Search Results (1,123)

Decarbonization of the Greek economy requires significant investments in clean technologies. This will boost demand for goods and services and will create multiplier effects on output value added and employment, though reliance on imported technologies might increase the trade deficit. This study employs input–output analysis to estimate the direct, indirect, and multiplier effects of green transition investments on Greek output, value added, employment, and imports across five-year intervals from 2025 to 2050. Two scenarios are considered: the former is based on the National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP), driven by a large-scale exploitation of RES and technologies promoting electrification of final demand, while the latter (developed in the context of the CLEVER project) prioritizes energy sufficiency and efficiency interventions to reduce final energy demand. In the NECP scenario, GDP increases by 3–10% (relative to 2023), and employment increases by 4–11%. The CLEVER scenario yields smaller direct effects—owing to lower investment levels—but larger induced impacts, since energy savings boost household disposable income. The consideration of three sub-scenarios adopting different levels of import-substitution rates in key manufacturing sectors exhibits pronounced divergence, indicating that targeted industrial policies can significantly amplify the domestic economic benefits of the green transition. Full article

Background/Objectives: Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is a leading cause of chronic liver disease. It has known multifactorial pathophysiology, but the impact of social determinants of health (SDOH) on the rising prevalence of MASLD is poorly understood. We conducted a retrospective cross-sectional study to examine the influence of SDOH on MASLD using nationwide data from the 2017–2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) study. Methods: We identified participants with MASLD based on liver ultrasound-based controlled attenuation parameter measurements consistent with diagnostic guidelines. We then used logistic regression models to examine associations between SDOH variables and MASLD, with a pre-specified focus on education and income, sequentially adjusting for sociodemographic factors, medical comorbidities, and other SDOH. Results: Our study found that higher education (odds ratio [OR] 0.77, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.62–0.97, p = 0.024) but not higher income (OR 1.12, 95% CI 0.91–1.37, p = 0.3) was associated with lower odds of MASLD in multivariable adjusted models. We also identified a significant interaction between education level and food security, as well as interactions between food security and other significant SDOH. In the stratified analyses, higher education was significantly associated with lower odds of MASLD among participants with food security (OR 0.71, 95% CI 0.55–0.91, p = 0.007) but not among those with food insecurity (OR 1.26, 95% CI 0.76–2.11, p = 0.4). Conclusions: Our findings identify the potential impact of SDOH on odds of MASLD and suggest increased importance of food security relative to other SDOH. Full article

The growth of rural residents’ disposable income is essential for narrowing the income gap between urban and rural areas and promoting integrated development. This study explores how China’s National Main Functional Zoning Plan influences rural household income through its regulatory impact on construction land expansion. Using data from county−level administrative units across China, the research identified the construction land regulation index as a key mediating variable linking zoning policy to changes in household income. By shifting the analytical perspective from a traditional urban–rural classification to a framework aligned with the National Main Functional Zoning Plan, the study reveals how spatial planning tools, particularly differentiated land quota allocations, influence household income. The empirical results confirm a structured causal chain in which zoning policy affects land development intensity, which in turn drives rural income growth. This relationship varies across different functional zones. In key development zones, strict land control limits income potential by constraining land supply. In main agricultural production zones, moderate regulatory control enhances land use efficiency and contributes to higher income levels. In key ecological function zones, ecological constraints require diverse approaches to value realization. The investigation contributes both theoretical and practical insights by elucidating the microeconomic effects of national spatial planning policies and offering actionable guidance for optimizing land use regulation to support income growth tailored to regional functions. Full article

This article introduces the Index of Distributive and Developmental Outlook (IDDO), a composite indicator designed to jointly assess economic performance and income inequality across EU-27 Member States. While GDP per capita is widely used to evaluate national prosperity, and the Gini coefficient captures income distribution, their separate use often obscures the interaction between growth and equity—an essential dimension of sustainable development. To address this gap, the IDDO integrates normalized values of both indicators using arithmetic and geometric means. The study applies the IDDO to a longitudinal dataset covering the years 2005, 2014, and 2024, allowing for comparative and temporal analysis. Based on IDDO scores, countries are classified into four development types: balanced development, growth with inequality, equity with stagnation, and dual vulnerability. Results show that while some Member States, such as Luxembourg, Czechia, and Slovenia, maintain consistently high IDDO levels, others—including Bulgaria, Romania, and Latvia—exhibit persistent challenges in aligning growth with equitable outcomes. The findings underscore the need for cohesion policies that prioritize not only economic convergence but also distributive fairness. The IDDO provides a practical and adaptable tool for diagnosing development patterns, benchmarking performance, and informing policy design within the EU framework. Full article

