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Good data on the size and composition of the independent contractor workforce are elusive. The authors carried out a series of focus groups to learn how independent contractors speak about their work. Based on those findings, they designed and fielded a telephone survey to elicit more accurate and complete information on independent contractors. Roughly 1 in 10 workers who initially reported working for an employer on one or more jobs (and thus were coded as employees) were independent contractors on at least one of those jobs. Incorporating these miscoded workers into estimates of main job work arrangements nearly doubles the share who are independent contractors to approximately 15% of all workers. Taking these workers into account substantively changes the demographic profile of the independent contractor workforce. Probing in household surveys to clarify a worker's employment arrangement and identify all low-hours work is critical for accurately measuring independent contractor work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fine-scale covariate rasters are routinely used in geostatistical models for mapping demographic and health indicators based on household surveys from the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) program. However, the geostatistical analyses ignore the fact that GPS coordinates in DHS surveys are jittered for privacy purposes. We demonstrate the need to account for this jittering, and we propose a computationally efficient approach that can be routinely applied. We use the new method to analyse the prevalence of completion of secondary education for 20-49 year old women in Nigeria in 2018 based on the 2018 DHS survey. The analysis demonstrates substantial changes in the estimates of spatial range and fixed effects compared to when we ignore jittering. Through a simulation study that mimics the dataset, we demonstrate that accounting for jittering reduces attenuation in the estimated coefficients for covariates and improves predictions. The results also show that the common approach of averaging covariate values in windows around the observed locations does not lead to the same improvements as accounting for jittering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By 2030, climate change will threaten water accessibility, undermining global sustainability goals like SDG 6. This study examines water security in sub-Saharan Africa, focusing on Iwo, Nigeria. Surveys of 937 households over 12 months assess water sources, availability and usage, alongside analysis of 31 years of climatic data (1992–2022). Results show predominantly female-headed households (95%), quick water retrieval (92.7%) and limited tariff payments (90.5%), indicating domestic water use in line with the area's agrarian nature. Climate data analysis reveals water loss during dry and previously rainy months, confirming the likelihood prevalence of climate change effects. Household water consumption surpasses supply, averaging 348.9 to 444.6 l/month per household, below WHO recommendations. Regression analysis identifies predictive models, suggesting the need for additional variables. Urgent action is needed to tap into abundant surface water resources for equitable water access, aligning with SDG 6. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High food prices have severely affected poor female-headed households in urban Ethiopia, particularly in Bahir Dar city, where there is limited empirical evidence regarding their food insecurity. This study aims to identify the determinants of food security among female-headed households across three sub-cities and six kebele administrations in Bahir Dar. Through key informant interviews, focus group discussions, and a structured survey of 330 households, the study employed the reduced coping strategy index (rCSI), household dietary diversity score (HDDS), and household food insecurity access scale (HFIAS) for assessment. The findings revealed that 87.9% of female-headed households were food insecure, with 86.4% relying on high coping strategies. Notably, 54% of these households were consuming fewer than three food groups, indicating significant nutritional inadequacy. According to HFIAS results, 66.7% of respondents were classified as severely food insecure. Common coping strategies included consuming street food, skipping meals, and opting for less preferred or cheaper food options. The ologit regression results showed that total income, household size, residential kebeles, and housing ownership are significant determinants of food security among female-headed households. In conclusion, the study highlights the urgent need for policymakers and government organizations to address the food insecurity challenges faced by female-headed households in Bahir Dar and similar urban areas across Ethiopia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a unified framework to analyze social mobility (SM) and inequality of opportunity (IOp) in Chile, Colombia, and Mexico, focusing on subnational disparities in intermediate functional areas. Using data from the 2018 Household Survey on Territorial Dynamics and Wellbeing, we estimate SM and IOp simultaneously to investigate how individuals’ origins and circumstances influence their economic outcomes as adults. The study employs rank-rank regression to measure relative SM and introduces additional variables, such as sex and territorial characteristics, to capture IOp. Our findings indicate that absolute mobility is similar across the three countries, but relative mobility is higher in Chile, while IOp is lower compared to Colombia and Mexico. Parental wealth is the most significant determinant of IOp in Mexico, whereas territorial factors play a more influential role in Chile and Colombia. The results suggest that policies aimed at reducing IOp and enhancing SM should combine place-based and person-based interventions, especially in countries where territorial characteristics significantly impact socioeconomic outcomes. This paper contributes to the literature by offering a comparative analysis of SM and IOp within a common analytical framework, thereby enhancing our understanding of the complex interactions between these two concepts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Annual surveys of refugees in Gambella, Ethiopia suggest that anemia is a persistent public health problem among non-pregnant women of reproductive age (NP-WRA, 15–49 years). Measurement of anemia in most refugee camp settings is conducted using an invasive HemoCue 301. We assessed the accuracy and precision of a non-invasive, pulse CO-oximeter in measuring anemia among NP-WRA in four Gambella refugee camps. We conducted a population-representative household survey between November 7 and December 4, 2022. Hemoglobin (Hb) concentration was measured by HemoCue 301, using capillary blood, and Rad-67, a novel non-invasive device. We collected four measurements per participant: two per device. We calculated Rad-67 bias and precision of Hb measurements and sensitivity and specificity of detecting anemia. Of the 812 NP-WRAs selected, 807 (99%) participated in the study. Anemia was detected in 39% of NP-WRA as classified by the Rad-67 compared with 47% of NP-WRA as classified