed to clarify the physical, emotional, and financial burdens of toileting assistance and examine the factors associated with each burden. Methods: A self‐administered postal questionnaire was distributed to 405 family caregivers of older adults receiving home care and subsidies for incontinence products in Japan in 2019. Family caregivers answered questions about toileting assistance, the perceived physical, emotional, and financial burdens of providing toileting assistance at home, and the urinary/fecal symptoms of older adults. Results: Of the 242 family caregivers who reported each burden, 213 (88%) had experienced at least one physical, emotional, or financial burden. The prevalence of physical, emotional, and financial burdens was 77.3%, 78.1%, and 70.7%, respectively. Approximately 60% of respondents reported experiencing all three burdens. Physical burden was associated with spouses acting as primary caregivers, nocturia, fecal incontinence, and the odor of urine/feces from toileting assistance. Emotional burden was associated with nighttime assistance, urinary/fecal leakage from absorbent incontinence products, and the odor of urine/feces. Financial burden was associated with frequent assistance, disposal costs of absorbent incontinence products, and the degree of toileting assistance. Conclusions: The results revealed a high prevalence of the three burdens of toileting assistance among family caregivers, suggesting the need to assess these burdens. Furthermore, they suggested the importance of providing guidance to family members, which may help reduce these burdens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study explores the lived experiences of women living with multiple sclerosis (MS) and identifies barriers to their optimal health and well-being. Methodology: Using van Manen's interpretative phenomenologic analysis, the researchers conducted semistructured interviews with 23 women diagnosed with MS in Southwestern Ontario, Canada. Data were analyzed using NVivo 12 software, and themes were validated through member checking. Results: The study revealed a key theme of "obstacles for women with MS" and subthemes related to barriers to physical, mental, and social well-being. Participants reported experiencing feelings of health despite their MS diagnosis but identified various constraints on their optimal health and well-being, including challenges with employment, financial support, and housing security. Conclusion: The findings highlight the need for healthcare professionals to advocate for equitable treatments, medication, and accessibility supports for women with MS, as well as for policies that address disability income support and affordable housing. Further research is recommended to explore power imbalances experienced by women with MS in precarious employment situations or living with episodic disabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]