Cancer disparities in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) arise from multifaceted interactions between environmental exposures, infectious agents, and systemic inequities, such as limited access to care. The exposome, a framework encompassing the totality of non-genetic exposures throughout life, offers a powerful lens for understanding these disparities. In LMICs, populations are disproportionately affected by air and water pollution, occupational hazards, and oncogenic infections, including human papillomavirus (HPV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and neglected tropical diseases, such as schistosomiasis. These infectious agents contribute to increased cancer susceptibility and poor outcomes, particularly in immunocompromised individuals. Moreover, climate change, food insecurity, and barriers to healthcare access exacerbate these risks. This review adopts a population-level exposome approach to explore how environmental and infectious exposures intersect with genetic, epigenetic, and immune mechanisms to influence cancer incidence and progression in LMICs. We highlight the critical pathways linking chronic exposure and inflammation to tumor development and evaluate strategies such as HPV and HBV vaccination, antiretroviral therapy, and environmental regulation. Special attention is given to tools such as exposome-wide association studies (ExWASs), which offer promise for exposure surveillance, early detection, and public health policy. By integrating exposomic insights into national health systems, especially in regions such as sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and South Asia, LMICs can advance equitable cancer prevention and control strategies. A holistic, exposome-informed strategy is essential for reducing global cancer disparities and improving outcomes in vulnerable populations. Full article

This article examines the relationship between human capital accumulation, household income, and shared prosperity using 2005–2018 household surveys in Cameroon, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, and Uganda. Human capital is found to be positively and significantly correlated with household wellbeing in all five nations. Health’s indirect benefits in Cameroon, Ethiopia, and Kenya augment its direct benefits. Education has monotonic welfare benefits from primary to tertiary levels in all countries. Human capital and labour market participation are strongly associated with household wellbeing. The equalization of human capital endowments increases income for the 40% of the least well-off groups in three of the sample countries. All countries except Uganda record a decrease in human capital deprivation over the period studied. Redistribution is associated with a reduction in human capital deprivation, although less systematically than in the growth scenario. These results suggest that sizeable reductions in human capital deprivation are more likely to be accomplished by interventions that focus on boosting general human capital outcomes than those that redistribute the human capital formation inputs. In countries with declining human capital deprivation, the within-sector interventions seem to account for this success. Substantial heterogeneity in human capital poverty exists within and across countries and between rural and urban areas. Full article

This paper suggests a theoretical framework to summarise the empirical literature on the relationships between sports and both religious and secular ethics, and it suggests two interrelated theoretical models to empirically evaluate the extent to which religious and secular ethics, as well as sports policies, affect achievements in sports. I identified two national ethics (national pride/efficiency) and two social ethics (social cohesion/ethics) by measuring achievements in terms of alternative indexes based on Olympic medals. I referred to three empirical models and applied three estimation methods (panel Poisson, Data Envelopment, and Stochastic Frontier Analyses). I introduced two sports policies (a quantitative policy aimed at social cohesion and a qualitative policy aimed at national pride), by distinguishing sports in terms of four possibly different ethics to be used for the eight summer and eight winter Olympic Games from 1994 to 2024. I applied income level, health status, and income inequality, to depict alternative social contexts. I used five main religions and three educational levels to depict alternative ethical contexts. I applied country dummies to depict alternative institutional contexts. Empirical results support the absence of Olympic ethics, the potential substitution of sport and secular ethics in providing social cohesion, and the dependence of sports on politics, while alternative social contexts have different impacts on alternative sport achievements. Full article

When the economy grows, people become wealthier and more autonomous from their intimate partners. This autonomy potentially has a negative impact on relationship stability: As per capita income increases, so does the divorce rate. Nevertheless, there is evidence that, after a certain income level, the divorce rate starts to decline, suggesting that the relationship between the two factors is not linear. The purpose of the current research is to examine the relationship between per capita income and divorce rate by analyzing historical data from the UK (obtained from the UK Office of National Statistics) and USA (obtained from the CDC and the Federal Reserve), as well as contemporary data encompassing a sample of 107 societies (obtained from the World Population Review and the World Bank). Our analysis finds a concave relationship between the two variables: an increase in per capita income corresponds to a rise in the divorce rate. However, beyond a certain threshold, the increase in per capita income is associated with a decrease in the divorce rate. Full article