by the HemoCue 301. Average bias of Rad-67 measurements was 1.1 ± 1.0 SD g/dL, using HemoCue 301 as a comparator. Absolute mean difference between the first and second measurements was 0.9 g/dL (95% CI 0.8, 0.9) using the Rad-67, compared with 0.6 g/dL (95% CI 0.5, 0.6) using the HemoCue 301. The Rad-67 had 49% sensitivity and 70% specificity for detecting anemia, compared with the HemoCue 301. The Rad-67 can be a useful tool for anemia screening; however, lower accuracy and precision, and poor sensitivity suggest it cannot immediately replace the HemoCue 301 in the study area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the influence of microfinance institutions' (MFIs) financial innovation on structural transformation. For this purpose, we considered a household survey from Nepal. The survey collected data on various individual and household characteristics, borrowing patterns, and occupations over the years. The key question focused on occupations before and after borrowing, a categorical response variable indicating 1 for occupational change after borrowing and 0 otherwise. Therefore, we use logistic regression to estimate the probability of occupational change, given two measures of financial innovation: loan purpose and size. The results show that the number of households involved in agriculture significantly decreased, with the majority switching to businesses and convenience stores, indicating a shift to the manufacturing and service sectors. These findings suggest that MFIs contribute to local-level structural transformation by enabling borrowers to move away from traditional employment. This study has important implications for policymakers, development practitioners, and academics interested in promoting economic development through microfinancing in low-income countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractWill financial income lead to a decreased labor force participation by its negative income effect? Using the 2017 China Household Finance Survey, we find that the household financial income significantly increases married women’s probability of labor force participation in urban China, which stands in sharp contrast with transfer income, another non-labor income. We believe that this is because of the ”cash in advance” property of financial income, that is, the household must accumulate cash beforehand in order to gain in the financial market. We further show that both the financial market participation decision and level of invested financial asset holdings lead to an increased labor participation. Our results dismiss the suspicion that engaging in the financial market may allure or distract people from working. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to estimate the percentage of households with intermittent water supply (IWS) in Peru and determine the association between socioeconomic characteristics and the presence of IWS. The National Household Surveys (ENAHO) of 2017, 2018, 2019, 2019, 2021, and 2022 were used. IWS was defined as a piped water supply for less than 24 hours per day, one or more days per week. Exposure variables, such as area of residence, geographic region, population density, and human development index and their association with IWS using 2022, were explored using generalized linear models. The percentage of households with IWS varied between 40.8 and 42.5% during the period studied. At the departmental level, Tumbes, Ica, Piura, and Loreto showed the highest percentages of IWS. In households with IWS, the average duration of water supply did not exceed 8 h. Urban households, those in the Coast region, with medium population density and medium human development index, had a higher prevalence of IWS compared with their counterparts in 2022. This analysis contributes to the understanding of water access challenges in the context of climate change and the need for strategies adapted to specific urban and geographic contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Motivation: When collecting evidence from the field, the quality of the data determines the reliability of the analysis. When data are collected in the field by enumerators, the latter's performance needs to be monitored to avoid errant behaviour that could compromise data quality. Purpose: We show how paradata on the process of data collection itself can improve enumerator performance, using a household survey in India as a case study. Approach and methods: We conducted action research to improve data quality in the India Working Study conducted in early 2020 in Karnataka and Rajasthan. We designed indicators (flags) from the paradata to mark potential deviant enumerator behaviour in the early stages of the survey. Flagged enumerators were contacted by supervisors who provided constructive feedback. We then measured the performance of the flagged enumerators over the remainder of the survey. We were able to benchmark specific groups of enumerators facing similar field conditions, namely location and gender of respondents. This allowed us to compare enumerators to a subset of their peers, rather than the entire set of enumerators. Findings: Our feedback improved enumerator behaviour in the field: flagged enumerators subsequently spent more time on a core module of the questionnaire. Policy implications: In any survey, two objectives compete: completing a fixed number of interviews per day to reduce costs versus enumerators spending enough time with each respondent to collect meaningful data. To strike a balance between these competing demands, we recommend tracking three paradata indicators: count of completed interviews; average time per completed interview; and ratio of completed to initiated interviews. We recommend using paradata to improve the quality of data when surveying, thereby reducing standard errors for estimates based on the data and leading to more reliable analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the Bank of Spain's Survey of Household Finances, and using the Gini and Generalised Entropy indexes, this article analyses the evolution of the distribution of net wealth across age groups over the period 2002-2020. The results show growing polarization, and a decline in the relative position of young households. Inequality is primarily explained by intra-cohort dynamics and young households are now the most heterogeneous group, but differences between groups have increased significantly. The analysis points to changes in property ownership as one of the factors explaining rising inequality, as housing is the main asset in wealth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study emphasized the distribution and utilization of both wild and domesticated Musa spp. of the Nocte tribe from Tirap district, Arunachal Pradesh. An extensive field survey was conducted from July to October 2023. A total of 62 households were surveyed randomly with the help of a semi-constructed questionnaire and personal interview. About 69% of the informants were from the age group of 31- 60 years. About 84% live in a nuclear family type. Maximum informants were male (74.19%) and were married (80.64%). Only 17.75% of the informants were illiterate and were farmers (46.77%). In this study, 13 wild Musa spp. were reported from Tirap district, and 4 Musa spp. were found to be cultivated by the tribe. Of these, 76.47% were wild, and the rest were domesticated. M. itinerens had a widespread distribution range and occurred in various habitats between 155 and 1,711 masl altitudes. The highest use percentage was found in the Edible use category with 33%, followed by Ceremonies and Rituals (19%), Commercial uses (12%), and both Other and Packing purposes (10% each). Among the plant parts, inflorescences had the highest usage with 30%, followed by leaf (24%), pseudo stem (21%), etc. Among all Musa spp., M. itinerens had the highest number of usages (14 uses), followed by M. nagensium (12 uses). