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Background and aims Method Results Conclusions Tobacco product excise taxes are a cost‐effective method for reducing tobacco consumption, but industry pricing and marketing strategies encourage consumers to engage in price‐minimizing behaviours (PMBs). We investigated the relationship between tobacco tax increases and PMBs, measuring whether PMBs intensify following tax increases, whether low‐income consumers with higher nicotine dependence are more likely to engage in PMBs and whether PMBs are negatively related to smoking cessation.This was a systematic review with meta‐analysis of cross‐sectional and longitudinal studies from seven databases up to March 2023, using studies that reported any product‐ and purchasing‐related smoking behaviours post‐tobacco tax increase in a general representative population. Sixty‐eight studies were quality‐assessed using the Newcastle–Ottawa scale. All studies were narratively synthesized, with five studies involving 13 068–26 575 participants providing data for pooled analyses on PMBs [purchasing lower‐priced brands, roll‐your‐own (RYO) tobacco and cartons] pre‐ and post‐tax increases using a random effects meta‐analytical model.Fifty‐seven studies reported on legal PMBs, and 17 studies reported illicit cigarette purchasing. Meta‐analysis showed that consecutive tax increases were positively associated with purchasing RYO [odds ratio (OR) = 1.60, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.04–2.46], especially in higher tobacco taxing environments, with substantial heterogeneity (I2 = 96%). Lower income and higher nicotine dependence were associated with purchasing lower‐priced brands and RYO, whereas higher income and nicotine dependence were associated with purchasing cartons, large‐sized packs and cross‐border sales. Less evidence associated illicit tobacco purchases with tax increases or PMBs with smoking cessation.Tobacco purchasers’ PMBs vary widely by state, country and time‐period within countries. Both legal and illegal PMBs, potentially influenced by industry pricing tactics, may exacerbate health inequalities and dilute the public health benefits of tobacco tax increases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examine a bottom‐up approach to consumer and marketing education for subsistence consumers, that is, those with low income and relatively lower literacy levels. They face a variety of cognitive and other constraints, with difficulty in abstract thinking being a central issue that is critical for effective decision‐making. We study the impact of marketplace literacy education, with its unique bottom‐up approach, on abstract thinking in the consumer domain. We test the effectiveness of a bottom‐up educational approach, which covers concrete examples before abstract concepts, compared to the reverse sequence of a top‐down approach. We find that the bottom‐up approach in marketplace literacy education leads to more abstract thinking in the consumer domain compared to a top‐down approach. We discuss the implications of this research for consumer affairs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper enquires into the travels of low‐cost varieties of marine fish in the context of Ghana, distinguishing flows that move toward coastal cities versus those destined for distant, inland cities. It derives data from field research on the Ghanaian small fish food system through surveys, FGDs and interviews conducted in Accra and Tamale. It is argued that although both coastal and inland cities partake in small fish food systems, they experience different flow patterns and FSN outcomes. These are partly related to the fact that Ghana relies on the confluence of local and imported sources for the delivery of low‐cost fish varieties to the population, especially in urban regions where such demand is high. We recommend that policies should focus on investing in infrastructure, especially transport and distribution systems linking cities to fishing communities, to enhance low‐cost fish distribution and improve FSN outcomes for low‐income urban consumers in Ghana. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper theoretically and empirically studies the interaction of search and application approval in credit markets. Risky borrowers internalize the probability that their application is rejected and behave as if they had high search costs. Thus, "overpayment" may be a poor proxy for consumer sophistication since it partly represents rational search in response to rejections. Contrary to standard search models, our model implies (1) endogenous adverse selection through the search and application approval process, (2) a possibly non‐monotone or non‐decreasing relationship between search and realized interest, default, and application approval rates, and (3) search costs estimated from transaction prices alone are biased. We find support for the model's predictions using a unique data set detailing search behavior of mortgage borrowers. Estimating the model, we find that screening is informative and search is costly. Counterfactual analyses reveal that tightening lending standards and discrimination through application rejection both increase equilibrium interest rates. This increase in realized interest rates is in part due to strategic complementarity in bank rate setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the United States, there is a high prevalence of diet-related diseases in low-income communities that lack access to fresh produce. Greater access to local farmers’ markets may affect individual and household intake of fruits and vegetables. However, barriers to farmers’ market access remain. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the differences between participants in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) who regularly shop at farmers’ markets and those who do not. We found that regular farmers’ market shoppers tended to consume on average more fruits and vegetables than WIC participants who did not regularly shop at farmers’ markets. Differences in the importance of various store or market characteristics, barriers to fruit and vegetable consumption, and fruit and vegetable procurement methods were also found.

