scholarly journals Who is listening? Spokesperson Effect on Communicating Social and Physical Distancing Measures During the COVID-19 Pandemic

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmad Abu-Akel ◽  
Andreas Spitz ◽  
Robert West
Keyword(s):  
Risk Perception ◽  
Well Being ◽  
City Size ◽  
Government Official ◽  
Social Distancing ◽  
Perceptions Of Risk ◽  
Rural And Urban ◽  
Current Compliance ◽  
The Government ◽  
Older Populations

Effective communication during the COVID-19 pandemic can save lives. At the present time, social and physical distancing measures are the lead strategy in combatting the spread of COVID-19. In this pilot, survey-based study, we obtained responses from 705 adults in Switzerland about their support and practice of social distancing measures to examine if these responses are: (1) influenced by whether these measures are supported by an internationally recognized celebrity or a government official, (2) dependent on whether the spokesperson is liked, and (3) age-dependent. We also considered several attitudinal and demographic variables that may influence the degree to which people support and comply with social distancing measures. We found that the government official was more effective, particularly in response to current compliance with social distancing measures, and was substantially stronger among older respondents despite having lower risk perception. Being liked seems to boost this effect. In addition, respondents’ greater support and compliance was positively associated with (1) higher concern for the current situation, (2) higher concern for the well-being of others, (3) greater belief that others are practicing social distancing, (4) feeling greater constraint in freedom of movement, and negatively with (5) city size, and (6) household size. Since different parts of the population appear to have different perceptions of risk and crisis, our preliminary results suggest that different spokespersons may be needed for the younger and the older populations, and for rural and urban populations. The development of evidence-based knowledge is required to further identify who would be the most effective spokesperson, and in particular to groups with low risk perception and low compliance.

scholarly journals Who Is Listening? Spokesperson Effect on Communicating Social and Physical Distancing Measures During the COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmad Abu-Akel ◽  
Andreas Spitz ◽  
Robert West
Keyword(s):  
Risk Perception ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Demographic Variables ◽  
Government Official ◽  
Social Distancing ◽  
Perceptions Of Risk ◽  
The Social ◽  
Current Compliance ◽  
The Government ◽  
Older Populations

Effective communication during a pandemic, such as the current COVID-19 crisis, can save lives. At the present time, social and physical distancing measures are the lead strategy in combating the spread of COVID-19. In this study, a survey was administered to 705 adults from Switzerland about their support and practice of social distancing measures to examine if their responses depended on (1) whether these measures were supported by a government official or an internationally recognized celebrity as a spokesperson, (2) whether this spokesperson was liked, and (3) the respondent’s age. We also considered several attitudinal and demographic variables that may influence the degree to which people support and comply with social distancing measures. We found that the government official was more effective in eliciting responses supportive of social distancing, particularly as manifested in the stated current compliance with social distancing measures. The effect was substantially stronger among older respondents, although these respondents expressed a lower risk perception. Although there was a general trend for greater endorsement of the social distancing measures among participants who liked the spokesperson, this was non-significant. In addition, respondents’ greater support and compliance was positively associated with (1) higher concern for the current situation, (2) higher concern for the well-being of others, and (3) greater belief that others were practicing social distancing, and negatively with (4) greater self-reported mobility. Current compliance correlated negatively with (5) household size. Since different parts of the population appear to have different perceptions of risk and crisis, our preliminary results suggest that different spokespersons may be needed for different segments of the population, and particularly for younger and older populations. The development of evidence-based knowledge is required to further identify who would be the most effective spokesperson, and in particular to groups with low risk perception and low compliance.

scholarly journals Aging in Flood-Prone Coastal Areas: Discerning the Health and Well-Being Risk for Older Residents

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (12) ◽  
pp. 2900 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anamaria Bukvic ◽  
Julia Gohlke ◽  
Aishwarya Borate ◽  
Jessica Suggs
Keyword(s):  
High Risk ◽  
Sea Level Rise ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
East Coast ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Coastal Communities ◽  
Rural And Urban ◽  
Older Populations ◽  
Health And Well Being ◽  
The U.S

