scholarly journals COVID-19 and income inequality in OECD countries

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 455-462 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Wildman

Abstract Objective To determine the association between income inequality and COVID-19 cases and deaths per million in OECD countries. Methods Cross-sectional regression methods are used to model the relationship between income inequality, as measured by the Gini coefficient, and COVID-19 reported cases and deaths per-million. Results The results demonstrate a significant positive association between income inequality and COVID-19 cases and death per million in all estimated models. A 1% increase in the Gini coefficient is associated with an approximately 4% increase in cases per-million and an approximately 5% increase in deaths per-million. Conclusions The results demonstrate that countries with high levels of income inequality have performed significantly worse when dealing with the COVID-19 outbreak in terms cases and deaths. Income inequality is a proxy for many elements of socioeconomic disadvantage that may contribute to the spread of, and deaths from, COVID-19. These include poor housing, smoking, obesity and pollution. Policy Implications The findings suggest the importance of closing the gap in income inequality and improving the health and incomes of the poorest and most vulnerable groups.

2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (5) ◽  
pp. 1914-1931 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas M Odhiambo

This paper examines the dynamic relationship between financial development, income inequality and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in a step-wise fashion, using data from 39 sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries during the period 2004–2014. The study uses three income inequality indicators – the Gini coefficient, the Atkinson index and the Palma ratio – to examine these linkages. The study employs the generalised method of moments as the estimation technique. The empirical findings show that financial development unconditionally reduces CO2 emissions in SSA countries. The findings also show that there are threshold levels of income inequality that should not be exceeded in order for the negative impact of financial development on CO2 emissions to be sustained. Specifically, the study finds that the negative impact of financial development on CO2 emissions is likely to change to positive if the following inequality levels are exceeded: 0.591, 0.662 and 5.59, respectively, for the Gini coefficient, the Atkinson index and the Palma ratio. The findings of this study have far-reaching policy implications not only for SSA countries but also for developing countries as a whole. Policy implications are discussed.


GeroPsych ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 125-134
Author(s):  
Mechthild Niemann-Mirmehdi ◽  
Andreas Häusler ◽  
Paul Gellert ◽  
Johanna Nordheim

Abstract. To date, few studies have focused on perceived overprotection from the perspective of people with dementia (PwD). In the present examination, the association of perceived overprotection in PwD is examined as an autonomy-restricting factor and thus negative for their mental well-being. Cross-sectional data from the prospective DYADEM study of 82 patient/partner dyads (mean age = 74.26) were used to investigate the association between overprotection, perceived stress, depression, and quality of life (QoL). The analyses show that an overprotective contact style with PwD has a significant positive association with stress and depression, and has a negative association with QoL. The results emphasize the importance of avoiding an overprotective care style and supporting patient autonomy.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jasmin Grischke ◽  
Szymon P. Szafrański ◽  
Uthayakumar Muthukumarasamy ◽  
Susanne Haeussler ◽  
Meike Stiesch

Abstract Background The prevalence of peri-implantitis ranges between 7 and 38.4% depending on risk indicators such as smoking, diabetes mellitus, lack of periodontal maintenance program, and history or presence of periodontitis. Currently, the possible effect of the type of superstructure on peri-implant health is unclear. This cross-sectional study aims to investigate the influence of the superstructure on the prevalence of peri-implant mucositis, peri-implantitis and peri-implant dysbiosis. Methods During a 32-month recruitment period dental implants were assessed to diagnose healthy peri-implant tissues, mucositis or peri-implantitis. The study included 1097 implants in 196 patients. Out of all peri-implantitis cases 20 randomly chosen submucosal biofilms from implants with fixed denture (FD) originating from 13 patients and 11 biofilms from implants with removable dentures (RD) originating from 3 patients were studied for microbiome analysis. Composition of transcriptionally active biofilms was revealed by RNAseq. Metatranscriptomic profiles were created for thirty-one peri-implant biofilms suffering from peri-implantitis and microbiome changes associated with superstructure types were identified. Results 16.41% of the implants were diagnosed with peri-implantitis, 25.00% of implants with RD and 12.68% of implants with FD, respectively. Multivariate analysis showed a significant positive association on patient (p =  < 0.001) and implant level (p = 0.03) between the prevalence of peri-implantitis and RD. Eight bacterial species were associated either with FD or RD by linear discriminant analysis effect size method. However, significant intergroup confounders (e.g. smoking) were present. Conclusions Within the limitations of the present work, RDs appear to be a risk indicator for peri-implantitis and seem to facilitate expansion of specific periodontopathogens. Potential ecological and pathological consequences of shift in microbiome from RDs towards higher activity of Fusobacterium nucleatum subspecies animalis and Prevotella intermedia require further investigation.