Bitter gourd has numerous health-promoting effects on the human body. However, its use has been greatly limited due to its poor acceptance by consumers, resulting from its strong bitterness. This study investigated the effects of five wall materials, namely, soybean protein isolate, gum arabic, maltodextrin, resistant starch, and a soybean lecithin calcium caseinate mixture, on the physicochemical properties of spray-dried bitter gourd powders. The results showed that all five wall materials reduced the moisture content, water activity, browning degree, agglomeration, and bitterness of the spray-dried bitter gourd powder. Maltodextrin was found to be the most effective at reducing water activity, while soybean protein isolate was best at protecting the colour, and the soybean lecithin calcium caseinate mixture was best at reducing hygroscopicity and masking bitterness. Additionally, all five wall materials improved the preservation of flavonoids, saponins, and vitamin C, with soybean protein isolate being the most effective in improving the total flavonoid retention ratio and the soybean lecithin calcium caseinate mixture being the best in improving the retention ratios of total saponins and vitamin C. The spray-dried bitter gourd powder prepared with soybean protein isolate had the highest antioxidant activity and α-glucosidase inhibitory activity. These results are significant for understanding the relationship between wall materials and the physicochemical properties of spray-dried powder. Additionally, these materials provide bitter gourd product manufacturers with useful guidance for producing high-quality products. Furthermore, the results could provide useful insights for processing fruits with similar product characteristics, thus contributing to the enrichment of food processing knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aims to identify factors influencing the consumption preferences of packaged and unpackaged milk among consumers in Kahramanmaraş province. A face-to-face survey was conducted with 400 consumers selected through proportional sampling in 2020. Tobit regression was employed for data analysis. Results indicate that women prefer packaged milk more than men, and as age increases, consumers tend to prefer packaged milk. Moreover, consumers in higher income groups are more likely to consume packaged milk. Conversely, there is a negative correlation between university education level and unpackaged milk consumption. Additionally, a higher number of family members and the perception of open milk as healthy influence open milk preferences. Advertising campaigns and having children in the family were found to be ineffective in influencing packaging preferences. Thus, decision makers should develop policies to promote open milk consumption among low-income consumers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the effectiveness of social holidays by examining, how the objectives of state-driven Finnish social tourism are met in practice and how the benefits of a social holiday differ between disadvantaged families with children and adult groups. Among both groups, the results of a quantitative survey (N = 796) and six qualitative interviews of four highly experienced holiday instructors foreground benefits related to emotional and mental well-being, participation and activeness, and an opportunity to escape mundane responsibilities and difficult life situations. Our results suggest that in some areas (social interaction, life management, peer support) outcomes of a holiday vary between customer groups, which foregrounds the need to match social tourism objectives and services to their variable needs and motives. Regarding methodological aspects, this study demonstrates that when a respondent directly evaluates the benefits of a holiday, the results may differ from those gained via two-stage quantitative analyses applying general-level scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many development programs rely on the idea that increasing profitability of small‐ and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) could increase availability of nutritious foods among low‐income consumers. We designed a randomized controlled trial in which we made a specific nutritious product produced by an SME exhaustively available in low‐income local markets. We find that compared to control markets, consumers in treated markets purchased and consumed more of this product and less of competing brands with added sugar and fat. However, overall consumption for the product category was not increased and there was no change in the consumption of other related but potentially less nutritious foods. Our findings suggest the need for alternative policies to increase consumption of nutritious foods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Brokers are an under‐studied channel of enrollment in the affordable care act (ACA), having grown to support nearly 80% of active federally facilitated marketplace (FFM) enrollment during the 2024 Open Enrollment Period. Brokers enroll a disproportionately low‐income and new‐to‐market consumer base compared to the core exchange websites, and have contributed to the record‐breaking growth in the ACA Marketplace in recent years. Understanding the role brokers play and the technological and policy changes that have enabled their work may help state‐based marketplaces improve stagnant enrollment growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the impact of information search costs on firms' access to trade credit used as a major source of