Maternal Mental Health under COVID-19 Pandemic in Thailand

Numerous nations have implemented lockdown measures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a consequence of the lockdown on daily living, social participation, and health service accessibility, vulnerable people, for example, new mothers, may experience an increase in mental health problems. This cross-sectional survey was conducted to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown on Thai new mothers and the variables affecting their mental health. The survey data were collected from 903 Thai mothers with infants aged 0–12 months using an online platform and a face-to-face interview questionnaire survey between 17 July and 17 October 2020, during the first nationwide COVID-19 lockdown period. For the final analysis, there were 862 participants who completed all of the questions. The full exploratory analysis was performed by multivariable linear regression to identify the variables influencing maternal mental health. Our study demonstrated that new mothers reported feeling a high extent to some extent of worry (44.9%), increased appetite (40.4%), becoming easily annoyed or irritable (39.1%), and feeling down (33.5%), whereas 82.7% felt able to cope with the first lockdown situation. Practiced relaxation techniques were associated with positive maternal mental health (adjusted β = 1.05, 95% CI 0.57 to 1.52, p < 0.001). The perceived impact of the COVID-19 lockdown was on the household’s ability to pay for rent, to make mortgage payments (adjusted β = −1.59, 95% CI −2.87 to −0.36, p = 0.011), the household’s ability to pay for other essentials, such as utilities and medication (adjusted β = −1.99, 95% CI −3.16 to −0.81, p = 0.001), household crowding after lockdown (adjusted β = −3.46, 95% CI −4.86 to −2.06, p < 0.001), and not going outside or doing outdoor activities (adjusted β = −2.22, 95% CI −3.35 to −1.08, p < 0.001). These impacts were significantly associated with negative mental health. In conclusion, our results emphasize the critical need for continuous monitoring of maternal mental health and developing an effective response strategy and activity for promoting maternal mental health under the stress of repetitive lockdowns and increased economic pressures.

Conclusion

This chapter concludes by considering the broader welfare implications of city lobbying. The ability to pay for professional advocacy represents a double-edged sword for cities. Lobbying provides an essential tool for local leaders seeking to amplify their voices in the complicated and often hostile world of state politics. This is true for progressive urban areas—but also for high-income suburbs. However, while some states have recently debated measures to restrict local government lobbying, this chapter concludes that these efforts would likely do more harm than good in the absence of reform to the lobbying industry more generally. Otherwise, the influence of corporations and PACs will continue to grow, while local officials would unfairly lose one of the key channels through which they are able to advocate for local interests in state politics.

Willingness and ability to pay for healthcare insurance: A cross-sectional study of Seven Communities in East and West Africa (SevenCEWA)

Willingness and ability to pay for insurance that would cover primary healthcare services has not been evaluated consistently in different African communities. We conducted a cross-sectional community health survey and examined willingness and ability to pay in 3676 adults in seven communities in four countries: Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya. We used an open-ended contingency valuation method to estimate willingness to pay and examined ability to pay indirectly by calculating the ratio of healthcare expenditure to total household income. Slightly more than three quarters (78.8%) of participants were willing to pay for a health insurance scheme, and just a little above half (54.7%) were willing to pay for all household members. Across sites, median amount willing to pay was $2 per person per month. A little above half (57.6%) of households in Nigeria were able to pay the premium. The main predictors of likelihood of being unwilling to pay for the health insurance scheme were increasing age [aOR 0.99 (95% CI 0.98, 1.00)], being female [0.68 (0.51, 0.92], single [0.32 (0.21, 0.49)], unemployment [0.54 (0.34, 0.85)], being enrolled in another health insurance scheme [0.45 (0.28, 0.74)] and spending more on healthcare [1.00 (0.99, 1.00)]. But being widow [2.31 (1.30, 4.10)] and those with primary and secondary education [2.23 (1.54, 3.22)] had increased likelihood of being willing to pay for health insurance scheme. Retired respondents [adjusted mean difference $-3.79 (-7.56, -0.02)], those with primary or secondary education [$-3.05 (-5.42, -0.68)] and those with high healthcare expenditure [$0.02 (0.00, 0.04)] predicted amount willing to pay for health insurance scheme. The willingness to pay for health insurance scheme is high among the seven communities studied in East and West Africa with socio-demography, economic and healthcare cost as main predictive factors.

