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1 – 10 of over 9000Jalandhar Pradhan, Kshirabdhi Tanaya Patra and Sasmita Behera
The purpose of this study is to examine the socio-economic inequalities that exist in the use of unhygienic menstrual practices in India and its states, as well as to identify the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to examine the socio-economic inequalities that exist in the use of unhygienic menstrual practices in India and its states, as well as to identify the contribution of various socio-economic factors that leads to these inequalities.
Design/methodology/approach
Data from the National Family Health Survey-5 (2019–21) for 240,285 menstruating women aged 15–24 years is used to examine the above objectives. The concentration index for unhygienic menstrual practices is calculated to measure the socio-economic inequalities, which are then decomposed into their determining factors.
Findings
The state of Punjab experiencing the highest level of economic inequality, followed by Telangana and Haryana. The results from decomposition analysis suggest that rural residence (13%), illiteracy (7%), poor economic status (53%), not reading newspaper (12%) and not watching TV (14%) contribute 99% to the total socio-economic inequality in using unhygienic menstrual practices in India. The contribution of economic status to total inequalities is more in all the states except for Kerala and Mizoram, where caste and residence play an important role.
Originality/value
This paper signifies the role of economic inequality in the use of unhygienic menstrual practices in India as well as the contribution of various socio-economic factors contributing towards these inequalities. The results from decomposition analysis suggest the need for unique health intervention strategies for different states following the evidence of major contributions to total inequalities in the use of unhygienic menstrual practices.
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Xavier Bartoll-Roca, Mercè Gotsens and Laia Palència
This study aims, firstly, to analyse the contribution of socio-economic determinants to mental health (MH) inequalities before the economic crisis, in 2006, and again in a year…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims, firstly, to analyse the contribution of socio-economic determinants to mental health (MH) inequalities before the economic crisis, in 2006, and again in a year during recovery, 2016, and secondly, to analyse the changes in these contributions between the two points in time in Barcelona city.
Design/methodology/approach
The concentration index (CI) was calculated for MH inequalities for the population aged 16 or older using the Barcelona Health Surveys for 2006 and 2016. MH was measured with the 12-item General Health Questionnaire. The CI was broken down for each year and gender based on a set of socio-economic determinants plus social support and the presence of chronic diseases. The contribution of each factor to variation in MH inequality between the two points in time was analysed with Oaxaca decomposition.
Findings
Income inequalities in MH increased for men and women (a CI from −0.06 in 2006 to around −0.16 in 2016). Employment status and social class are the main contributors to MH inequalities (more than 50%), except for women in 2006 that is chronic disease. The main contribution to increases in MH inequality between 2006 and 2016 was due to unemployment (26.5% men, 23.8% women), being a student (22.8% men, 20.7% women), homemaker in women (30.7%) and men in the manual class (31.6%).
Originality/value
MH inequalities have been amplified between the two years among the economically vulnerable population or for those who are out of the labour market with unexpected changes for women.
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Income inequality rose in Germany since the 1970s. To quantify the impact of different socio-economic trends on inequality, the author constructs counterfactual distributions of…
Abstract
Income inequality rose in Germany since the 1970s. To quantify the impact of different socio-economic trends on inequality, the author constructs counterfactual distributions of net household income with rich German data from the Microcensus in 1976 and 2011. The procedure allows to study the effect of marital sorting in education and includes indirect effects such as the influence of education on employment. When comparing the income distribution in West Germany for 1976 and 2011, the author finds that the prevalence of singlehood accounts to a large extent for the observed increase in inequality. The inequality increase is also associated with a change of employment among males and single females. When comparing West and East Germany in 2011, the author finds that the stronger labour market attachment of East German married females combined with the high East German unemployment produces even more income inequality than the West German employment structure. Moreover, the smaller household size boosts inequality in East Germany, whereas education works against it. In both comparisons, the author finds no significant impact of positive assortative mating in education or ageing.
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Bastian Ravesteijn, Hans van Kippersluis and Eddy van Doorslaer
Health is distributed unequally by occupation. Workers on a lower rung of the occupational ladder report worse health, have a higher probability of disability and die earlier than…
Abstract
Health is distributed unequally by occupation. Workers on a lower rung of the occupational ladder report worse health, have a higher probability of disability and die earlier than workers higher up the occupational hierarchy. Using a theoretical framework that unveils some of the potential mechanisms underlying these disparities, three core insights emerge: (i) there is selection into occupation on the basis of initial wealth, education and health, (ii) there will be behavioural responses to adverse working conditions, which can have compensating or reinforcing effects on health and (iii) workplace conditions increase health inequalities if workers with initially low socio-economic status choose harmful occupations and don’t offset detrimental health effects. We provide empirical illustrations of these insights using data for the Netherlands and assess the evidence available in the economics literature.
