SPATIAL RESOLUTION ENHANCEMENT OF OVERSAMPLED IMAGES USING REGRESSION DECOMPOSITION AND SYNTHESIS

A new statistical model designed for regression analysis with a sparse design matrix is proposed. This new model utilizes the positions of the limited non-zero elements in the design matrix to decompose the regression model into sub-regression models. Statistical inferences are further made on the values of these limited non-zero elements to provide a reference for synthesizing these sub-regression models. With this concept of the regression decomposition and synthesis, the information on the structure of the design matrix can be incorporated into the regression analysis to provide a more reliable estimation. The proposed model is then applied to resolve the spatial resolution enhancement problem for spatially oversampled images. To systematically evaluate the performance of the proposed model in enhancing the spatial resolution, the proposed approach is applied to the oversampled images that are reproduced via random field simulations. These application results based on different generated scenarios then conclude the effectiveness and the feasibility of the proposed approach in enhancing the spatial resolution of spatially oversampled images.

Career stability in turbulent times: A cross-cohort study of mid-careers in Finland

In this article, we investigate whether the mid-career stability of Finnish men and women has changed for the birth cohorts 1958 to 1972 and, if so, what the driving forces are behind such changes. We analyse career stability during a 15-year period following the age of 30 using ‘career turbulence’ indicators. To identify the impact of cyclical and structural changes in the labour market, we analyse the association between initial employment status and sector with subsequent career stability. We distinguish between sectors that are exposed to a greater or lesser extent to global competition, those that are characterised by goods production or service provision, and those that are part of the market or non-market sector. In a series of OLS regression and regression decomposition analyses, we also control for the impact of education, regional unemployment and family-formation processes. The results show little change in mid-career stability across cohorts. Stability increased somewhat when only including transitions between employment and non-employment, whereas slight destabilisation was observed when accounting for changes between jobs. The findings indicate that the small changes in stability across cohorts were mostly driven by structural changes in the labour market, albeit with different mechanisms for men and women.

The role of the state government, civil society and programmes across sectors in stunting reduction in Chhattisgarh, India, 2006–2016

IntroductionChildhood stunting has declined in India between 2006 and 2016, but not uniformly across all states. Little is known about what helped some states accelerate progress while others did not. Insights on subnational drivers of progress are useful not just for India but for other decentralised policy contexts. Thus, we aimed to identify the factors that contributed to declines in childhood stunting (from 52.9% to 37.6%) between 2006 and 2016 in the state of Chhattisgarh, a subnational success story in stunting reduction in India.MethodsWe examined time trends in determinants of stunting using descriptive and regression decomposition analysis of National Family Health Survey data from 2005 to 2006 and 2015–2016. We reviewed nutrition-relevant policies and programmes associated with the drivers of change to construct a policy timeline. Finally, we interviewed multiple stakeholders in the state to understand the changes in the drivers of undernutrition.ResultsThe regression decomposition analysis shows that multiple factors explain 66% of the change in stunting between 2006 and 2016. Improvements in three key drivers—health and nutrition services, household assets, and sanitation and hygiene—explained 47% of the change in stunting. A shared vision for impact, political stability and capable bureaucracy, state-level innovations, support from development partners and civil society, and community mobilisation were found to contribute to improvements in programmes for health, poverty and sanitation.ConclusionChange in multiple sectors is important for stunting reduction and can be achieved in subnational contexts. More work lies ahead to close gaps in various determinants of stunting.

How Has Early Marriage, a Critical Social Determinant of Child Stunting and Wasting, Changed over a Decade in South Asia? Trends, Inequities and Drivers, 2005 to 2018

Objectives In South Asia, many women are married before their 18th birthday and give birth soon after. Delaying marriage is an attractive nutrition policy target as previous research shows that early marriage (EM) is associated with poor child growth outcomes, operating through many pathways. We sought to describe the prevalence, trends, inequities and predictors of EM in South Asia. Methods We used Demographic and Health Survey data available in the last 15 years for 7 South Asian countries: Afghanistan (AF; 2015), Bangladesh (BG; 2007, 2014), India (IN; 2006, 2016), Maldives (MV; 2009, 2017), Nepal (NP; 2005, 2016), and Pakistan (PK; 2007, 2018). EM was defined as the percentage of women aged 20–24 years who were married before 18 years of age. Our analyses included 133,680 women. The prevalence and absolute burden in terms of number of individuals affected were estimated for each survey round. Relative trends were examined using average annual rate of reduction (AARR). Inequities were examined by geography, wealth, place of residence, and education. Regression decomposition was used to examine the contribution of improvements in wealth and education to EM reductions. Results The most recent rounds of data show that EM is common in BG (69%), AF (52%), NP (52%), IN (41%), and PK (37%) but not MV (4%). IN accounts for 68% of the regional burden, with 21.9 million women married early in 2016. The fastest reductions in EM have occurred in IN (59% to 41% over 10 years, an AARR of −3.8% per year), PK (−2.8% per year), and BG (−1.5% per year). EM prevalence varies subnationally, e.g., from 5% to 52% for states within IN in 2016. Equity analysis shows that EM disproportionately burdens women who are poor, uneducated, and live in rural areas. Progress in narrowing these inequalities has been slow in the past decade. When examining predictors of EM, completion of secondary school was associated with a 20% (PK) to 36% (NP) lower EM prevalence. Decomposition analysis shows that improvements in wealth and education alone predicted between 46% (PK) and 96% (NP) of the actual EM reduction. Conclusions EM remains highly prevalent in South Asia and trends indicate an enduring problem. The nutrition community should invest in building linkages with researchers and practitioners to further understand and address this important social determinant of poor child growth. Funding Sources A4NH/IFPRI.

Stories of Change: How Rwanda Created an Enabling Environment for Reducing Malnutrition (P22-011-19)

Objectives Eliminating malnutrition is on many countries’ political agendas but knowledge of how enabling environments are created and used is needed. We assessed the drivers of change in stunting reduction among children <5 y of age in Rwanda and contributors to differential reduction over 10–25 y. Methods We conducted in-depth interviews on changes in nutrition with nutrition stakeholders at national (n = 32), district (n = 38), and community (n = 20) levels, and community focus group discussions (n = 40) in 10 purposefully selected districts in Rwanda's 5 provinces. In each province, we selected 1 district with decreased stunting and 1 where no change or an increase occurred (2010–2015). We also used regression decomposition analysis to investigate drivers of change in stunting with Demographic and Health Surveys (2005, 2010, and 2015) data. Results Respondents believed peace and security along with improved leadership and decentralization helped to create an enabling environment for change. Rwanda experienced increased political and institutional commitment to nutrition indicated by adoption of a multisectoral policy and reinforced with horizontal coordination platforms and plans at national and sub-national levels, but greater financial commitment is needed according to respondents. Vertical coordination across administrative levels improved through communication, staff working on nutrition at these levels, and relationships between nutrition actors. From respondent reports, health and agricultural programs and increased availability and use of health services helped improve nutrition; differences between study districts included climate change challenges, food insecurity, weak horizontal and vertical coherence, and weak implementation of coordination plans. Supporting this, giving birth in a health facility, attending ≥4 antenatal care visits, antenatal care quality, fertility, parental education, household wealth, and health insurance coverage drove stunting reduction from the regression decomposition analysis. Conclusions Leadership, commitment and horizontal and vertical coherence are important for creating enabling environments and providing programs and services that can lead to reduced malnutrition. Funding Sources Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kingdom of Netherlands through SNV Netherlands Development Organization.