2021 ◽  
pp. 0258042X2110261
Author(s):  
Mukesh Nepal ◽  
Rajat Deb

The study has attempted to examine whether the board size and board independence have any impact on the financial performances of the Indian textile firms. Accessing the data of the 40 sample firms representing the top 100 BSE-listed textile firms during the timeline 2015–2019 and applying the panel data regression model, it has assessed the impacts. Accounting- and market-based financial measures have been proxied, and a significant positive association between the board size and firm performance has been established. Interestingly, a significant inverse relationship between the board independence and financial performance has also been indicated. It has concurred policy implications as the inclusion of more number of board members would likely to increase the firm performance. Moreover, for improving the sound decision-making, firms may chalk out a policy with capping on the engagement of independent directors in other firms. It has acknowledged a few limitations and has sketched a roadmap for posterior studies as well. JEL Codes: G28, G30, M40


2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 147-173
Author(s):  
Rudolf Schuessler

Abstract What impact should sufficientarianism have on the measurement of inequality? Like other theories of justice, sufficientarianism influences how economic inequality is conceived. For the purpose of measurement, its standards of justice can be approximated by income-based thresholds of sufficiency. At which income level could a threshold of having enough be pegged in OECD countries? What would it imply for standard indicators of inequality, such as decile comparisons of cumulated income, income spreads, or the Gini coefficient? This paper suggests some answers to these questions, showing that sufficientarian ideas could make a difference with respect to the measurement of inequality in a society.


2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 130-141
Author(s):  
Mofijul Hoq Masum ◽  
Ahmed Razman Abdul Latiff ◽  
Mohammad Noor Hisham Osman

Corporate voluntary disclosure becomes a burning issue in the literature of accounting throughout the last two decades. The study aims to explore the most crucial determinants that influence corporate voluntary disclosure in a transition economy. A cross-sectional study based on the pharmaceutical and chemical companies listed in the Dhaka Stock Exchange is conducted to reconnoiter the crucial determinants affecting the voluntary disclosure. Based on the agency theory, stakeholder theory, and previous literature, the determinants are selected. An unweighted disclosure index is used to measure the extent of voluntary disclosure; after that, a multivariate analysis is steered to reconnoiter the key determinants of voluntary disclosure. It is found that firm leverage and firm liquidity are the key determinants that significantly influence the corporate voluntary disclosure in a transition economy. In contrast, no significant positive association is found between voluntary disclosure and board size. In additon, it is also found that market category significantly influences voluntary disclosure with an inverse direction. This study has important implications for both the corporate people and the regulatory bodies of the transition economy. The study also helps various stakeholders of the transition economy – Bangladesh, in designing their strategies regarding the most significant determinants of voluntary disclosure. Acknowledgment We are very thankful to the Institute of Advanced Research (IAR), United International University, Bangladesh, to grant us the fund by mobilizing which we generate our required data for the study and complete this empirical study.


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fatemeh Dehghani Firouzabadi ◽  
Ahmad Jayedi ◽  
Elaheh Asgari ◽  
Zahra Akbarzadeh ◽  
Nasim Janbozorgi ◽  
...  

