Search Results (9)

The increasingly observable financial vulnerability of households in emerging market countries makes it imperative to investigate the factors influencing it. Considering that China stands as a representative of emerging market economies, analyzing the factors influencing household financial vulnerability in China presents great reference significance for the sustainable development of households in emerging market countries. Using data from the China Household Finance Survey (CHFS) household samples, this paper presents the regional distribution of households with financial vulnerability in China. Utilizing machine learning (ML), this research examines the factors that influence household financial vulnerability in China and determines the most significant ones. The results reveal that households with financial vulnerability in China takes up a proportion of more than 63%, and household financial vulnerability is lower in economically developed coastal regions than in medium and small-sized cities in the central and western parts of China. The analysis results of the SHAP method show that the debt leverage ratio of a household is the most significant feature variable in predicting financial vulnerability. The ALE plots demonstrate that, in a household, the debt leverage ratio, the age of household head, health condition, economic development and literacy level are significantly nonlinearly related to financial vulnerability. Heterogeneity analysis reveals that, except for household debt leverage and insurance participation, the key characteristic variables exerting the most pronounced effect on financial fragility differ between urban and rural households: household head age for urban families and physical health status for rural families. Furthermore, digital financial inclusion and social security exert distinct impacts on financial vulnerability, showing significantly stronger effects in high per capita GDP regions and low per capita GDP regions, respectively. These findings offer valuable insights for policymakers in emerging economies to formulate targeted financial risk mitigation strategies—such as developing household debt relief and prevention mechanisms and strengthening rural health security systems—and optimize policies for household financial health. Full article

Concussion is a costly healthcare issue affecting sports, industry, and the defense sector. The financial impacts, however, extend beyond acute medical expenses, affecting an individual’s physical and cognitive abilities, as well as increasing the burden on coworkers, family members, and caregivers. More effective personal protective equipment may greatly reduce the risk of concussion and injury. Notably, aerogels are light, but traditionally fragile, non-Newtonian fluids, such as shear-thickening fluids, which generate more resistance when compressive force is applied. Herein, a composite material was developed by baking a shear-thickening fluid (i.e., starch) and combining it with a commercially available aerogel foam, thus maintaining a low cost. The samples were tested through the use of a ballistic pendulum system, using a spring-powered launcher and a gas-powered cannon, followed by ballistic penetration testing, using two electromagnetic accelerators and two different projectiles. During the cannon tests without a hardhat, the baked composite only registered 31 ± 2% of the deflection height observed for the pristine aerogel. The baked composite successfully protected the hygroelectric devices from coilgun projectiles, whereas the projectiles punctured the pristine aerogel. Leveraging the low-cost design of this new composite, personal protective equipment can be improved for various sporting, industrial, and defense applications. Full article

In recent years, the issue of population aging has been a challenge for China’s economic and social development. Due to factors such as the imperfect pension security system, the financial vulnerability of families has been greatly impacted by population aging. Digital inclusive finance is a financial model that utilizes digital technology and innovative approaches to provide financial services to low-income groups and impoverished areas. With the rapid development of the concept of digital inclusive finance, an increasing number of households are beginning to use digital inclusive finance products. It is worth exploring whether this financial model can help alleviate the financial vulnerability of aging families. Therefore, it is of both theoretical and practical significance to study the role of digital inclusive finance in improving the financial vulnerability of aging families. This study assembled unbalanced panel data using both 2016 and 2018 China Household Tracking Survey (CFPS) data and the digital financial inclusion index. An empirical analysis was conducted using the ordered probit panel model. The research findings indicate the following: First, the increasing elderly population intensifies the financial vulnerability of families. Second, digital inclusive finance plays a significant role in improving the financial stability of aging families. Third, digital inclusive finance helps alleviate the impact of population aging on family financial vulnerability by mitigating credit constraints and increasing household income. Fourth, a heterogeneity analysis suggests that in female-headed households, the financial vulnerability caused by population aging is more severe, and the role of digital inclusive finance in improving family financial vulnerability is more prominent. Additionally, the purchase of commercial insurance can effectively alleviate the financial vulnerability of families caused by population aging. Full article

Higher education has been shown to have neuroprotective effects, reducing the risk of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, slowing the rate of age-related cognitive decline, and is associated with lower rates of early mortality. In the present study, the association between higher education, fragile X messenger ribonucleoprotein 1 (FMR1) cytosine–guanine–guanine (CGG) repeat number, and mortality before life expectancy was investigated in a population cohort of women born in 1939. The findings revealed a significant interaction between years of higher education and CGG repeat number. Counter to the study’s hypothesis, the effects of higher education became more pronounced as the number of CGG repeats increased. There was no effect of years of higher education on early mortality for women who had 25 repeats, while each year of higher education decreased the hazard of early mortality by 8% for women who had 30 repeats. For women with 41 repeats, the hazard was decreased by 14% for each additional year of higher education. The interaction remained significant after controlling for IQ and family socioeconomic status (SES) measured during high school, as well as factors measured during adulthood (family, psychosocial, health, and financial factors). The results are interpreted in the context of differential sensitivity to the environment, a conceptualization that posits that some people are more reactive to both negative and positive environmental conditions. Expansions in CGG repeats have been shown in previous FMR1 research to manifest such a differential sensitivity pattern. Full article