Background: Environmental exposures, such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), in conjunction with social and behavioral factors, can significantly impact liver health. This research investigates the combined effects of PFAS (perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), alcohol consumption, smoking, income, and education on liver function among the U.S. population, utilizing data from the 2017–2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Methods: PFAS concentrations in blood samples were analyzed using online solid-phase extraction combined with liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), a highly sensitive and specific method for detecting levels of PFAS. Liver function was evaluated using biomarkers such as alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT), total bilirubin, and the fatty liver index (FLI). Descriptive statistics and multivariable linear regression analyses were employed to assess the associations between exposures and liver outcomes. Bayesian Kernel Machine Regression (BKMR) was utilized to explore the nonlinear and interactive effects of these exposures. To determine the relative influence of each factor on liver health, Posterior Inclusion Probabilities (PIPs) were calculated. Results: Linear regression analyses indicated that income and education were inversely associated with several liver injury biomarkers, while alcohol use and smoking demonstrated stronger and more consistent associations. Bayesian Kernel Machine Regression (BKMR) further highlighted alcohol and smoking as the most influential predictors, particularly for GGT and total bilirubin, with posterior inclusion probabilities (PIPs) close to 1.0. In contrast, PFAS showed weaker associations. Regression coefficients were small and largely non-significant, and PIPs were comparatively lower across most liver outcomes. Notably, education had a higher PIP for ALT and GGT than PFAS, suggesting a more protective role in liver health. People with higher education levels tend to live healthier lifestyles, have better access to healthcare, and are generally more aware of health risks. These factors can all help reduce the risk of liver problems. Overall mixture effects demonstrated nonlinear trends, including U-shaped relationships for ALT and GGT, and inverse associations for AST, FLI, and ALP. Conclusion: These findings underscore the importance of considering both environmental and social–behavioral determinants in liver health. While PFAS exposures remain a long-term concern, modifiable lifestyle and structural factors, particularly alcohol, smoking, income, and education, exert more immediate and pronounced effects on hepatic biomarkers in the general population. Full article

Root caries is a form of decay affecting root surfaces of teeth, often exacerbated by periodontal disease, reduced salivary flow, and compromised mucosal health, all factors strongly influenced by nutrition. Despite this connection, few studies have addressed the role of vitamins in oral health. This study examines the association between serum levels of alpha-carotene (α-carotene), a potent antioxidant and proxy for vitamin A, and the experience of root caries. Using data from the 2017–2018 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), we conducted a cross-sectional analysis and applied a weighted multiple logistic regression model, adjusting for potential confounders including age, sex, education level, race, income-to-poverty ratio, and presence of gum disease. Higher serum α-carotene levels were inversely associated with root caries. Each unit increase in serum α-carotene was associated with a 9% decrease in the odds of having root caries (OR = 0.91; 95% CI: 0.86–0.97; p = 0.004). In this nationally representative sample of U.S. adults, lower serum α-carotene levels were associated with a higher prevalence of root caries. These findings highlight the potential role of nutritional assessment and integration in oral health. Longitudinal and mechanistic studies are needed to confirm and further explore α-carotene’s effects on oral health. Full article

Background/Objectives: Antimicrobial consumption (AMC) surveillance and antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) constitute effective strategies to combat the increasing antimicrobial resistance rates worldwide. Post-Soviet countries (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, the Russian Federation, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan) implemented various elements of AMC surveillance and AMS to different extents. The limited quantity and quality of data from post-Soviet countries make it difficult to assess health system performance; therefore, this region is a blind spot in global AMR monitoring. This systematic review assesses and characterises AMC surveillance and AMS implementation in post-Soviet countries. Methods: Evidence was compiled via a search in PubMed, Google Scholar, Embase, CyberLeninka, and Scopus. The eligibility criteria included AMC surveillance- and AMS-related papers in human health within defined regions and timelines. Some literature from the official websites of international and national health organisations was included in the search. Results: As a result of the searches, screening, and critical appraisal, three peer-reviewed publications and 31 documents were selected for analysis. Eleven out of fifteen countries with updated national action plans for combating antimicrobial resistance have defined AMC surveillance and AMS as strategic objectives. All 15 examined countries submitted antimicrobial consumption data to international networks and reported the existence of approved laws and regulations on antibiotic sales. However, disparities exist in the complexity of monitoring systems and AMS implementation between high-income and low-income countries in the region. Conclusions: This review provides key insights into the existing AMC surveillance and AMS implementation in former Soviet countries. Although the approach of this review lacks quantitative comparability, it provides a comprehensive qualitative framework for national-level AMC surveillance and AMS system assessment. Full article