Marital Status Equity in Tenant Selection Criteria in the Akure Rental Market

The paper examines the selection criteria for prospective single and married tenants by Estate Surveyors and Valuers in the study area, to determine fairness in practice. The survey research adopted a structured questionnaire to elicit data from a sample of Estate Surveying and Valuation firms in Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria as Estate Surveyors and Valuers serve as both agents and property managers in the study area. Data collected were analyzed using the relative importance index (RII) and Mann Whitney U test. Findings revealed that irrespective of the marital status, the nature of employment of the prospective tenants is an essential criterion used at tenant selection. Also, there exists between singles and married tenants a statistically significant difference in the selection criteria used by Estate Surveyors and Valuers concerning 'employment' and 'ability of prospective tenants to pay subsequent rent' ; while, there was no significant difference in the tenant selection criteria in the areas of religion, gender, ethnicity, age, nature of employment, ability to pay the required rent, advance rent payment, ability to pay caution deposit, ability to pay service charge, provision of suitable Guarantors/Referee, physical appearance, suitability to the property, family size, ability and willingness to stick to the terms of the lease, criminality history/track record, first-time renters and history of previous tenancy. The study recommended that Estate Surveyors and Valuers should desist from discriminatory selection criteria differences as housing is a fundamental requirement for all, marital status notwithstanding. Also, government should formulate and enforce anti-discrimination policies at tenant selection which will protect the right of individuals to rental housing, irrespective of their marital status. This will create a balance in the rental market and take away the mild differences in the selection criteria used for prospective tenants as if this is not worked upon, the mild difference will someday become wide.

Payment of Restitution

Chapter 5 describes studies in Pennsylvania and elsewhere that look at the payment of restitution and the fact that most court-ordered restitution is not paid. Two survey studies, one of victims and one of offenders, examine their perspective on how restitution is ordered and paid. The third study in this chapter is a field experiment aimed at inducing offenders to pay the restitution they owed. Results indicated that that a randomly assigned group of probationers delinquent in paying restitution who received information via letters about what they owed paid more restitution than did both delinquent probationers who received reasons why they should pay restitution and delinquent probationers who did not receive letters. A subsequent survey indicated that, aside from ability to pay, the perception of having been fairly treated was related to the payment of restitution.

A vaccine tax: ensuring a more equitable global vaccine distribution

While COVID-19 vaccines provide light at the end of the tunnel in a difficult time, they also bring forth the complex ethical issue of global vaccine distribution. The current unequal global distribution of vaccines is unjust towards the vulnerable living in low-income countries. A vaccine tax should be introduced to remedy this. Under such a scheme, a small fraction of the money spent by a country on vaccines for its own population would go into a fund, such as COVAX, dedicated to buying vaccines and distributing them to the world’s poorest. A vaccine tax would provide a much-needed injection of funds to remedy the unequal distribution of vaccines. The tax allows for a distribution that, to a lesser degree, reflects the ability to pay and is superior to a donation-based model because it minimises the opportunity for free-riding.

The Just Allocation of Climate Burdens

<p>Human-induced climate change threatens the lives and livelihoods of vulnerable people. Preventing the worst effects of climate change and compensating those who will suffer are tasks that should be taken up by individuals, firms and states, tasks that constitute a burden. In this thesis I suggest the use of particular principles for justly allocating this "climate burden". I first defend my use of an orthodox ethical approach from Dale Jamieson’s challenge that the ethics of climate change must be revisionary. I also reply to Luc Bovens’ Lockean argument that a history of high emitting justifies giving past polluters more rights to emit. Then, I propose a two-track theory under which the climate burden is divided in two. These two different parts are allocated by a contribution-based "polluter pays" principle and by an "ability to pay" principle. The "fault burden" is the burden from greenhouse gas emissions produced since it became reasonable to suppose that such emissions were harmful, except for the emissions from the very poor, which are not included. The fault burden should be allocated to those who have contributed to it, in proportion to their contribution. The "no fault burden" is the remaining portion. The no-fault burden should be allocated by an "ability to pay" principle which requires all parties (except for the very poor) to shoulder burdens that constitute an equal drop in whatever goods we deem most relevant. Finally I defend the two track theory from the claim that a "beneficiary pays" principle better allocates the burden caused by past emissions.</p>

