Disparities in Risks of Malaria Associated with Climatic Variability among Women, Children and Elderly in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh

Malaria occurrence in the Chittagong Hill Tracts in Bangladesh varies by season and year, but this pattern is not well characterized. The role of environmental conditions on the occurrence of this vector-borne parasitic disease in the region is not fully understood. We extracted information on malaria patients recorded in the Upazila (sub-district) Health Complex patient registers of Rajasthali in Rangamati district of Bangladesh from February 2000 to November 2009. Weather data for the study area and period were obtained from the Bangladesh Meteorological Department. Non-linear and delayed effects of meteorological drivers, including temperature, relative humidity, and rainfall on the incidence of malaria, were investigated. We observed significant positive association between temperature and rainfall and malaria occurrence, revealing two peaks at 19 °C (logarithms of relative risks (logRR) = 4.3, 95% CI: 1.1–7.5) and 24.5 °C (logRR = 4.7, 95% CI: 1.8–7.6) for temperature and at 86 mm (logRR = 19.5, 95% CI: 11.7–27.3) and 284 mm (logRR = 17.6, 95% CI: 9.9–25.2) for rainfall. In sub-group analysis, women were at a much higher risk of developing malaria at increased temperatures. People over 50 years and children under 15 years were more susceptible to malaria at increased rainfall. The observed associations have policy implications. Further research is needed to expand these findings and direct resources to the vulnerable populations for malaria prevention and control in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh and the region with similar settings.

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Board Characteristics and Firm Performance: Indian Textiles Sector Panorama

Management and Labour Studies ◽

10.1177/0258042x211026148 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 0258042X2110261

Author(s):

Mukesh Nepal ◽

Rajat Deb

Keyword(s):

Firm Performance ◽

Positive Association ◽

Policy Implications ◽

Board Independence ◽

Board Size ◽

Significant Positive Association ◽

Jel Codes ◽

Financial Measures ◽

Panel Data Regression ◽

Data Regression

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

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Risk Governance and Bank Performance

10.4018/978-1-7998-8609-9.ch006 ◽

2022 ◽

pp. 99-115

Author(s):

John Agyekum Addae ◽

Emmanuel Numapau Gyamfi

Keyword(s):

Positive Association ◽

Policy Implications ◽

Risk Governance ◽

Regulatory Oversight ◽

Significant Positive Association ◽

Bank Profitability ◽

Global Discourse ◽

Risk Committee ◽

The Relationship ◽

Global Banks

Global discourse is geared towards greater accountability and regulatory oversight of banks to promote sound financial systems and charter value. The authors applied dynamic pool panel analysis to investigate the relationship between risk governance and financial performance among African global banks spanning the years 2015 to 2020. They find significant positive association between financial experts on risk committee and bank profitability. The results further reveal that risk committee activism as a proxy for risk committee effectiveness significantly increase bank profitability. Therefore, stakeholders must prioritize regular risk committee meetings and attach importance to risk committee compositions with finance experts on the majority. Additionally, this study offers policy implications for regulators and bank mangers to clearly define risk committee financial experts and minimum financial experts required to serve on the risk committee.

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Serum uric acid and risk of cardiovascular mortality: a systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of cohort studies of over a million participants

BMC Cardiovascular Disorders ◽

10.1186/s12872-019-1215-z ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 19 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Fatemeh Rahimi-Sakak ◽

Mahsa Maroofi ◽

Jamal Rahmani ◽

Nick Bellissimo ◽

Azita Hekmatdoost

Keyword(s):

Uric Acid ◽

Serum Uric Acid ◽

Dose Response ◽

Cardiovascular Mortality ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Group Analysis ◽

Positive Association ◽

Response Analysis ◽

Significant Positive Association ◽

Cvd Mortality

Abstract Background Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death worldwide. Some studies have suggested anassociation between serum uric acid levels and cardiovascular mortality; however, the results have not been summarized in a meta-analysis. Methods A comprehensive search of all related studies until April 2018was performed in MEDLINE/PubMed and Scopus databases DerSimonianand Laird random-effects models were used to combine hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Dose-response analysis was also carried out. Results Thirty-two studies containing forty-four arms with 1,134,073 participants reported association between uric acid and risk of CVD mortality were included in our analysis. Pooled results showed a significant positive association between uric acid levels and risk of CVD mortality (HR 1.45, 95% CI 1.33–1.58, I2 = 79%). Sub-group analysis showed this relationshipwasstronger in women compared to men. Moreover, there was a significant non-linear association between uric acid levels and the risk of CVD mortality (r = 0.0709, p = 0.001). Conclusion Our analysis indicates a positive dose-response association between SUA and CVD mortality risk.