Objective: We aimed to evaluate the association between the dietary and lifestyle inflammation score (DLIS) and metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its components in a sample of Iranian adults.Design: Population-based cross-sectional study.Setting: General adult population living in Tehran, Iran.Subjects: We included 827 adult men and women with an age range of 18–59 years who were referred to health centers in different districts of Tehran, Iran. Dietary intake was assessed by a semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire with 168 items. The DLIS was calculated based on four components, including dietary inflammation score, physical activity, cigarette smoking, and general obesity. Higher DLIS represents a more proinflammatory diet and lifestyle. The odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) of the MetS across quartiles of the DLIS was calculated by using logistic regression analysis, controlling for age, sex, energy intake, marital status, education status, and occupation.Results: A total of 827 participants (31% men) were included, with a mean age of 44.7 ± 10.7 years. The prevalence of the MetS was 30.5%. The DLIS ranged between −2.35 and +3.19 (mean ± SD: 0.54 ± 1.09). There was a significant positive association between the DLIS and odds of MetS (OR fourthvs.thefirstquartile: 1.57, 95% CI: 1.01–2.45) in the fully adjusted model.Conclusion: Our results showed a significant positive association between the DLIS and odds of MetS. The results of the present crosssectional study suggested that having a more proinflammatory lifestyle can be associated with MetS. More prospective studies are needed to confirm the findings.


e-Finanse ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 20-32
Author(s):  
Grzegorz Golebiowski ◽  
Piotr Szczepankowski ◽  
Dorota Wisniewska

Abstract The article examines the impact of financialization on income inequality between 2004 and 2013, through a panel analysis of seven European countries. Moreover, it attempts to examine differences in the perception of the phenomenon between the selected European countries belonging to the G-7 and countries from Central and Eastern Europe. The results demonstrate the existence of individual effects, which means that the level of inequality under examination is influenced predominantly by country-specific factors. The most significant correlation is noticeable between the level of unemployment and the degree of income inequality. An increase in unemployment is accompanied by a rise in the disproportions in the level of income that individual citizens have at their disposal whereas a decrease in the unemployment level contributes to an improvement of the GINI coefficient. Simultaneously, the results confirm the existence of significant correlations between the level of the GINI coefficient and such financialization indicators as the share of employment in finance in total employment and the contribution of the financial sector to total value added creation. The most prominent dependency was discovered when a constructed synthetic indicator was adopted as an indicator of financialization. At the same time, analysis of the synthetic country financialization indicator points to a conclusion that the level of financialization is higher in European countries belonging to the G-7 (especially Great Britain) than in countries from Central and Eastern Europe.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pooja Sahni ◽  
Jyoti Kumar

History is replete with examples where humans have sought refuge in nature for psychological restoration. In this cross-sectional study we explore the relationship of nature experience and mindfulness. Nature experience is assessed through “nature in the neighbourhood”, “frequency of visit” to nature-rich spaces, as well as one's inherent connection with nature described as “nature relatedness”. The study sample consisted of 334 Indian adults. The findings from this study show that frequency of visit to nature-rich spaces has a significant positive association with mindfulness. The hierarchical regression analysis suggests an interaction effect of “nature relatedness” in the association of the presence of nature rich spaces in the neighbourhood, frequency of visit as well as mindfulness. Interestingly, when childhood experiences were explored they had a significant association with “nature relatedness” and mindfulness. The evidence from this research suggests that nature experience may find its application as one of the mindfulness techniques prescribed for self-management of mental health problems.


Author(s):  
Andrew Smithers

Living standards change in line with GDP per head only if the distribution of incomes is unchanged. If incomes become less equally distributed the living standards of most people will fall even if GDP per head is stable. The Gini Coefficient is the most widely used indicator designed to measure the distribution of income. UK inequality, on this measure, has risen since 1977, stabilized since 1987, and fallen in recent years. In the US there has been a long-term increase in income inequality. Unless this US trend for increased income inequality halts, it is quite likely that even if GDP per head rises in the US, the living standard of the average voter will fall. The recent data suggest that changes in income inequality pose less of a threat to living standards in the UK then they do to those in the US.


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