interfirm financing. Using the openings of high-speed rails (HSR) in China as exogenous shocks, we find that firms located in cities with HSR connections receive more trade credit from their suppliers. Further analyses show that the HSR effect on trade credit concentrates among customers with poor information transparency and that HSR openings improve the customers' information environment, suggesting that a decline in information search costs promotes supplier financing. Our finding reveals a positive externality of HSR construction on interfirm financing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key Takeaways: The Low‐Income Household Water Assistance Program, or LIHWAP, was initially established as a way to help low‐income water customers struggling to pay their bills during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Qualitative analysis of LIHWAP‐funded efforts across the United States evaluated successes and challenges, with case studies illustrating how the program could improve. A permanent low‐income assistance program should focus on rate reduction, infrastructure, flexibility for different needs, and program compliance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the concept of servitization, which involves selling products as services. The author believes that this shift is inevitable due to various factors such as outsourcing non-core activities, the circular economy, and advances in technology. The article emphasizes the importance of focusing on value creation and not just changing the revenue model. It also discusses the journey of Rolls-Royce in adopting a services business model and highlights the importance of customer-driven value propositions and flexibility in adapting to customer operations and cultural situations. The future of advanced services in the manufacturing industry is moving towards servitization, driven by economic and environmental pressures and supported by digital technology and efficient asset sharing networks. Manufacturers should identify value creation opportunities and work in partnership with customers to pilot and scale their service offerings. [Extracted from the article]

The poor people segment has gained considerable scholarly attention, particularly after eight scholars established it as an untapped market. This study attempts to understand the nine consumption behaviours of a poor consumer. Therefore, we collate 384 scholarly papers indexed in the Scopus database, published during the period 1975–2020. Both evaluative and bibliometric relationship techniques, namely, Biblioshiny and VOSviewer, are utilized to understand the domain's progress in the past 45 years. Besides this, content analysis is conducted via hand search to identify the most utilized research methods, popularly applied theories and most explored contexts. Results show that research in this field has grown exponentially, particularly after 2007, with research focusing on low-income consumers, bottom-of-pyramid consumers and mobile money users. The findings indicate this domain demonstrates skewed development, and there is a huge room for future studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper critically examines the notion of working time flexibility of platform takeaway riders and its impact on them in China. Drawing on 25 interviews with platform and takeaway delivery company managers and takeaway riders as well as secondary data, the study finds that the management model adopted by the platform companies and their agency companies often encourages riders to extend their working hours by being designed into the rider's earning system, status level and various incentive schemes. Driven by profits, takeaway delivery platform companies pursue speed and impose harsh punishments for poor customer reviews. Severe competition and the platforms' aggressive pricing and commissioning practices mean that takeaway riders' remuneration is tightly squeezed, with no subsidies or overtime payment, and with rules for bonuses that make it increasingly difficult to earn. Working excessively long and intense hours is the only way that riders can increase their income, which suggests that rider-oriented working time flexibility is virtually non-existent. We propose the notion of fragmented employment relationships and fragmented working time to conceptualise working time flexibility in the takeaway delivery context in China. We accentuate the need to examine the quality of working time flexibility when examining this practice. We call for state interventions to provide a greater level of social protection than the takeaway riders are currently experiencing to advance the decent work agenda as part of the Sustainable Development Goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In developing countries, food safety is an important predictor of consumer attitude when purchasing fish. This paper explores factors affecting the choice of retail markets and consumers' Willingness to Pay (WTP) for safe fish in Bangladesh. Cross-sectional data were collected through a consumer survey (n = 420) in two major cities. Factor analysis, multinomial logit model, and log-linear regression were employed to investigate the latent structure of a set of variables; assess factors affecting consumers' WTP and their choices of retail markets for safe fish. The study outcomes demonstrate that consumers perceived the production method as the more influential attribute in choosing safe fish, and their WTP for production method is higher than for safety claims. High earners and female customers with a