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Waste materials are ontologically inseparable from the context of their production. While much early food waste research has focused on quantification and consumer psychology, researchers in a range of disciplines would now benefit from alternate frameworks in which to spatialize the chimerical matter of food waste. To suggest generative paths for the future of food waste research, this study investigates spatial concepts already engaged in "emplaced" household food waste surveys published between 2012 and 2022. Surveys administered within defined geographic areas are considered emplaced. Sixty-eight relevant papers were identified in a systematic literature review. Resulting themes, including regional memberships, questions of scale and synecdoche, qualities of place, food cultures resulting from specific socio-spatial arrangements, and temporal consequences for organic matter, were structured according to Massey's 2005 spatial provocations and propose fruitful directions for geographers to continue advancing the study of food waste. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is much discussion on the issue of forest-dependent livelihoods of tribes and their unique culture. It is essential to know the demographic structure of the tribal household and to understand the socio-economic status of the tribal household. The present study has attempted to analyze the demographic structure of the tribal household and to investigate the socio-economic status of the tribal household. The study mainly depends on the primary household survey. Only a base map has been collected from the secondary source. Purposive stratified random sampling technique has been used to collect primary data. A total of 150 households were surveyed. The findings indicate that the socio-economic status of the tribal household declined from east to west of the study region due to natural and human resources showing a declining trend towards the same direction. Also, the study compares inter-regional variation of different socio-economic factors. For their socio-economic empowerment, the tribal people deserve a very intensive development policy implementation with a bottom-up approach. The earlier studies are fragmented, haphazard and maximum works are on the cultural level, that's why this study is very unique and important. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the impact of digital payments on household financial asset investment, using the China Household Finance Survey (2013–2019). Our findings indicate that digital payments positively affect financial market participation and investment size, reshaping asset allocation structures. While households using digital payments show increased participation and investment amounts across various financial assets, a reduction in the weight of deposits is evident. The study highlights two key channels through which digital payments influence financial behavior: enhancing subjective financial literacy and increasing households' attention to financial information. The research emphasizes the role of digital payments in mitigating polarization effects in household financial asset allocation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examine the effect of China's Targeted Poverty Alleviation (TPA) on the entrepreneurship of poor households and the effect of entrepreneurship on their economic conditions, using data from the China Household Finance Survey conducted between 2013 and 2019 and employing a joint Difference-in-Differences with propensity score matching (PSM-DID) model. TPA significantly increased the probability of poor households' entrepreneurship, with mechanism analysis indicating that TPA can promote entrepreneurship by providing microcredit to the poor. However, entrepreneurship did not improve their economic conditions and subjective well-being or achieve the ultimate goal of anti-poverty. Thus, entrepreneurship's role in anti-poverty should be reconsidered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In western Kenya, a cluster-randomized trial is assessing the impact of attractive targeted sugar baits (ATSBs) on malaria in children enrolled in three consecutive cohorts. Here, characteristics of children and households at enrolment, and factors associated with baseline malaria prevalence are described. Methods: Children aged 1 to < 15 years were randomly selected by cluster (n = 70) from a census database. Cohorts were enrolled in March–April 2022, September–October 2022, and March–April 2023. ATSBs were deployed in March 2022. At enrolment, all participants were tested for malaria by rapid diagnostic test (RDT). After enrolment a household survey was conducted. Household structures were classified as 'improved' (finished walls and roofs, and closed eaves) or 'traditional' (all other construction). A generalized linear mixed model was used to assess factors associated with malaria prevalence. Results: Of 3705 children screened, 220 declined and 523 were excluded, due to plans to leave the study area (n = 392), ineligible age (n = 64) or other reason (n = 67). Overall, 2962 children were enrolled. Bed net use the previous night was more common in children aged 1–4 years (746/777 [96%]) than those aged 5–<15 years (1806/2157 [84%], p < 0.001). Of the 2644 households surveyed (for 2,886 participants), information on house construction was available for 2595. Of these, only 199 (8%) were categorized as 'improved', as most houses had open eaves. While 99% of households owned at least one bed net, only 51% were adequately covered (one net per two household residents). Among 999 children enrolled in the first cohort (baseline), 498 (50%) tested positive by RDT. In an adjusted multivariable analysis, factors associated with RDT positivity included sub-county (Alego-Usonga vs Rarieda, adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 4.81; 95% CI: 2.74–8.45; p < 0.001), house construction (traditional vs improved, aOR 2.80; 95% CI: 1.59–4.95; p < 0.001), and age (5–< 15 vs 1–4 years, aOR 1.64; 95% CI: 1.13–2.37; p = 0.009). Conclusions: In western Kenya, the burden of malaria in children remains high. Most households owned a bed net, but coverage was inadequate. Residents of Alego-Usonga sub-county, those living in traditionally constructed households, and older children were more likely to test positive by RDT. Additional tools are needed to effectively control malaria in this area. Trial registration The ATSB trial is registered under Clinicaltrials.gov NCT05219565 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to contribute to our understanding of the relationship of environmental and social attitudes of investors and their investment into crypto-assets compared to traditional assets. Given the controversies over the environmental footprint of some crypto-asset classes, primarily due to energy-intensive mining, they present an intriguing subject for investigation. Leveraging a unique household finance survey representative of the Austrian population, we examine whether environmental and social attitudes can elucidate the variance in individual portfolio exposure to crypto-assets. Results indicate a robust link between investors' environmental and social attitudes and their exposure to crypto-investments, yet no significant association was found with traditional asset benchmarks like bonds and shares. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the influence of socio-economic factors on the adoption of improved cookstoves (ICSs) and identified barriers to their dissemination in Wereta district, Amhara, Ethiopia. A structured cross-sectional approach was employed, surveying 308 households through questionnaires and interviews. Key socio-economic factors such as income level, family size, education, and age were found to significantly affect ICS adoption (p < 0.05), whereas cooking location, household decision-making, and involvement of societal stakeholders did not show a statistically significant impact (p > 0.05). The primary barriers to ICS adoption included limited awareness, high costs, and age-related factors. Addressing these challenges by targeting the significant socio-economic determinants is crucial for facilitating the transition from traditional to improved cookstoves. The findings offer valuable insights for policymakers, NGOs, research organizations, and manufacturers, highlighting potential areas for targeted intervention to enhance ICS adoption in the community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The occurrence of health shocks affects households economically in various ways. It most often leads to missed work, thus inducing a decrease in productivity and a loss of income. These effects are even more significant if the extent of absenteeism is high or if its duration is long. Purpose: This study aims to analyse the effects of health shocks on the magnitude of absenteeism and to highlight the potential mitigating effect of health insurance on the magnitude of absenteeism among households affected by the shocks. Methodology/Approach: Absenteeism at work was measured here by the number of days lost due to health problems. Data from the Harmonised Survey on Household Living Conditions (EHCVM) 2019 were used for this purpose. To account for the endogeneity problem in this context, we use Two-Stage Least Square (2SLS) model to achieve our objectives. Results: Our results suggest that health shocks significantly increase the magnitude of absenteeism from work by increasing the probability of a longer duration of absenteeism. Health insurance mitigates the magnitude of absenteeism by significantly reducing the probability of moving from short to long absenteeism by 3.27. Conclusion: Health shocks have a significant effect on the magnitude of absenteeism. Given the role of health insurance in mitigating the effect of health shocks, this study highlights the need for an extension of health insurance to a greater number of people for a more significant effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A deficiency in financial knowledge often precipitates costly financial choices, affecting consumers' behavior and decision‐making. We delve into how financial acumen influences borrower discouragement by utilizing data from the U.S. Federal Reserve's Survey of Household Economics and Decision‐Making (2017–2022). Discouraged borrower describes creditworthy individuals who, despite a genuine need for credit, avoid applying due to anticipated rejection. Our research reveals that financial knowledge diminishes the likelihood of borrower discouragement after controlling for various societal groups. However, when we estimate the model separately, its impact is not uniform across these societal segments. Specifically, our study uncovers that the effects of financial knowledge are different on gender, race, and occupational status. Further analyses of various subgroups confirm that race and occupational status are consistent predictors of borrower discouragement, even when accounting for financial knowledge. These insights underscore the importance of providing targeted financial education to address these disparities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mitigating effects of straw burning bans on air pollution are widely known; however, their effects on indoor air pollution are generally ignored. Cooking fuel use is an important factor that affects indoor air quality. However, the debate over the pros and cons of a province-wide ban on straw burning has been a major issue in environmental economics. By utilizing household survey data, this study investigates the role of straw burning bans on cooking fuel use in households. To infer causal relationships, difference-in-difference models that compare households in provinces with and without a complete ban on open straw burning (COSB) are employed. The results show that COSBs promote the use of clean cooking fuels and discourage the use of firewood for cooking by households. These results hold true after a series of robustness tests, such as parallel trends and placebo tests. However, the results show that the effect of COSBs on the household use of coal as a cooking fuel is not significant. Further analysis shows heterogeneity in the effects of COSBs on the use of household cooking fuels. Thus, COSBs promote the conversion to cleaner cooking fuels in rural households, but the implementation of these policies needs to be contextualized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A recent body of literature has documented the importance of environmental income to rural households in the Global South. However, this literature has not been analyzed to establish which findings are robust—what determines rural households' absolute and relative environmental income? We conducted a meta-analysis using published articles that measured environmental reliance from the Web of Science, Scopus, WorldCat.org, and MPDI databases. We examined the effect of socioeconomic, demographic, and resource site proximity variables on environmental income and reliance. We applied a meta-regression approach and included moderator variables such as sample size, survey frequency, and the types of journal to control for variations in effect estimates and assess risks of biases. We analyzed 112 studies published between 1996 and 2021 that together surveyed about 52,000 households in 35 countries. The findings confirmed that environmental income matters in total household income: environment, forest, and non-timber forest product reliance were, on average, 25 ± 11%, 27 ± 16%, and 27 ± 16%. The level of reliance was moderated by region and the type of environmental products. On average, the proportions of significantly negative, positive, and statistically insignificant effect estimates were 25%, 18%, and 57%. All covariates, except distance to the resource sites, were weakly correlated with