Coastal communities are increasingly exposed to more intense and frequent hurricanes, accelerated sea-level rise, and prolonged tidal inundation, yet they are often a preferred retirement destination for older adults vulnerable to flooding and extreme weather events. The unique physical and psychosocial challenges of older population age 65 and over may affect their level of preparedness, capacity to cope with, and ability to respond and recover from a hazard event. Despite the clear vulnerabilities of older residents living in high-risk areas when compared to younger coastal populations, there is a lack of empirical research on the integrated flood risks to this population group in the coastal context. This paper provides a holistic assessment of this emerging problem along the U.S. East Coast by measuring the exposure of older population to sea level rise and storm surge in coastal counties. It further evaluates how age-related vulnerabilities differ between rural and urban settings using the case study approach and geospatial and statistical analysis the paper also conducts a review of scientific literature to identify gaps in the current understanding of health and well-being risks to aging populations in coastal communities. The results show that older populations are unevenly distributed along the U.S. East Coast with some states and counties having significantly higher percent of residents age 65 and older living along the shoreline. Many places with larger older populations have other attributes that further shape the vulnerability of this age group such as older housing stock, disabilities, and lower income and that often differ between rural and urban settings. Lastly, our study found that vast majority of research on aging in high-risk coastal locations has been conducted in relation to major disasters and almost none on the recurrent nuisance flooding that is already affecting many coastal communities.

scholarly journals Up and About: Older Adults’ Well-being During the COVID-19 Pandemic in a Swedish Longitudinal Study

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie Kivi ◽  
Isabelle Hansson ◽  
Pär Bjälkebring
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
Risk Perception ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Financial Satisfaction ◽  
Psychological Consequences ◽  
Social Distancing ◽  
Self Rated Health ◽  
Financial Consequences

Abstract Objectives To investigate early effects of the COVID-19 pandemic related to (a) levels of worry, risk perception, and social distancing; (b) longitudinal effects on well-being; and (c) effects of worry, risk perception, and social distancing on well-being. Methods We analyzed annual changes in four aspects of well-being over 5 years (2015–2020): life satisfaction, financial satisfaction, self-rated health, and loneliness in a subsample (n = 1,071, aged 65–71) from a larger survey of Swedish older adults. The 2020 wave, collected March 26–April 2, included measures of worry, risk perception, and social distancing in response to COVID-19. Results (a) In relation to COVID-19: 44.9% worried about health, 69.5% about societal consequences, 25.1% about financial consequences; 86.4% perceived a high societal risk, 42.3% a high risk of infection, and 71.2% reported high levels of social distancing. (b) Well-being remained stable (life satisfaction and loneliness) or even increased (self-rated health and financial satisfaction) in 2020 compared to previous years. (c) More worry about health and financial consequences was related to lower scores in all four well-being measures. Higher societal worry and more social distancing were related to higher well-being. Discussion In the early stage of the pandemic, Swedish older adults on average rated their well-being as high as, or even higher than, previous years. However, those who worried more reported lower well-being. Our findings speak to the resilience, but also heterogeneity, among older adults during the pandemic. Further research, on a broad range of health factors and long-term psychological consequences, is needed.

scholarly journals Covid-19 and labour law in Belgium

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 276-285
Author(s):  
Frank Hendrickx ◽  
Simon Taes ◽  
Mathias Wouters
Keyword(s):  
Health And Safety ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Labour Law ◽  
Social Distancing ◽  
The World ◽  
Strong Relation ◽  
The Government

As Belgium and its population were heavily hit by the coronavirus, the Government adopted specific measures to address the economy and the world of work. The initiatives were deployed during the crisis but have also been designed for the exit scenario. Various measures have a strong relation with labour law. In addition to health and safety obligations, as specified in the Belgian Well-being Act, the new measures also refer to teleworking, social distancing, and have relied on the Belgian system of temporary unemployment.