heightened safety awareness have the strongest preference for safe fish from supermarkets. In contrast, low-income consumers only are more likely to buy safe fish at wet markets. For a high-income level, the presence of a minor in the family, a low number of family members, willingness to join an Environmental Club, and a positive attitude toward attributes substantially influence consumers' WTP for safe fish positively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a collection of risk factors for cardiovascular disease and type-2 diabetes, that includes central obesity, hypertension, hyperglycaemia and dyslipidaemia. An audit indicated inadequate MetS screening in an Australian psychiatric recovery service. Objectives: We aimed to improve MetS screening, identification and intervention by offering streamlined lifestyle education, clinical reviews and discharge planning. This pilot program prioritized holistic, culturally-sensitive, patient-centric, and trauma-informed approaches to enhance metabolic health outcomes. Methods: A Metabolic Clinic was piloted in two psychiatric rehabilitation cottages (n=35), which involved disciplines of dietetics, exercise physiology, diversional therapy, occupational therapy, peer workforce, social work, clinical psychology, pharmacy, nursing and medical. Another cottage (n=15) was assigned as the comparison and received standard care. A 12-week, 3-times-per-week lifestyle and behavioral program, called MetFit, was devised and offered to those identified at screening for the treatment cottages. Outcome measures were feasibility measures, the five metabolic parameters (waist circumference, blood pressure, fasting serum triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein, and glucose), functional measures, and a meal questionnaire. Results: The treatment cottages had qualitative advantages in screening and identifying MetS. Of four enrolled consumers in MetFit, an improvement of triglycerides (p=0.08), squats (p=0.02), and push-ups (p=0.07) was observed. Major challenges of enrolment included an overall lack of acknowledgment of its importance, poor motivation of consumers and resources limitation. Conclusions: The one-stop provision of groups, peer support and inpatient pathway with multidisciplinary team-integration was generally accepted by consumers and the MDT and has iteratively demonstrated the urgent need for consumer-centered physical care and a cultural shift to foster collaboration within a psychiatric service. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay theorizes a connection between referential instability and British imperial collapse in Elizabeth Bowen's novel The Last September. It argues that the felt experiences of the rapidly shifting historical situation in Ireland must be understood through the novel's linguistic indirection. By tracing the development of "enabling generalizations," it shows how the novel's dialogic language exposes the unstable nature of colonial identification—evidenced in the volatility of setting—while offering a formal strategy for grappling with that very instability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the human ecological model views neighbourhood instability as a function of household-level decisions, the present study draws on a political economy of place perspective to highlight how the profit-seeking interests of outside actors shapes instability, with consequences for neighbourhood crime. Using data on neighbourhoods in Los Angeles County from 2007 to 2013, I decompose levels of stability according to housing dynamics (displacement, development, changing rents, sales, low-income units), and assess their direct and indirect association with violent and property crime. I find that, over a 7-year period, poorer neighbourhoods are more vulnerable to these exchange-value pressures, stability is more consequential to crime in high-poverty neighbourhoods, and certain housing dynamics are associated with increasing crime through their detrimental effect on renter stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The modern microfinance industry was built on the idea that lenders could (and should) profit while serving poor and excluded customers. This idea—that lenders could 'win' while customers would also 'win'—inspired the broader field of social enterprise and opened possibilities for business-driven responses to social problems. However, in hindsight it is possible to see that not only was the idea flawed—important claims underpinning the core idea have failed to find empirical support—but the lingering belief that 'win–win' was right continues to handicap not only financial inclusion and consumer protection policies, but the social investment and finance industry as a whole. The win–win formulation was driven by the assertion that customers would be indifferent to the level of interest rates on loans and that it was simply access to finance that mattered most to customers. The argument was used to justify charging the highest interest rates to the most operationally expensive customers, who turned out to not coincidentally be the poorest customers. However, studies show that customers are indeed sensitive to interest rates and that high interest rates discourage borrowers. Moreover, despite charging high rates, financial data show that most lenders failed to earn profit after fully accounting for the subsidies received from donors and social investors. Microfinance and the social investment industry it helped spawn remain important tools for addressing poverty and inequality, but both sectors