environmental income and reliance, indicating no globally robust covariates. Thus, policies and interventions should build on regional specificities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The objective of this research was to determine the effect of education on poverty in Peruvian households, in the period 2022. Methods: For which the quantitative approach was considered, of a non-experimental research type, with a descriptive correlational design, considering the information collected in the National Household Survey (ENAHO); the logit-binomial logistic regression model was used to measure the effect of the variables expenditure on education, monthly economic income, years of schooling, the mother tongue of the head of the household, age of the head of the household, marital status of the head of the household, gender of the head of the household, and area of residence, on the probability of being poor, according to the poverty line established by the INEI. Results and discussion: According to the results obtained, expenditure on education, monthly economic income, years of schooling, and area of residence explain the probability of being poor in a negative way, while the mother tongue of the head of the household, the age of the head of the household, the marital status of the head of the household, and the gender of the head of the household explain the probability of being poor in a positive way. Therefore, it was determined that there is a significant effect of education on whether households in Peru are considered poor or not. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a world rapidly transitioning, food consumption away from home is rising, therefore representing an increasing share of individual's diet. Food consumed away from home negatively impacts diet, nutritional status and consequently has detrimental effects on health. In some contexts, where individual level dietary intake surveys are not regularly conducted, this behavior is not well documented leading to a gap of knowledge. The aim of the present study was to develop and validate in Burkina Faso and Vietnam specific modules that could be added to Household Consumption and Expenditure Surveys that are usually regularly conducted worldwide, in order to document the economic and nutritional importance of food consumption away from home. In each country, two survey modules, one long (100 food items) and one short (30 food items) were developed, to measure individual-level food consumption away from home over the last 7 days. The modules were relatively validated in comparison with data from three non-consecutive 24-hour dietary recalls conducted over the same 7-days period. The validation was conducted in different settings (urban, peri-urban and rural) in Burkina Faso (n = 924) and Vietnam (n = 918). In both countries, a good concordance between the 24-hour dietary recalls and the modules in their ability to identify a person as having consumed food away from home (>77%) was found. However, in both countries, both modules underestimate the mean energy intake coming from foods consumed away from home (from 122 to 408 kcal) while they overestimate the budget allocated to it (from -0.07 to -0.29 USD/day). None of developed food away from home modules were considered as valid. There is a need for the international community to continue to work on developing and validating tools capable to estimate nutritional intakes related to food consumption away from home and that could be added to regular national household-level surveys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Though child anthropometric failure (CAF) is a persistent problem in India, previous studies have often neglected state‐level variance and aggregated moderate and severe CAF categories. This study addresses this gap by examining moderate and severe malnutrition across India's states and union territories (UTs) from 1993 to 2021. Data of children under 2 years old from five waves of National Family Health Surveys, a representative cross‐sectional survey of Indian households, were analysed. Outcomes included prevalence of moderate and severe stunting, underweight and wasting, as per the 2006 World Health Organization growth standards. Percentage prevalence and standardized absolute change (SAC) were calculated nationally and by region for each wave. From 1993 to 2021, there was a notable reduction in the nationwide prevalence of moderate stunting, underweight and wasting, with rates dropping from 20% to 16%, 23% to 18%, and 15% to 12%, respectively. Severe stunting and underweight declined considerably from 23% to 16% and 18% to 11%, respectively; severe wasting marginally increased from 8% to 9%. From 2016 to 2021 moderate underweight was noted to have the highest SAC across all regions, although 15 regions saw an increase in the prevalence of moderate underweight. In the 2016–2021 period, severe wasting has increased in 13 of the 36 regions. While there has been a nationwide reduction in most indicators of CAF since 1993, the rate and direction of change vary widely among states and UTs and between moderate and severe categories within each of the states and UTs. Understanding these patterns of change can direct context‐specific interventions for improving child nutrition and health. A greater focus on reducing severe wasting, which has increased since 1993, is also crucial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

People residing in the char regions of Assam are among the most vulnerable in the state, and particularly susceptible to multiple disasters such as floods, storms, and land erosion. Despite the existing vulnerabilities and widespread poverty, people continue to live in these areas. Our research aims to investigate why people continue to reside in these areas in such conditions and explore the feasibility of relocation as a possible solution to catastrophe risk mitigation, considering people's perceptions of living in these locations. This study uses a mixed method's approach to achieve its objectives, based on primary data, collected through a household survey and focus group discussions. A total of 394 char residents from four districts of Assam participated in data collection. The Contingent Valuation Method (CVM) has been applied to understand residents' living preferences. Additionally, we used regression models to determine the factors influencing char residents' preference for living in these vulnerable areas. Our findings reveal that while most people prefer to live in the char areas, the risks of multiple disasters are driving some to consider leaving, exacerbated by infrastructure bottlenecks. However, char dwellers do not view relocation as a desirable solution. Alternatively, improving infrastructure and reducing disaster risks could lead to higher-levels of development and satisfaction for char residents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We analyse the long-run evolution of the labour income distribution for Chile. To this end, we use thirteen waves of the CASEN household socioeconomic survey from 1990 to 2017. During this period hourly earnings inequality measured by the Gini coefficient fell from 0.47 to 0.40. We use a RIF regression approach similar to Ferreira et al. (2021) for Brazil to decompose