The Just Allocation of Climate Burdens

<p>Human-induced climate change threatens the lives and livelihoods of vulnerable people. Preventing the worst effects of climate change and compensating those who will suffer are tasks that should be taken up by individuals, firms and states, tasks that constitute a burden. In this thesis I suggest the use of particular principles for justly allocating this "climate burden". I first defend my use of an orthodox ethical approach from Dale Jamieson’s challenge that the ethics of climate change must be revisionary. I also reply to Luc Bovens’ Lockean argument that a history of high emitting justifies giving past polluters more rights to emit. Then, I propose a two-track theory under which the climate burden is divided in two. These two different parts are allocated by a contribution-based "polluter pays" principle and by an "ability to pay" principle. The "fault burden" is the burden from greenhouse gas emissions produced since it became reasonable to suppose that such emissions were harmful, except for the emissions from the very poor, which are not included. The fault burden should be allocated to those who have contributed to it, in proportion to their contribution. The "no fault burden" is the remaining portion. The no-fault burden should be allocated by an "ability to pay" principle which requires all parties (except for the very poor) to shoulder burdens that constitute an equal drop in whatever goods we deem most relevant. Finally I defend the two track theory from the claim that a "beneficiary pays" principle better allocates the burden caused by past emissions.</p>

Analisis Tarif Angkutan Umum Rute Manado – Likupang Berdasarkan Ability To Pay (Atp) Dan Willingness To Pay (Wtp) Di Provinsi Sulawesi Utara

Dalam mendukung perkembangan destinasi super prioritas Kawasan Strategis Pariwisata Nasional (KSPN) Likupang, Sulawesi Utara, diperlukan peran sistem transportasi yang baik dan handal sesuai dengan kebutuhan dan perkembangan zaman. Salah satu sarana transportasi yang mudah untuk dijangkau oleh masyarakat adalah angkutan umum. Angkutan umum pada Kawasan Strategis Pariwisata Nasional (KSPN) Likupang bertujuan untuk memfasilitasi pergerakan masyarakat yang hendak melakukan perjalanan wisata. Karena dengan angkutan umum yang cepat, murah, nyaman dan aman diharapkan dapat meningkatkan minat wisatawan untuk mengunjungi daerah wisata Likupang. Tarif angkutan umum merupakan salah satu faktor terbesar dalam menarik wisatawan untuk melakukan perjalanan menggunakan angkutan umum. Pada prinsipnya penentuan kebijakan pentarifan dapat ditinjau dari beberapa stakeholder transportasi, yaitu pengguna (user), operator dan pemerintah (regulator). Berdasarkan latar belakang tersebut, maka diperlukan penelitian mengenai Ability To Pay (ATP) dan Willingness To Pay (WTP) yang dapat digunakan sebagai acuan untuk menentukan kebijakan besaran tarif yang diperlukan untuk pengembangan kinerja pelayanan angkutan pada Kawasan Strategis Pariwisata Nasional (KSPN) Likupang, Provinsi Sulawesi Utara. Dari hasil pengolahan data diperoleh bahwa kemampuan membayar masyarakat (Ability To Pay) terhadap tarif jasa angkutan umum wisata rute Manado-Likupang yaitu Rp.2.344,-/pnp-km atau Rp.140.618,-/pnp-trip.Kemauan membayar masyarakat (Willingness To Pay) terhadap tarif jasa angkutan wisata rute Manado-Likupang yaitu Rp.1.377,-/pnp-km atau Rp.82.619,-/pnp-trip

ANALYSIS OF WILLINGNESS TO PAY CONTRIBUTIONS IN THE MEMBERSHIP OF THE NATIONAL HEALTH INSURANCE IN REGENCY OF BANYUASIN

BPJS Kesehatan as the manager of the National Security Program (JKN), can be an appropriate health insurance to reduce the risk of people bearing health costs from their own pocket (out of pocket) in a very large and can lead to poverty. This study aims to analyze the willingness to pay JKN contributions to farmers in Banyuasin Regency in order to identify community groups that need subsidies from the government. This research is an analytical study with cross sectional design. The population of this research is all residents who work as farmers and have not registered as JKN participants with a total sample of 176 people. data analysis used chi square test and logistic regression test. This study found that the willingness to pay JKN contributions of Rp22.028 per person per month. The determinants of willingness to pay contributions in JKN membership are family income, food expenditure, non-essential food expenditure, non-food expenditure, number of family members, history of catastrophic disease, knowledge of contributions, and the ability to pay JKN contributions. The most dominant factor affecting the willingness to pay is non-essential food expenditure. The willingness to pay the JKN dues is still low. The ability to pay contributions is influenced by income, food expenditure, non-essential food expenditure, total non-food expenditure, number of family members, history of catastrophic disease, knowledge of contributions, and the ability to pay JKN contributions.