are overdue for a transparent reckoning of the roles of subsidy (including its benefits) and greater recognition of the potential for exclusion caused by high prices and the drive for profitability or 'sustainability'. Muddled thinking on subsidy and prices handicapped the past but does not need to handicap the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Planning Education & Research is the property of Sage Publications Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This article contributes to understanding the effectiveness of early grade reading interventions in low-income-country contexts and how and why such interventions vary in their effectiveness across schools. It presents the results from an impact evaluation of an early grade reading intervention in Haiti with a mixed-methods analysis of factors that explain variation in program effects. We study program impact using a randomized controlled trial experimental research design and find significant treatment impact on students' literacy skills, including on students' reading comprehension in Creole. We use a mixed-methods design to explore variation in program effects across school sites. Key factors that explain variation in program effects include the frequency of instructional coaching visits; the dosage and uptake of treatment, which was linked to student and teacher absenteeism and the exclusive use of the treatment curriculum; the behaviors of school leaders; the fluency and quality of lesson delivery; and the remoteness of schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines whether quality is the primary driver of customer satisfaction in healthcare, challenging conventional assumptions and presenting a case study of hospitals' performance. Topics include the lack of correlation between quality scores and customer satisfaction, the impact of leadership and improvement methodologies on service outcomes, and the importance of fostering a culture of learning and proactive improvement in healthcare organizations.

This study investigates how decentralization and transparency offered by blockchain technology could revolutionize traditional finance. Even with the rise of well-known cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ethereum, a general understanding of blockchain's influence on the financial industry is still lacking. We identified five major application cases--transparent credit scoring, effective consumer identification, expedited insurance settlements, improved cybersecurity, and the emergence of decentralized finance--where blockchain technology is well positioned to tackle persistent issues. We show how blockchain technology may address problems such as opaque credit scoring, poor customer identity, convoluted insurance settlement procedures, and susceptibility to cyberattacks by thoroughly examining various use cases. According to our research, a greater number of traditional financial institutions need to embrace and integrate blockchain innovations into their functions to promote inclusivity, transparency, and decentralization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Why do people willingly bestow upon themselves the responsibility to tackle social problems such as poverty? Consumer research has provided valuable insight into how individuals are created as responsible subjects but has yet to account for the crucial role of affective dynamics in subject formation. We draw upon affect theorizing and nascent research on "affective governmentality" in organization and policy studies to theorize the formation of responsible subjects via affective encounters (i.e. consumption encounters through which consumers' capacities to affect and to be affected change), and to explore how affective encounters are mediated downstream. Through a qualitative investigation of the online microloan market, we explain how market intermediaries contribute to the creation of affective-entrepreneurial subjects who willingly supply interest-free loans to the disadvantaged. The intermediaries accomplish this by nurturing and dramatizing a structure of feeling that subtends affective encounters and by deploying apparatuses of affirmation and relatability to target and intervene into affective encounters. In addition to illuminating the affective dynamics involved in consumer responsibilization and subject formation more broadly, our study facilitates critical reflection on the subject-formative power of consumer experiences and experiential marketing and carries important implications for research on charitable giving and critical thinking on microcredit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Ewe mortality during pregnancy and lambing is an issue for sheep producers globally, resulting in reduced productivity and profitability, compromised ewe welfare, and poor consumer perception. Despite these negative consequences, there was little investigation into factors associated with ewe death during this time. Therefore, this study aimed to assess associations between ewe body condition score (BCS), weight, reproductive parameters, and risk of mortality during pregnancy and lambing. Methods: Four cohorts from three commercial New Zealand farms participated, with 13,142 ewe lambs enrolled and followed over time. Data were collected for five consecutive lambings. Visits aligned with key on-farm management times, specifically: prior to breeding, at pregnancy diagnosis (PD), prior to lambing (set-stocking), and, at weaning of their lambs. At each visit, ewes were weighed, BCS assessed and reproductive status was recorded when