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Nagendra Kumar Maurya and Karuna Shanker Kanaujiya
The present research has been conceptualized to make an inter-district analysis in terms of IHDI of Uttar Pradesh. It aims to provide district-wise estimates of HDI and IHDI with…
Abstract
Purpose
The present research has been conceptualized to make an inter-district analysis in terms of IHDI of Uttar Pradesh. It aims to provide district-wise estimates of HDI and IHDI with the latest available data, which may prove to be a critical policy input to the policy makers that how different districts are performing in terms of education, health and standard of living parameters and help in implementing tailor made policy actions.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper utilizes the Census of India data and unit-level data of National Sample Survey (NSS) for constructing HDI and IHDI. The broad framework for computing IHDI in this study is similar to the approach of UNDP's HDR 2010. To adjust the inequality aspect, the Atkinson inequality aversion parameter has been estimated at indicator level on the basis of NSS unit record data.
Findings
The study reveals that inequality discounted income index is on an average 30 percent lower than unadjusted income index. However, quite high variation exists in case of education and health. The difference ranges from 30 percent to 40 percent in the case of education and from 3 to 36 percent in the health dimension. The surprising fact which study finds that health infrastructure and education infrastructure are poorly correlated with their respective outcomes.
Research limitations/implications
The study offers a policy suggestion that increasing investment on educational and health infrastructure will not have any significant impact on their respective outcomes unless distributional inequalities are reduced. The study also suggests that rising income inequalities are threat to inclusive growth and sustainable development goals agenda. Thus, it recommends policy makers to take pro-active timely policy measures to reduce income inequalities. The educational achievement should be fixed in terms of average years of schooling and expected years of schooling rather than in terms of literacy rate.
Originality/value
The present research is an original work. This is the first study in the case of Uttar Pradesh which attempted to estimate district-wise IHDI following the internationally accepted UNDP (2010) methodology.
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Simplice Asongu, Jacinta Nwachukwu and Sara le Roux
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of inclusive human development and military expenditure in modulating the effect of terrorism on governance.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of inclusive human development and military expenditure in modulating the effect of terrorism on governance.
Design/methodology/approach
It is based on 53 African countries for the period 1998–2012 and interactive generalised method of moments is employed. Six governance indicators from the World Bank and two terrorism variables are used, namely, domestic and transnational terrorism dynamics.
Findings
The following main findings are established. There is a negative net effect on governance (regulation quality and corruption-control) when inclusive human development is used to reduce terrorism. There is a positive net impact on governance (voice and accountability and rule of law) when military expenditure is used to reduce domestic terrorism.
Originality/value
The authors have complemented the sparse literature on the use of policy variables to mitigate the effect of policy syndromes on macroeconomic outcomes.
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Latin American populism.
Ranjan Kumar Prusty and Kunal Keshri
– The purpose of this paper is to understand disparities in child immunization and nutritional status among children by migration status in urban India.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to understand disparities in child immunization and nutritional status among children by migration status in urban India.
Design/methodology/approach
The study utilized third round of National Family Health Survey (NFHS, 2005-2006) data, which is the Indian version of Demographic and Health Survey. Descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression models were used to study the levels and factors associated with child nutrition and immunization by migration status.
Findings
Results suggest that malnutrition and no immunization are very high among children of rural-urban migrants and full immunization is lower than urban non-migrants and urban-urban migrants. More than half of the children from marginalized households suffer from the problem of undernutrition among rural-urban migrants. Multivariate results show economic status, age of the mother, education, caste and media exposure are negatively associated with malnutrition and positively associated with immunization. Children from south, north-east and east are found to have lesser chance of being malnourished than north region of India.
Practical implications
The challenges experienced by rural-urban migrants are reflected over their children and needs a greater attention among policy makers in India.
Originality/value
The finding of this study that children of the rural-urban migrants are in a disadvantageous position in terms of nutrition and immunization. This reflects the precarious condition of rural-urban migrants who initially settles in poor neighbourhoods, which are characterized by lack of adequate sanitation and clean water, poor housing and overcrowding, and difficulty in access to modern health services brought out by many researchers.
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Seamus Allison, M. Bilal Akbar, Claire Allison, Karla Padley and Stephen Wormall
This study aims to demonstrate the evaluation of an incentive scheme to encourage pregnant people to set a quit-smoking date.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to demonstrate the evaluation of an incentive scheme to encourage pregnant people to set a quit-smoking date.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper outlines a collaborative approach, working with pregnant people, clinicians, tobacco dependency practitioners and academics to gain insights into their perspectives and experiences. Quantitative and qualitative data were analysed.
Findings
The incentive scheme and appropriate support from clinicians have been shown to encourage pregnant people to set a quit date. The tobacco dependency practitioners helped remove barriers, such as the perception of the stigmatisation of smoking when pregnant. The practitioners also helped pregnant people make informed decisions to support successful behaviour change. The impact of the scheme resulted in improved infant health indicators. The scheme’s evaluation also supported establishing stakeholder knowledge exchange and learning processes.
Research limitations/implications
This is a single-site study among a relatively small group of people designed to achieve a specific evaluation objective. Caution in generalising to wider settings should be exercised.
Practical implications
This study highlights the efficacy of an incentive scheme, complemented with support from clinicians, and the significance of knowledge exchange and collaboration between stakeholders in health care with significance in similar settings.
Originality/value
The paper details the incentive scheme input, actions, output, outcomes and impact involving a wider range of stakeholders, including the emotional consequences for participants, clinicians and academics.
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