changes in average earnings and earnings inequality. We do not find observable variables that explain -either through an endowment effect or through a structural price change- a significant part of the decrease in hourly earnings inequality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mainstreaming gender issues in a demographically divided setting remains a critical component in policy frameworks and project designs. The focus of this study revolves around male- and female-headed households' engagement in business operations, with an extended effect on household welfare. This study uses Malawi's Integrated Household Survey 5, and answers two research questions: Are there any determinants of household engagement in non-farm businesses in rural and urban areas of Malawi? And is there any impact of gender differentials in household engagements in non-farm business operations on household welfare in rural and urban areas of Malawi? This study notes that male-managed non-farm SMEs had better profits compared with their female counterparts, as described by the Probit and the Oaxaca two-fold decomposition models. Mediation analysis was later used to establish the impact of the gender differentials using profits as the mediating variable. In general, females were found to be better off, but the benefits were insignificant in reducing the general rural–urban gap. This study recommends the provision of support towards credit structures for rural households and women-headed households; improved financial and business literacy for increased engagement in business operations and reduced poverty; and support towards advocacy of gender inclusion in economic empowerment approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Greater women's bargaining power and decision‐making within a household have been shown to increase investments in human capital. This study links women's participation in decision‐making in dairy production with household investment in girls and boys in health, nutrition, and education. We survey households in the urbanizing region of Bangalore, India. We utilize a multinomial treatment effects model to analyze the individual and household factors that are associated with women's participation in sole or joint decision‐making. We then assess how the type of decision‐making influences a household's investments. The results first show that female decision‐making households are more disadvantaged on average than other types of decision‐making households. Second, we observe that female decision‐makers for dairy production are more likely to have more children and earn a higher income than their husbands. Third, the main findings show that households in which women engage in joint decision‐making have higher levels of investment across all categories for girls. Conversely, investments decrease in education and nutrition for both girls and boys when the wife is the sole decision‐maker. Lastly, investments are enhanced further for girls when households can sell milk at a higher price. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The association between neighbourhood characteristics and residential relocation is a classic topic in urban studies. In China, where gated communities (GCs) have become a highly popular residential form, how and to what extent residents' perceptions of GCs affect their relocation intention has not been quantitatively examined. Drawing on a large‐scale household survey conducted in Shanghai, we use multi‐level logistic regression models to examine the impact of the perceptions of neighbourhood environment, attachment and gatedness on relocation intention. Our findings are threefold: (1) the greater the perceived improvement of the neighbourhood environment, the lower the likelihood of relocation intention; (2) respondents with higher levels of neighbourhood attachment tend to have lower relocation intention and (3) respondents living in neighbourhoods with higher levels of gatedness are less likely to have relocation intention. This research contributes to the literature of neighbourhood studies and GCs by quantifying the ramification of entrenched 'gated mindset' in urban China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extreme values are common in survey data and represent a recurring threat to the reliability of both poverty and inequality estimates. The adoption of a consistent criterion for outlier detection is useful in many practical applications, particularly when international and intertemporal comparisons are involved. In this article, we discuss a simple univariate detection procedure to flag outliers. We present outdetect, a command that implements the procedure and provides useful diagnostic tools. The output of outdetect compares statistics obtained before and after the exclusion of outliers, with a focus on inequality and poverty measures. Finally, we carry out an extensive sensitivity exercise where the same outlier detection method is applied consistently to per capita expenditure across more than 30 household budget surveys. The results are clear and provide a sense of the influence of extreme values on poverty and inequality estimates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research estimated models for long-distance domestic passenger trips before and after the introduction of autonomous vehicles (AVs) and their application to a 10% synthetic US population. The authors synthesized 12.1M households and 28.1M individuals across 73,056 US census tracts. To generate disaggregated passenger trips, travel demand models, including trip frequency, season, purpose, party size, mode choice, and destination choice, and vehicle ownership models were estimated. Different datasets, including a 2021 long-distance AV survey, 2016/17 National Household Travel Survey (NHTS) survey, EPA Smart Location data, and FHWA rJourney dataset were used for model estimation. The model applications indicated AV ownership to be 0.33 per capita after the introduction of AVs within the marketplace with a $3500 AV technology cost premium in the year 2040. Total person-miles traveled per capita in long-distance trips was also estimated to rise 35% (from 280 to 379 miles per month). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