Swachh Bharat Abhiyan Clean India Abhiyan

2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Devendra Vishwakarma
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Total Population ◽  
Prime Minister ◽  
Mass Movement ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Rural And Urban Areas ◽  
The People ◽  
Rural And Urban ◽  
The Government

According to the statistics, it has seen that only few percentage of total population have access to the toilets. It is a programmer run by the government to seriously work to fulfill the vision of Father of Nation (Bapu) by calling the people from all walks of life to make it successful globally. Swachh Bharat Abhiyan is a national cleanliness campaign established by the Government of India. This campaign is covering 4041 statutory towns in order to clean roads, streets, and infrastructure of the India. It is a mass movement has run to create a Clean India by 2019. It is a step ahead to the Mahatma Gandhi’s dream of Swachh Bharat for healthy and prosperous life. This mission was launched on 2nd of October 2014 (145th birth anniversary of Bapu) by targeting its completeness in 2019 on 150th birth anniversary of Bapu. The mission has been implemented to cover all the rural and urban areas of the India under the Ministry of Urban Development and the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation accordingly the first cleanliness drive (on 25th of September 2014) of this mission was started by the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi earlier to its launch. This mission has targeted to solve the sanitation problems as well as better waste management all over the India by creating sanitation facilities to all. Swachh Bharat mission is very necessary to run continuously in India until it gets its goal. It is very essential for the people in India to really get the feeling of physical, mental, social and intellectual well-being. It is to make living status advance in India in real means which can be started by bringing all over cleanliness. Below I have mentioned some points proving the urgent need of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan in India.

PERCEIVED EFFECTS OF STREET HAWKING ON THE WELL-BEING OF CHILDREN IN ANYIGBA, DEKINA LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF KOGI STATE, NIGERIA

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 01-07
Author(s):  
Alfred Eboh
Keyword(s):  
Local Government ◽  
Survey Design ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Local Government Area ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Perceived Effects ◽  
The Government

Background: The hawking of wares by children has been a serious issue confronting the Nigerian society. Children hawk in some of the most horrible conditions conceivable, where they face a serious risk of injury, chronic illness, kidnapping, rape or death. Objective: The focus of this study was to assess the perceived effects of street hawking on the well-being of children in Anyigba, Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State. Methods: The population of this study consists of parents of the street hawkers in Anyigba while cross-sectional survey design was used through the purposive sampling technique to choose the sample size of one hundred and sixty-two (162) respondents. The validated structured questionnaire and In-Depth Interviews (IDIs) served as the instruments for the data collection respectively. The hypotheses were tested using Chi-Square at a predetermined 0.05 level of significance. The quantitative data were analysed with the aid of the SPSS (version 20). Results: The results indicated among others that street hawking had significant social implications and physical consequences on children's moral behaviour as well as health status in the study area. Conclusion: The study, therefore, concluded that the government of Kogi State should carry out an enlightenment campaign through the media and religious institutions on the negative consequences of street hawking are recommended as panacea. Also, the child right act instrument and its implementation should be strengthened in order to curb street hawking in the study area.

Living on a low income as a systemic impediment to socio-economic development of Ukraine

2020 ◽  
pp. 99-109
Author(s):  
NATALIIA TOLSTYKH
Keyword(s):  
Economic Development ◽  
Social Welfare ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Labour Force ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Social Consequences ◽  
Human Potential ◽  
Subsistence Level ◽  
Socio Economic Development ◽  
The Government

The article sheds light on various approaches that seek to determine how widespread poverty and life on a low income are in Ukraine nowadays. As a social phenomenon, poverty has traditionally been associated with destitution and living below the subsistence level set by the government. However, the author holds the view that life on a low income not only means living near or below the poverty line. There is another part of Ukraine’s population that should also be considered needy — those whose income is less than twice as the subsistence level, and most of them are also subject to socio-economic deprivation. Drawing upon the findings of a social survey conducted by the Institute of Sociology of the NAS of Ukraine in 2019, the paper analyses the standard of living among different income groups. Particular attention is given to consumption patterns and social well-being of respondents in the lower income brackets. From the data, it can be inferred that living conditions of many Ukrainians are inadequate to sustain and develop human potential; furthermore, the low-income households have literally to struggle every day to make ends meet. The author brings into focus the main macroeconomic factors contributing to this situation and its adverse effect on the nation’s social potential. Some of the most common social consequences of living on a low income have been identified, such as limited consumption, a person’s dissatisfaction with life and his/her position in society. The above-mentioned survey also provides the estimates of how much the current subsistence level (with regard to Ukraine) should be. Having been made by different socio-demographic and occupational groups of Ukraine’s population, these estimates are a useful source of information — given that subsistence level is considered the basic social standard. According to the survey, all these figures are at variance with the official subsistence level, which is noticeably lower, and this indicates that the current subsistence level needs an upward revision. Today, the overall socio-economic situation in Ukraine is unfavourable for neoliberal economic reforms initiated by the government. Since these policies are primarily designed to reduce the role of state in managing the economy and implementing social welfare programmes, following this path will inevitably result in the entrenchment of mass poverty and in a major loss of Ukraine’s human potential, as well as labour force. The author argues that tackling the country’s chronic low income problem is only possible if a new strategy for socio-economic development is adopted, where social welfare is prioritised.