The Gahai wetland in Gansu, China, is a key wetland for nationally and globally threatened bird species. This research aims to quantify the economic value of wetland birds by the method of contingent valuation questionnaire, thereby providing a foundation for conservation of avian species. The result indicated that residents were willing to pay between 208 and 230 CNY (29–32 USD $) annually for bird protection, a total annual value of wetland birds in Luqu County ranging from 7.9 M to 8.8 M CNY (1.1–1.3 M USD $). Men, locals, and older individuals were more inclined to contribute and offered higher payments, albeit non-significant correlation between education level and annual income with the willingness to pay. While the depth of understanding of wetland pressures did not significantly influence the willingness to pay, it did show a positive correlation; those with more profound understanding tended to be more generous in their payments. Tibetan male residents were more likely to prioritize ecological and environmental protection due to their religious beliefs and cultural customs, which emphasize the reverence for and compassion towards birds. This research not only complemented and validated the applicability of the contingent valuation method in China but also underscores the considerations that should be taken into account when employing this method. Full article

In recent years, studies that examine the relationship between economic development and population change have drawn more attention from the academic community. The intrinsic links between changes in age structure and economic development rates at the macro-national level as well as specific regional aspects have been the subject of extensive theoretical analysis and empirical investigations by numerous academics. Using panel data from 16 prefecture-level cities in Anhui Province between 2010 and 2023, this study investigates the impact of population aging on economic growth and its underlying mechanisms. This is obtained by using benchmark regression, the instrumental variable method (2SLS), mediation effect testing, and regional heterogeneity analysis. The study’s main conclusions are as follows: (1) Anhui Province’s population aging has a negative impact on economic growth; (2) the income gap between urban and rural areas is a significant mediating factor in the relationship between population aging and economic growth; and (3) there is significant regional variation among the 16 prefectural-level cities in Anhui Province. To lessen the negative effects of population aging on economic growth, Anhui Province must implement coordinated and integrated efforts to improve the social security system, accelerate industrial development, and lessen the gap between urban and rural areas. Full article

Property crime is a pressing issue in maintaining social order and urban sustainability, particularly in regions marked by pronounced socioeconomic disparity. While the link between socioeconomic stress and crime is well established, regional variations in Thailand have not been fully examined. Therefore, the purpose of this research was to examine spatial patterns of property crime and identify the potential associations between property crime and socioeconomic environment across Thailand. Using nationally compiled property-crime data from official sources across all provinces of Thailand, we employed geographic information system (GIS) tools to conduct a spatial cluster analysis at the sub-national level across 76 provinces. Both global and local statistical techniques were applied to identify spatial associations between property-crime rates and neighborhood-level socioeconomic conditions. The results revealed that property-crime clusters are primarily concentrated in the south, while low-crime areas dominate parts of the north and northeast regions. To analyze the spatial dynamics of property crime, we used geospatial statistical models to investigate the influence of socioeconomic variables across provinces. We found that property-crime rates were significantly associated with monthly income, areas experiencing high levels of household debt, migrant populations, working-age populations, an uneducated labor force, and population density. Identifying associated factors and mapping geographic regions with significant spatial clusters is an effective approach for determining where issues concentrate and for deepening understanding of the underlying patterns and drivers of property crime. This study offers actionable insights for enhancing safety, resilience, and urban sustainability in Thailand’s diverse regional contexts by highlighting geographies of vulnerability. Full article

Renewable energy stands as a pivotal solution to environmental concerns, prompting substantial research and development endeavors to promote its adoption and enhance energy efficiency. Despite the recognized environmental superiority of renewable energy systems, there is a lack of globally standardized indicators specifically focused on renewable energy efficiency. This study aims to develop and apply a non-parametric data envelopment analysis (DEA) indicator, termed the Renewable Energy Indicator (REI), to measure environmental performance at the national level and to identify differences in renewable energy efficiency across countries grouped by development status and income level. The REI incorporates new factors such as agricultural methane emissions (thousand metric tons of ${\mathrm{CO}}_2$ equivalent), PM2.5 air pollution exposure (µg/m³), and aspects related to electricity, including consumption (as % of total final energy consumption), production from renewable sources, excluding hydroelectric (kWh), and accessibility in rural and urban areas (% of population with access), aligning with the emerging paradigm outlined by the United Nations. By segmenting the REI into global, developmental, and income group classifications, this study conducts the Mann–Whitney U test and the Kruskal–Wallis H tests to identify variations in renewable energy efficiency among different country groups. Our findings reveal top-performing countries globally, highlighting both developed (e.g., Sweden) and developing nations (e.g., Costa Rica, Sri Lanka). Central and North European countries demonstrate high efficiency, while those facing political and economic instability perform poorly. Agricultural-dependent nations like Australia and Argentina exhibit lower REI due to significant methane emissions. Disparities between developed and developing markets underscore the importance of understanding distinct socio-economic dynamics for effective policy formulation. Comparative analysis across income groups informs specific strategies tailored to each category. Full article