Effect of income inequality, community infrastructure and individual stressors on adult depression

Author(s):  
Vanessa Sha Fan ◽  
Renuka Mahadevan ◽  
Janni Leung

Abstract This paper considers the impact of variables at three different levels—city, community and individual—on the depression of adults aged 45 years and above in China. Evidence shows that community factors, such as infrastructure and elderly centres, are critical to reduce depression but the effect of city-level factors such as lowering income inequality and improving public health investment is different for the segments of poor and non-poor as well as the rural and urban residents. This highlights the need to consider targeted policy mix options to avoid resource misallocation. Lastly, Chinese females’ depression has worsened over time with ageing, particularly those who drink alcohol or are less educated are prone to depression prompting the need for specialist women health centres.

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S275-S275
Author(s):  
Caroline Hamilton ◽  
Heather Frazier ◽  
Jose A Vazquez

Abstract Background The impact of COVID-19 in rural communities has been well described. However, little is known regarding differences in coinfections among COVID-19 patients in rural vs. urban settings. Our primary objective is to evaluate community acquired coinfection (CACo) rates (< 72 hrs from admission) and healthcare-associated infection (HAI) rates ( > 72 hrs from admission) in these populations. Secondary objectives include use of empiric antibiotics, pathogen prevalence, and patient outcomes. Methods Retrospective analysis of the first 255 adult patients admitted to a tertiary medical center with symptomatic COVID-19 and confirmed by PCR. Rural and urban categories were determined using patient address and county census data. Isolated pathogens were individually evaluated and considered coinfections if the patient met predetermined criteria. Predetermined Coinfection Criteria Results The rates of CACo for rural (n = 90) and urban (n = 165) residents were 11.1% and 13.3%, respectively. Non-respiratory coinfections, such as bloodstream and urinary tract infections, were more common in urban residents; however, empiric antibiotics were started in 75.1% of all subjects. Methicillin susceptible staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli were the most common pathogens isolated on admission in both populations. HAI rates were 13.3% in the rural residents vs 13.9% in the urban residents with Methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus as the most common respiratory pathogen, although Pseudomonas aeruginosa was the most prevalent overall pathogen. There was no significant difference in hospital length of stay or 30-day all-cause mortality among both populations. Patient Outcomes Among Rural and Urban Populations Conclusion There was no significant difference in the rate of CACo or HAI among rural or urban populations. Despite the high rate of antibiotic use to empirically cover community acquired respiratory infections at the start of the pandemic, only 1.9% of the subjects had a possible or proven respiratory coinfection on admission. Despite prior research showing worse outcomes for rural populations with COVID-19, our data demonstrates that coinfection rates and patient outcomes were similar among these populations when receiving medical care at an academic hospital. Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures


2019 ◽  
pp. 5-17
Author(s):  
Goksu Aslan

In addition to its direct effects, income inequality may affect economic growth indirectly through various transmission channels. Negative effects may arise from a political economy, socio-political instability, and credit market imperfections. In other words, inequality may have indirect effects on economic growth through these transmission channels. In this article, the focus is on testing the impact of income inequality through the political economy channel, using several types of taxes as the proxy for redistributive pressure. In order to test the possible effects through these channels, income inequality, taxation, and related interaction terms are added into the growth model. The results show that there is a significant negative interaction between income inequality and tax channels. This interaction is also justified with the tax index calculated by the PCA. Marginal effects of the related tax channels are interpreted for different levels of income inequality.


Land ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 430
Author(s):  
Indunee Welivita ◽  
Simon Willcock ◽  
Amy Lewis ◽  
Dilshaad Bundhoo ◽  
Tim Brewer ◽  
...  

In 2006, the world’s population passed the threshold of being equally split between rural and urban areas. Since this point, urbanisation has continued, and the majority of the global population are now urban inhabitants. With this ongoing change, it is likely that the way people receive benefits from nature (ecosystem services; ES) has also evolved. Environmental theory suggests that rural residents depend directly on their local environment (conceptualised as green-loop systems), whereas urban residents have relatively indirect relationships with distant ecosystems (conceptualised as red-loop systems). Here, we evaluate this theory using survey data from >3000 households in and around Hyderabad, India. Controlling for other confounding socioeconomic variables, we investigate how flows of 10 ES vary across rural, peri-urban and urban areas. For most of the ES we investigated, we found no statistical differences in the levels of direct or indirect use of an ecosystem, the distance to the ecosystem, nor the quantities of ES used between rural and urban residents (p > 0.05). However, our results do show that urban people themselves often travel shorter distances than rural people to access most ES, likely because improved infrastructure in urban areas allows for the transport of ES from wider ecosystems to the locality of the beneficiaries’ place of residence. Thus, while we find some evidence to support red-loop–green-loop theory, we conclude that ES flows across the rural-urban spectrum may show more similarities than might be expected. As such, the impact of future urbanisation on ES flows may be limited, because many flows in both rural and urban areas have already undergone globalisation.