Family farming is strengthening its strategic role in school nutrition, but coordinating between school feeding programs and the agricultural sector has proven to be challenging. The goal of this review was to identify the problems that school feeding programs face in acquiring food from family farms. We selected studies from Web of Science, Medline/PubMed, and Scopus and evaluated their methodological quality. Out of 338 studies identified, 37 were considered relevant. We used PRISMA to guide the review process, and we chose not to limit the year or design of the study because it was important to include the largest amount of existing evidence on the topic. We summarized the main conclusions in six categories: local food production, marketing, and logistics channels, legislation, financial costs, communication and coordination, and quality of school menus. In general, the most critical problems emerge from the most fragile point, which is family farming, particularly in the production and support of food, and are influenced by the network of actors, markets, and governments involved. The main problems stem from the lack of investment in family farming and inefficient logistics, which can negatively impact the quality of school meals. Viable solutions include strategies that promote investment in agricultural policies and the organization of family farmers. Full article

Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is a rare genetic disorder associated with low bone density and increased bone fragility. OI can lead to a variety of supportive and medical care needs; yet financial impacts for families and individuals living with OI remain understudied and largely invisible. Efforts by families to recover costs through GoFundMe^®, the most important crowdfunding web platform worldwide, offer an unprecedented opportunity to gain insight into OI costs. The purpose of this study was to describe GoFundMe^® profiles and determine what factors may contribute to funding goal achievement. A netnographic approach was used to investigate a publicly available dataset from GoFundMe^®, with 1206 webpages extracted and 401 included for analysis. Most webpages originated from the United States and were created by family members. Nineteen cost categories were identified. Thirty-seven web profiles met their funding goal. Funding increases or goal achievements created for children were associated with increased social-media exposure (i.e., Facebook). This study helped to describe and showcase the financial impacts of OI and effectiveness of a crowdfunding website to alleviate costs. The results highlight the need for further research to better understand OI costs and provide economic supports for individuals with OI. Full article

Background: Intellectual disability is more common in low- and middle-income countries than in high-income countries. Stigma and discrimination have contributed to barriers to people with intellectual disability accessing healthcare. As part of a larger study on caregiving of children with intellectual disability in urban Cape Town, South Africa, we interviewed a sub-group of families who had never used the intellectual disability services available to them, or who had stopped using them. Methods: We employed a qualitative research design and conducted semi-structured interviews to explore the views and perspectives of parents and caregivers of children with intellectual disability who are not using specialised hospital services. We developed an interview guide to help explore caregivers’ and parents’ views. Results: Results revealed that caregivers and parents of children with intellectual disability did not use the intellectual disability service due to financial difficulties, fragile care networks and opportunity costs, community stigma and lack of safety, lack of faith in services and powerlessness at effecting changes and self-stigmatisation. Conclusion: Current findings highlight a need for increased intervention at community level and collaboration with community-based projects to facilitate access to services, and engagement with broader issues of social exclusion. Full article

Background: Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) continues to take a heavy toll on the lives of many people, with the worst impact on health and wellbeing for the affected individuals in fragile states. The HIV situation in Somalia is not clearly known and experiences of the people living with HIV in this war-torn region are often unexpressed. This pilot qualitative study sought to explore the experiences of people diagnosed with HIV living in Mogadishu, and their resilience in access to care and social support. Methods: Participants were recruited through drug dispensers at the HIV clinic in Banadir Hospital. Face-to-face in-depth interviews were conducted in Somali in May 2013 among patients who were receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) from the HIV clinic in Mogadishu. These were tape-recorded, transcribed, and translated for content analysis. Results: Three women and four men who were living with HIV shared the following narratives. Their perception was that they had either got HIV from their spouses or through health care contamination. They were very knowledgeable about the realities of HIV, how the medication works, nutritional requirements, and drug adherence. They were always willing to go an extra mile to secure a good life for themselves. However, the external HIV stigma impacted their access to care. They faced challenges in their homes and at work which compelled them to seek support from non-governmental organizations (NGOs) or close family members. This stigma often affected their disclosure to the wider community due to the uncertainty of the repercussions, leading to a life of extreme loneliness and financial difficulties. The participants’ coping mechanisms included living together and starting their own NGO for support with very strong optimism about their prognosis. Conclusions: The people diagnosed with HIV living in Mogadishu are highly knowledgeable about HIV transmission, the realities of living with a diagnosed HIV infection, and the efficacy of HIV treatment. Our small sample suggests adequate access to ART through NGOs. However, widespread HIV stigma limits HIV status disclosure to families and communities, which creates a risk of self-isolation and ill health. Still, affected individuals have developed resilient mechanisms for managing the risks. They strive to remain employed for economic security, adhere to HIV treatment, engage in support groups, and maintain the utmost optimism about their prognosis. Full article

Prolonged oligohydramnios following extreme preterm prelabour rupture of membranes (EPPROM) is traditionally associated with a high morbidity and mortality to both the mother and the baby. The clinical maternal evaluation and fetal ultrasound assessment may provide important prognostic information for the clinicians and should be taken into account when counselling the patients so as to provide them with enough information to make decision of continuing or interrupting the pregnancy. Current financial constraints on the National Healthcare Service (NHS) resources make it imperative for clinical decision-makers and budgetary planners to make the right decision of continuing or terminating a second trimester pre-viability amniorrhexis for desperate parents. To assess the economic consequences following EPPROM, the risk of infection to both baby and mother, psychological impact on the parents and associated complications and further disability after delivery on this fragile group of patients to the NHS resources. We review the clinical course, outcome, and the challenges to parents and health care professionals on three pregnancies complicated by EPPROM, occurring before 24 weeks’ gestation with a membrane rupture to delivery interval (latent period) of 14 days or more. The anticipated birth of an extremely premature infant poses many challenges for parents and health care professionals. As parents are faced with difficult decisions that can have a long-term impact on the infant, family and country’s resources, it is critical to provide the type of information and support that is needed by them. Taking all these into consideration with the period of ventilation and respiratory assistance in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) is essential to provide maximum chances for survival, minimizing the risk for long term sequelae of the neonate and provides the parents enough time to decide on making the right decision with the associated guidance of the healthcare provider. Full article