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Understanding the association between spirituality and mental health outcomes in adolescents in two non-Western countries: Exploring self-control as a potential mediator

Development and Psychopathology ◽

10.1017/s0954579421001334 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-10

Author(s):

Delshad M. Shroff ◽

Rosanna Breaux ◽

Antje von Suchodoletz

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Life Satisfaction ◽

Health Outcomes ◽

United Arab Emirates ◽

Positive Association ◽

Self Control ◽

Policy Implications ◽

Mental Health Outcomes ◽

Significant Positive Association ◽

Western Countries

Abstract Empirical knowledge on what specific aspects of mental health are associated with spirituality is limited, and explanations for the mechanisms underlying this association is scarce. Furthermore, there is limited research on this association among individuals from non-Christian religious backgrounds and non-Western countries. The current study examined relations between spirituality and aspects of mental health in 1,544 adolescents from diverse religious backgrounds in two Eastern countries, India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Additionally, we examined mediating and moderating factors. Adolescents (58% female) ages 11–15 years completed a questionnaire on aspects of their mental health, spirituality, and self-control abilities. Results showed that spirituality had a significant positive association with life satisfaction and a significant negative association with internalizing problems, but a non-significant relation with externalizing problems, controlling for age, gender, and socioeconomic status. Self-control completely mediated the association between spirituality and life satisfaction, and this mediational relation was only present for adolescents from the UAE. Results support prior research suggesting positive associations between spirituality and adaptive mental health outcomes and extend these findings to adolescents from diverse religious backgrounds in non-Western countries. These findings have important clinical and policy implications for supporting the role of spirituality in an adolescent’s life.

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Nursing Home Vulnerabilities amid COVID-19 Pandemic: A Study of Midwestern States

The Journal of Nursing Home Research Sciences ◽

10.14283/jnhrs.2021.9 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-7

Author(s):

P. Nambisan ◽

M. Abahussain ◽

E.H. Duthie ◽

C. Galambos ◽

B. Zhang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Nursing Home ◽

Survey Methods ◽

Adult Population ◽

Positive Association ◽

Policy Implications ◽

Related Factors ◽

Significant Positive Association ◽

Star Rating ◽

High Performing ◽

For Profit

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately affected the older adult population, especially those in nursing homes (NHs). However, there is also evidence that some NHs fared better than others. Objectives: This study examines a set of nursing home related factors to understand whether these factors are associated with the number of COVID-19 cases. Design: We combined three datasets from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) – the Star Rating Dataset, the Provider Information Dataset, and the COVID-19 Nursing Home Dataset. Setting and Participants: 4390 NHs that responded to the CMS survey. Methods: Data used is from the period of Jan 1–Dec 27, 2020 for all 12 Midwestern states. The measures used were self-reported information on ratings, staff shortages, PPE shortage, number of beds, Registered Nurse (RN), Licensed Practical Nurses (LPN), Certified Nursing Assistants (CNA) hours per resident, star rating and ownership. Results: Of the 4390 NHs in 12 Midwestern states, high performing NHs were less likely to have more than 30 COVID-19 cases versus low-performing facilities for two of the CMS domains (health inspections, 520 NHs [27.6%] vs 1363 NHs [72.4%]; and staffing 773 NHs [41.1%] vs 1110 NHs [58.9%]). There was also a statistically significant association COVID-19 cases and star rating, NH ownership, NH size, RN, LPN, and CNA staffing in NHs (all p ≤ 0.01). NH ownership status persisted as a predictor of COVID 19 cases when controlled for NH size. Conclusions: Our study highlights two interesting findings. A) a statistically significant association between NH ownership structure and COVID-19 cases among residents - for-profit NHs had higher number of COVID-19 cases B) a statistically significant negative association between RN and CNA staffing and COVID-19 cases (i.e., more staffing hours of RNs and CNA correlated with a smaller number of COVID-19 cases) and a statistically significant positive association between LPN staffing and COVID-19 cases. We discuss ensuing policy implications for NHs.

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COVID-19 and income inequality in OECD countries

The European Journal of Health Economics ◽

10.1007/s10198-021-01266-4 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 22 (3) ◽

pp. 455-462 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

John Wildman

Keyword(s):

Income Inequality ◽

Gini Coefficient ◽

Positive Association ◽

Oecd Countries ◽

Policy Implications ◽

Vulnerable Groups ◽

Significant Positive Association ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Regression Methods ◽

The Gini Coefficient

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.