South Sudan is the newest country in the world - it has been experiencing recurrent conflict and climatic shocks such as flooding and hunger, creating a protracted humanitarian situation where 9 million people - three-quarters of South Sudan's population - are projected to require humanitarian and protection assistance in 2024. Two million people remain displaced due to decades of conflict, intercommunal violence and extreme effects and events of climate change, such as flooding and dry spells (OCHA 2024). Lack of coherent early warning identifiers and adequate monitoring mechanisms exacerbate acute shocks and chronic stresses due to both manmade and natural calamities amongst vulnerable communities in Ulang County. This paper aims at ascertaining the existing mechanisms and indicators that the community utilize for monitoring and early warning of habitual natural and man-made disasters. This study used both quantitative and qualitative data collection techniques. Quantitative data were gathered through a household survey using a structured questionnaire from 120 displaced households had been affected by floods and episodes of inter-communal violence. The household survey used two-stage cluster sampling with probability proportionate to size (PPS) to identify respondents. The qualitative data were collected through focus group discussions with men and women representatives located along the Sobat river. Key informant interviews with local leaders at County, Payam and Boma level were equally conducted to gather comprehensive information, and gain a better understanding of the context and draw sound recommendations and conclusions. Descriptive and comparative methods were used in the bid to grasp the prevailing early warning identifiers and the monitoring systems or mechanisms in place for repeated flooding, inter-communal violence and revenge killings. The research findings uncovered that 55.8% of respondents are aware of both traditional early warning indicators to climate-related shocks as well as to inter-communal violence. Community Managed Disaster Risk Reduction (CMDRR) committees have been established to bolster preparation against disasters and facilitate early response. The CMDRR structure has enabled timely preparedness and provides leadership for any response or post-disaster activities prior to receiving assistance from humanitarian actors. On the other hand, inadequate monitoring systems and tools amongst the duty bearers and limited capacity of the County leadership and other public institutions both at State and County level make the monitoring and early warning of recurrent disasters less effective. Furthermore, funding constraints remains one of the major challenges cited by humanitarian actors that often curtails their efforts in collaborating with government counterparts in tackling disaster risks in a more sustainable manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mongolian nomadic herders traditionally pass on ecological knowledge intergenerationally, mainly within families. However, little is known about how current societal transformation processes may impact the application and transfer of traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) amongst herders. Combining quantitative household survey data with qualitative interviews, we show that TEK is still widely applied amongst herders. Our data show that households living under conditions of greater societal transformation apply TEK more often in order to adapt to the situation than households under lower transformation pressure. High transformation pressure goes along with high human population and livestock density and thus competition for good pastureland. In addition, our results show that intragenerational knowledge transfer between families is gaining more importance nowadays. For Mongolia, we recommend facilitating access to and strengthening the exchange of TEK to prepare herders for the future due to the high level of uncertainty accompanying societal transformations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As conventional class categories hide too much pertinent information, there is a growing body of work on lifestyles and consumption patterns of more detailed occupational groups that seeks to distinguish the underlying social structures. While research in Bourdieusian class analysis focuses on class practices, limited attention is paid to agents' strategic interests. Using French household expenditure data, this article explores the structures of consumption, instrumental for professional advancement, within the 'service class'. The article provides conclusive evidence of maintained distinctions between the identities of business, technical and educational professionals through the expenditure-based structures of consumption. The study illustrates the capacity of Bourdieu's capital composition principle to reveal the social structures. The article argues that the instrumental, capital-signalling role of strategic investments in the markers of distinction resonates with the principles of Bourdieu's logic, delineating not only the symbolic but also the social space, with implications for understanding inequality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper looks at three contaminated communities in southern Europe facing pollution from industrial and mining activity and analyses forms of avoidance behaviour, using both economic and sociological approaches. Based on a quantitative household survey, we show that avoidance behaviour is mainly explained by residential location and socio-economic characteristics. Pollution perception is not statistically correlated to most avoidance behaviour. From in-depth qualitative interviews, we learn more about people's risk perception and whether and why people adopt avoidance behaviour, including discovering some inventive solutions. To conclude, our results cast doubt on the efficacy of current public advisory communications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COVID-19 presented unparalleled difficulties for financially disadvantaged renters, limiting their ability to pay for housing. The impact of this crisis on petty landlords, who often provide housing to these precarious renters, is unclear and requires investigation. Utilising data from a survey of 300 households, and focus group discussions (FGDs) with 100 petty landlords, primarily first-generation Scheduled Caste (SC) and Other Backward Class (OBC) owners, this case study examines the effects of the pandemic on petty landlords in urban villages in Delhi, India. The findings highlight the sedimentation of caste in informal rental market spaces: Firstly, it highlights the role of caste-based socio-economic factors in the emergence of petty landlords in relation to dominant caste landlords. Secondly, it examines the circumstances that led to financial strain among marginalised caste landlords during the pandemic and explores how their responses to this stress worsened existing housing challenges for vulnerable tenants. Thirdly, the study reveals that gender also played a significant role in shaping the experiences of petty landlords, with women outnumbering men as proxy landlords in this group. Lastly, the paper explores how state imposed eviction interventions brought the complexities of caste, class, gender and urban marginality to the forefront. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In September 2024, the Social Weather Stations (SWS) reported that 22.9 percent of Filipino households experienced involuntary hunger—being hungry and not having anything to eat—at least once in the past three months. This paper focuses on the surveys of Philippine hunger conducted by the SWS for over two decades. The SWS is a pioneering nonstock, nonprofit, and nonpartisan research organization that regularly surveys various aspects of human well-being in the Philippines, such as hunger and poverty. The methodology of SWS’ quarterly surveys has been standard and consistent over time. All original raw datasets are archived without permanent embargo period and are open to academic researchers. From 1998, there have been 107 statistically representative national surveys of hunger among Filipino families. The paper showed the trends in hunger rates quarterly from 1998 to 2024. It also compared hunger rates among the National Capital Region, Balance Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. Since SWS surveys include other topics on well-being, the paper analyzed hunger rates among the self-rated poor and nonpoor Filipino families, including those who are self-rated food poor and not food-poor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study delves into the intricate interplay between visible inequality, conspicuous consumption, and food consumption in Indian households. Leveraging data from the Consumer Pyramids Household Survey (CPHS) provides significant insights. Through empirical analyses, including panel data analysis and instrumental variable panel data analysis, this study supports the hypothesis that there exists a relationship between visible inequality and conspicuous consumption among Indian households. The positive coefficients linked to conspicuous consumption variability reinforce established theories concerning the impact of status perception on spending behaviour. This study reveals a noteworthy adverse effect of visible inequality on essential expenditures, particularly food consumption, highlighting the delicate balancing act that households navigate between status‐driven spending and meeting fundamental needs. By employing instrumental variable regression models to address endogeneity concerns, this study robustly confirms the relationship between visible inequality and conspicuous consumption. This study emphasises the nuanced relationship between status‐oriented spending, visible inequality, and essential expenses in Indian households. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The migration curve hypothesis, a well-established concept in migration studies, posits that emigration rates initially rise with economic development but subsequently decline upon reaching a certain level of development. This hypothesis has been widely examined in international contexts, with many studies affirming its validity. This study aims to investigate whether the migration curve hypothesis is valid in internal migration contexts. It also aims to elucidate the effect of development on migration. Using data obtained from household surveys collected in Colombia between 2012 and 2019 and auxiliary variables from multiple sources, we extend the gravity models to control for spatial and nonspatial endogeneity to test the migration curve. The evidence from Colombia reveals a relationship between development and migration contrary to the international evidence. Some evidence of an inverted U-shaped curve is found when the sample when focusing on migration from rural areas. These results suggest that questioning the empirical studies used to test the migration curve hypothesis is still relevant. The results also suggest that disentangling the bidirectional effect between the relevant variables is crucial for deriving conclusions for policy analysis from this curve. It is also pivotal to test whether such a relationship changes over time and between areas. The findings also indicate a significant shift in migration patterns within Colombia, revealing a decreasing prominence of Bogotá as a primary migration destination over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aligned with the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda, voluntary sustainability standards (VSS) have gained prominence as market‐based tools for sustainability governance. However, whether VSS improve economic sustainability remains subject to vigorous debate. A major limitation of the evidence base is that it does not systematically examine which VSS design attributes affect their impact. In this study, we develop a conceptual framework disentangling three main governance mechanisms through which VSS may affect farmer welfare, which we operationalize using secondary data from a nationally representative farm household survey in Peru. Our results underscore the dominant role of market‐based incentives, followed by capacity‐building, while rule enforcement with good agricultural practices has no effect on farm revenue. Additionally, organizational membership is found to amplify the revenue effects of VSS through market‐based incentives. Our findings advocate VSS organizations to strengthen market‐based incentives and capacity‐building, while improving standard setting and enforcement to effectively improve economic sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the medium-term impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on household entrepreneurship in China, utilizing data from the 2015–2021 China Household Finance Survey. Employing a generalized Difference-in-Differences (DiD) methodology, we find that the pandemic has significantly dampened household entrepreneurship one year after its initial outbreak in China. Our analysis suggests that this decline is largely attributable to heightened risk aversion and increasingly pessimistic outlooks on the future. Moreover, our heterogeneity analysis reveals that this adverse effect predominantly impacts individuals with lower educational levels, the elderly, and those in regions with inadequate digital and financial infrastructure. These findings offer vital insights for policymakers aiming to rejuvenate household entrepreneurship in the aftermath of the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID‐19 pandemic has resulted in substantial loss of life and economic disruption, leading to a reevaluation of financial planning strategies. This paper examines the relationship between household exposure to COVID‐19 and their life insurance holdings using data from a nationwide household survey in the US. The results indicate that households diagnosed with COVID‐19 are more likely to own life insurance and hold a larger amount of coverage due to the pandemic, with these effects significantly influenced by the bequest motive. Conversely, hospitalization and the death of family members due to COVID‐19 are negatively correlated with life insurance holdings. The implications can inform household and industry decisions to enhance household financial welfare in response to pandemic risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Part of the success of climate change adaptation strategies relies on the accurate identification of barriers and incentives to the installation of Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) by private individuals. To identify the variables influencing that willingness, we carried out a questionnaire-based survey in the Eurometropolis of Strasbourg (France). Descriptive statistics on the 359 responses highlight, in particular, a lack of knowledge about rainwater management. Those who have already installed one SuDS identify both economic and environmental advantages. Results of a binomial logit show that, unlike socio-economic characteristics of respondents, variables of perception influence the willingness of households to adopt SuDS. Social norms play an important role and a spatial adoption contagion is observed but the word of mouth phenomenon does not seem to be present. This study adds new insights into understanding what is needed to encourage households to install SuDS of their own and mainstream these blue-green infrastructures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]