relevant (litter size at PD and lactation status after lambing). Ewes that died or were culled were recorded, and any ewes that were absent from consecutive visits were presumed dead. Logistic regressions were developed to assess the relationship between weight and BCS at each visit, PD result (single or multiple-bearing) and lactation status (wet or dry) in each year, and, risk of mortality during the pregnancy and lambing period in each year. Results: In the PD to weaning period, mortality incidence ranged from 6.3 to 6.9% for two-tooth (18-months-old at breeding) to mixed-age (54-months-old at breeding) ewes. For ewe lambs (7 to 8-months-old at breeding), mortality was 7.3% from set-stocking to weaning. Heavier ewe lambs at PD were less likely to die during lambing (OR: 0.978, p = 0.013), as were those with greater set-stocking BCS. In subsequent years, BCS was a predictor of ewe death, with odds of mortality greatest for ewes < BCS 2.5. Additionally, for poorer BCS ewes, increasing weight reduced risk of mortality, but there was no impact of increasing weight in greater BCS ewes. Conclusions: This study identified risk factors associated with ewe mortality during the pregnancy and lambing period. Flock owners can use these to either cull at-risk ewes or proactively intervene to reduce likelihood of mortality, thereby improving flock productivity, profitability and welfare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The financial inclusion (FI) literature claims that expanding access of the poor to consumer credit in the formal financial system is an instrument to alleviate poverty. This view has been increasingly challenged by the financialization literature, which highlights unsustainable indebtedness of low-income borrowers following the introduction of FI policies. While a welcome contribution and antidote to mainstream assessments, much of the financialization literature on Brazil has, to date, focused on a macro-oriented analysis. As a major testing ground for FI, a better understanding of these dynamics in Latin America's largest country deepens our understanding of the socio-economic consequences of inserting poor populations into the financial system. This paper contributes to the financialization literature by drawing on interviews conducted in a Rio de Janeiro slum to understand how debt dynamics operate in everyday life, along with its structural conditioners. It shows that FI policies provide limited consumption smoothing and instead increase the structural vulnerability of low-income households. Wage and welfare support along with greater oversight and control of financial products supplied to low-income borrowers are warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past several years, media reports of airline passenger misconduct have climbed sharply. Research has shown that while industry-level factors such as delayed and canceled flights, poor customer service, and overcrowded seating contribute to increased unruly behavior, additional contextual elements related to personal use of alcohol (prohibited and served) have also played a role in this shift. Drawing on data from more than 915 incidents voluntarily reported to the Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) over a 21-year time period, we use a multi-level case classification coding process to examine three broad types of passenger misconduct - physical, verbal, and other general types. Our results highlight the diverse range of behaviors associated with unruly airline passengers and offer insights into how environmental factors, spatial context, weak enforcement of existing federal legislation, as well as industry structures and practices, create pathways for offender behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Planning Education & Research is the property of Sage Publications Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Purpose: This study aims to identify the key drivers of consumer engagement in e-commerce among young consumers at bottom-of-pyramid (BoP) markets and their impact on continued usage intention. Design/methodology/approach: A cross-sectional research design was used to understand low-income customers' engagement in e-commerce, specifically online shopping. The data for this study were collected from BoP customers in the Indian market. A conceptual model was proposed, and hypotheses were developed using the stimulus–organism–response (S-O-R) framework. For analysis, structural equation modeling was performed using AMOS 20.0 software to test the structural model. Findings: The results of the study highlight that perceived importance, technology and infrastructure and social influence are key drivers of e-commerce at BoP customers. Key drivers have shown a significant positive impact on customer engagement which leads to continue usage intention of e-commerce. Furthermore, customer engagement has shown a strong relationship with continue usage intention of e-commerce. Practical implications: This study indicates that young consumers' engagement is important for e-commerce service providers to gain a market share. BoP markets offer immense opportunities to create, develop and sustain e-commerce firms for a long time, especially in India. Managers should recognize the potential of BoP markets, which can generate a huge demand for products and services on e-commerce platforms. Originality/value: This study contributes both theoretically and empirically. Theoretically, this adds to the existing knowledge of customer engagement, especially in e-commerce and BoP market segment. Empirically, it tested the conceptual research model of low-income customer engagement in the e-commerce marketplace using the S-O-R framework. The study recommended practical implications for e-retailers/e-commerce service providers engaging BoP customers in a digitally connected and intensively competitive era. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The typical Korean diet contains a significant quantity of doenjang owing to its unique taste and health benefits. However, the presence of anti-nutritional and toxic substances, such as biogenic amines and microbial pathogens, in doenjang has resulted in a loss of revenue and poor consumer health. The present study focused on the identification and quantification of different biogenic amines, pathogenic Bacillus cereus, and yeast counts in 36 doenjang products (designated as De-1 to De-36, 500 g each) procured from the different cottage industries situated in different parts of the Republic of Korea. The results indicated, only three samples were contaminated with B. cereus, exceeding the recommended limit (4 log CFU/g) suggested by the national standards of Korea. A total of six distinct yeasts were identified in different doenjang samples, whose comprehensive enzymatic profiling suggested the absence of harmful enzymes such as N-acetyl-β-glucosaminidase, α-chymotrypsin, and β-glucuronidase. The biogenic amines were detected in the range of 67.68 mg/kg to 2556.68 mg/kg and classified into six major groups based on hierarchical cluster analysis. All doenjang samples contained tryptamine, putrescine, cadaverine, histamine, and tyramine, while 94.44% were positive for spermidine and spermine. The results documented the analysis of traditional cottage industry doenjang and suggest the need for constant monitoring to ensure the safety of food for the consumer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This review article examines why and how low‐income voters decide to vote for a political candidate. A total of 163 articles in the last 80 years (1944–2023) have been identified through a systematic literature review. Thereafter, the fragmented literature has been organized using a fusion of 3W1H and TCCM (Theory, context, characteristics, and method) frameworks to obtain a comprehensive overview of the low‐income voters' behaviour. Accordingly, the study has explained the voting contexts of poor consumers. Besides, the fundamental theories and methods employed in this research domain have been identified. This study revealed three characteristics of 'voting choice' of low‐income consumers (group identity, communication characteristics, and political environment characteristics) that have been further classified under several sub‐themes. This review article pioneers to provide an integrated and organized analysis of the literature on the voting behaviour of low‐income consumers, highlighting critical research gaps in theories, contexts, methods, and antecedents that future researchers can examine to extend the discourse in this realm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the evolution and current significance of environmental justice (EJ) as a major initiative at the federal and state levels. It traces the historical roots of the EJ movement from the civil rights era, emphasizing the pursuit of redress for adverse environmental impacts on disadvantaged communities. It underscores the need for judges familiar with EJ issues and emphasizes the broad, inclusive definition of EJ in the Earth Day 2023 Executive Order.

Several socio-demographic factors influence fish consumption frequency and preferences in the Brazilian aquaculture market. Hence, the aims of this paper were (i) to acquire information on fish consumption frequency; (ii) to examine the associations between specific socio-demographic characteristics of aquaculture consumers; (iii) to investigate the consumption frequency of these specific characteristics relating to certain barriers and drivers of consumption frequency; and (iv) to explore whether consumption behavior varies across different groups of consumers and regions. The study involved an online survey of 1509 consumers across the five regions in Brazil. The results of this study indicated that the general fish consumption frequency pattern is highly seasonal. In addition, we determined that significant differences in fish consumption frequency, determinants, and habits were found among income levels, age groups and regions. Our results show that low-income consumers are highly disadvantaged and more likely to consume fish less frequently than the other income groups. We further recommend several marketing strategies and initiatives to stimulate the consumption frequency of fish amongst Brazilian consumers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In light of global climate change, the variance of rainfall is projected to increase substantially, affecting every country. In this paper, we examine how exposure to rainfall during the first 1,000 days of life influences women's long-term human capital accumulation in the context of 28 African countries. Exploiting the exogenous deviations of rainfall from the historical norms, we document a positive relationship between rainfall during the first 1,000 days and women's educational attainment. The effects mostly come from rainfall variability in agricultural season. There is also suggestive evidence that larger impacts are detected among women from low-income countries and women living in areas with poor market integration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]