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Agricultural productivity, household poverty and migration in the Indian Sundarban Delta

Elem Sci Anth ◽

10.1525/elementa.196 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 6 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Rituparna Hajra ◽

Tuhin Ghosh

Keyword(s):

Local Level ◽

Agricultural Productivity ◽

Positive Association ◽

Policy Implications ◽

Significant Positive Association ◽

Productivity Losses ◽

Household Poverty ◽

Highly Sensitive ◽

Indian Sundarban ◽

And Migration

Deltas are highly sensitive to erosion, flooding, and salinization with consequential agricultural productivity losses and out-migration, which is a preferred adaptive measure for the inhabitants of deltaic islands. This study investigates the associations between agricultural productivity decrease, household poverty and the probability of out-migration in the Indian Sundarban Delta (ISD). Using newly collected survey data from randomly selected households within the ISD, we analysed these relationships by means of descriptive statistics and regression modeling. Results suggest the significant positive association between a decrease in agricultural productivity and out-migration. The results further show that ceteris paribus, out-migration is negatively associated with household poverty, which is likely to be explained by the effect of remittances. The results yield important policy implications at the local level and can contribute to the progress towards sustainable livelihoods in these deltaic islands.

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Perceived Overprotection and Its Association With Quality of Life in Dementia

GeroPsych ◽

10.1024/1662-9647/a000207 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 32 (3) ◽

pp. 125-134

Author(s):

Mechthild Niemann-Mirmehdi ◽

Andreas Häusler ◽

Paul Gellert ◽

Johanna Nordheim

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Patient Autonomy ◽

Positive Association ◽

Well Being ◽

Negative Association ◽

Significant Positive Association ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

People With Dementia ◽

Mental Well Being

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.

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The Nexus Between Urbanisation and Human Empowerment: Income Group Based Findings of Bidirectional Causality

Urban Development Issues ◽

10.2478/udi-2019-0019 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 64 (1) ◽

pp. 5-15

Author(s):

Christos Kollias ◽

Panayiotis Tzeremes

Keyword(s):

Human Rights ◽

Positive Association ◽

Income Group ◽

Academic Discourse ◽

Access To Education ◽

Democratic Institutions ◽

Significant Positive Association ◽

Public Action ◽

Income Groups ◽

Democratic Rule

Abstract The economic and social drivers of democratisation and the emergence and establishment of democratic institutions are longstanding themes of academic discourse. Within this broad body of literature, it has been argued that the process of urbanisation is also conducive to the emergence and consolidation of democracy through a number of different channels. Cities offer better access to education and facilitate organised public action and the demand for more democratic rule and respect of human rights. The nexus between urbanisation and human rights is the theme that is taken up in the present paper. Using a sample of 123 countries for the period 1981–2011, the paper examines empirically the association between urbanisation and human empowerment using the Cingranelli-Richards Index. In broad terms, the findings reported herein do not point to a strong nexus across all income groups. Nevertheless, there is evidence suggesting the presence of such a statistically significant positive association in specific cases.

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Empirical analysis on corporate environmental performance and environmental disclosure in an emerging market context

International Journal of Emerging Markets ◽

10.1108/ijoem-04-2019-0255 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 15 (6) ◽

pp. 1061-1082 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Merve Acar ◽

Hüseyin Temiz

Keyword(s):

Environmental Performance ◽

Emerging Market ◽

Positive Association ◽

Corporate Environmental Performance ◽

Tobit Regression ◽

Environmental Reporting ◽

Environmental Disclosure ◽

Significant Positive Association ◽

Content Type ◽

Environmental Disclosures

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to investigate the association between environmental performance of firms and the level of voluntary environmental disclosure in emerging markets.Design/methodology/approachWe used tobit regression OLS and t-test methods to reveal the association between environmental performance and the level of voluntary environmental disclosure.FindingsWe find a significant positive association between the level of discretionary environmental disclosures and corporate environmental performance. The result is in line with the arguments of economics disclosure theory that argues environmentally good performers disclose more.Practical implicationsMany of the environmentally good firms in Turkey are also listed in the “BIST Sustainability Index,” and this situation can be the result of the relative power of external regulations. Accordingly, it can be suggested to increase the community and governmental pressures for environmental reporting but also gives importance to increase intrinsic motivations for companies to engage in disclosure practices.Originality/valueThis study shed light on relation between environmental performance and environmental disclosure in an emerging market context. Also, it is revisited that the relation between environmental performance and the level of environmental disclosure by testing two different predictions on the level of environmental disclosures.

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