2015 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 98
Author(s):  
Ayfer Karayel

In this paper, the extent to which redistribution is desired by the Turkish and its determinants are estimated. For this purpose, the 2009 Social Inequality Module of the International Social Survey Programme is used. Finding the attitudinal differences between urban and rural region residents, and understanding whether these can be attributed to educational differences is additionally aimed. The estimations indicate that pro-redistribution preferences are shaped by distributive justice considerations captured by the question on just payment at work. Having no or low educational qualification, living in urban regions and small cities also play an important role. Being in the lowest income categories is also associated with higher demand for redistribution. The attitudinal difference between rural and urban residents cannot be attributed to differences in the educational levels, differences in cultural values and/or income levels seem to play an important role. This study’s finding that women are more tolerant of income inequality than men is the opposite of the previous finding based on the 2011 WVS data, and of the more usual finding in other studies. Hard work has a non- significant effect in the present study although it was one of the determinants of pro-redistribution preferences previously. The impact of income is similar to previous analysis’ finding. However, mixed results were found in the previous analysis relative to the effect of living in a specific region. The effects are more homogeneous with ISSPA data, as all of the regions with significant coefficients have relatively reduced support for redistribution than Istanbul.


Author(s):  
Maria Giulia Ballatore ◽  
Ettore Felisatti ◽  
Laura Montanaro ◽  
Anita Tabacco

This paper is aimed to describe and critically analyze the so-called "TEACHPOT" experience (POT: Provide Opportunities in Teaching) performed during the last few years at Politecnico di Torino. Due to career criteria, the effort and the time lecturers spend in teaching have currently undergone a significant reduction in quantity. In order to support and meet each lecturers' expectations towards an improvement in their ability to teach, a mix of training opportunities has been provided. This consists of an extremely wide variety of experiences, tools, relationships, from which everyone can feel inspired to increase the effectiveness of their teaching and the participation of their students. The provided activities are designed around three main components: methodological training, teaching technologies, methodological experiences. A discussion on the findings is included and presented basing on the data collected through a survey. The impact of the overall experience can be evaluated on two different levels: the real effect on redesigning lessons, and the discussion on the matter within the entire academic community.


1998 ◽  
Vol 1624 (1) ◽  
pp. 180-183 ◽  
Author(s):  
José Weissmann ◽  
Rob Harrison

The impact of a 44 000-kg (97,000-lb) tridem semitrailer truck on bridges on the urban and rural U.S. Interstate system is examined. The impacts are determined using a suite of models developed for FHWA policy use, and both agency and user costs are estimated. Bridges on the Interstate system that are already deficient at current loads are excluded from this analysis, which utilizes the National Bridge Inventory database and reports results for the rural and urban Interstate systems.


Water Policy ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ramesh Bhatia ◽  
John Briscoe ◽  
R. P. S. Malik ◽  
Lindy Miller ◽  
Smita Misra ◽  
...  

The state of Tamil Nadu, India, is in the grips of a water crisis, with demand far outstripping supply. As the economy of the state grows, this crisis is going to become ever more serious. To date the focus of state water policy has been on trying to augment supplies, from within the state (even from desalinization) and from neighboring states. In addition, the water use is regulated in a way that does not encourage the highest value uses. International experience shows that supply-side measures must be complemented by demand-side measures and that practice must move away from fixed, command-and-control allocation policies towards flexible allocation mechanisms, which facilitate the voluntary movement of water from low to high-value uses. This study addresses the question of whether such a change in allocation policies is worth doing. It addresses this question by developing optimization models for each of the 17 river basins in Tamil Nadu (including an assessment of the economic value of water in different end-uses – agriculture, domestic and industry), then using an input–output model embedded in a social accounting matrix (SAM), to assess the impact of these changes on the state economy and on different rural and urban employment groups. The results suggest that a shift to a flexible water allocation system would bring major environmental, economic and social benefits to the state. Compared with the current “fixed sectoral allocation” policy, a flexible allocation policy would, in 2020, result in 15% less overall water used; 24% less water pumped from aquifers; 20% higher state income; with all strata, rich and poor, benefiting similarly, with one important exception, that of agricultural laborers.


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