Ghana: the State of Agriculture and Prospects for Food Security in the Context of Achieving SDGs

2018 ◽  
pp. 16-31
Author(s):  
Tatyana Denisova
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
Socioeconomic Development ◽  
Agricultural Sector ◽  
Well Being ◽  
The State ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Careful Study ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
The Government

For the first time in Russian African studies, the author examines the current state of agriculture, challenges and prospects for food security in Ghana, which belongs to the group of African countries that have made the most progress in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The SDGs are a collection of 17 global goals adopted by UN member states in 2015 with a view of achieving them by 2030. The SDGs include: ending poverty in all its forms everywhere (Goal 1); ending hunger, achieving food security and improved nutrition, and promoting sustainable agriculture (2); ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all at all ages (3), etc. These goals are considered fundamental because the achievement of a number of other SDGs – for example, ensuring quality education (4), achieving gender equality (5), ensuring sustainable consumption and production patterns (12), etc. – largely depends on their implementation. Ghana was commended by the world community for the significant reduction in poverty, hunger and malnutrition between 2000 and 2014, i.e. for the relatively successful implementation of the first of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs, 2000–2015) – the eradication of extreme poverty and hunger. However, SDGs require more careful study and planning of implementation measures. In order to achieve the SDGs, the Government of Ghana has adopted a number of programs, plans and projects, the successful implementation of which often stumbles upon the lack of funding and lack of coordination between state bodies, private and public organizations, foreign partners – donors and creditors, etc., which are involved in the processes of socioeconomic development of Ghana. The author determines the reasons for the lack of food security in Ghana, gives an assessment of the state of the agricultural sector, the effective development of which is a prerequisite for the reduction of poverty and hunger, primarily due to the engagement of a significant share (45%) of the economically active population in this sector. The study shows that the limited growth in food production is largely due to the absence of domestic markets and necessary roads, means of transportation, irrigation and storage infrastructure, as well as insufficient investment in the agricultural sector, rather than to a shortage of fertile land or labor.

An analysis of major environmental threats to human security in Nepal

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 129-139
Author(s):  
Naresh Bhakta Adhikari
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Agricultural Production ◽  
Human Security ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Environmental Security ◽  
Government Action ◽  
Environmental Threats ◽  
Environmental Threat ◽  
Analytical Research ◽  
The Government

The paper mainly analyses the environmental threats focusing on climate change to human security in Nepal. Major aspects of human security are interlinked and interconnected in our context. Among them, human security offers much to the vibrant field of environmental security in Nepal. Environmental threats are linked to the overall impact on human survival, well-being, and productivity. A great deal of human security is tied to peoples’ access to natural resources and vulnerabilities to environmental change. The major environmental threats in our context is the climate change which have widespread implications for Nepal, causing impacts to water availability, agricultural production, forestry, among many other detrimental effects. The critical threat of environmental security needs to be taken into serious consideration to save our succeeding generation. This article primarily interpreted the government action towards emerging environmental threat based on realist approach. For the study of theme of this article, descriptive and analytical research has been used to draw present major environmental threats in Nepal. With consideration to factors, this article attempted to identify the major environmentally vulnerable areas that are likely to hamper the overall status of human security in Nepal. This paper also tried to suggest the measures to enhance the environmental security considering prospects and policy focusing on Nepalese diverse aspects.

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