A Fundamental Vulnerability: Contributions from Population Studies

Abundant studies have researched the economic and social shifts associated with demographic transitions. There have also been many studies on the essentials of disaster preparedness and recovery. However, few studies have investigated these factors in combination. Therefore, this study explored how demographic shifts such as a decreasing and aging population impact disaster recovery and efforts to build a sustainable society. It examined coastal communities in Japan’s Iwate and Miyagi Prefectures that were affected by the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami (GEJET) from the perspective of two disaster-recovery theories: (1) Bates and Peacock argued that disaster recovery continues or accelerates a community’s pre-disaster trends [1, 2]; and (2) Hirose argued that disaster-recovery efficacy depends on the disaster scale, outside aid, and community strength [3]. This study’s analyses support the first theory while stating that a community’s pre-disaster demographic and social trends have a more significant effect on disaster recovery success than the disaster scale and outside aid considering the second theory. The study reiterates that disaster recovery begins before a disaster, and demographic variables should affect plans to build a sustainable society. Finally, this note shows how the lessons learned from the 2011 GEJET disaster can provide the insights to improve disaster risk management in societies with declining and aging populations.

Traffic dynamics on two-layer networks with community structure

In terms of reducing traffic congestion, it should be understood that traffic dynamics depend on network structure. Most of complex networks in the real world can be represented by multi-layer and community structures, that is, the connections within the community are relatively close, and the connections between the community are relatively sparse. There are generally strong and weak community networks in community networks. In this work, the strong and weak community networks are used to construct two-layer network models of different scales, and then the influence of community structure on traffic capacity is analyzed. The simulation results show that when the two-layer network model is composed of two strong community networks, the traffic capacity is the largest, followed by the two-layer network model composed of two weak community networks, the traffic capacity is also relatively large. When the two subnetworks are of different community strength, the traffic capacity is relatively small.

Longitudinal Study of Hurricane Preparedness Behaviors: Influence of Collective Efficacy

Objective: Community characteristics, such as collective efficacy, a measure of community strength, can affect behavioral responses following disasters. We measured collective efficacy 1 month before multiple hurricanes in 2005, and assessed its association to preparedness 9 months following the hurricane season. Methods: Participants were 631 Florida Department of Health workers who responded to multiple hurricanes in 2004 and 2005. They completed questionnaires that were distributed electronically approximately 1 month before (6.2005-T1) and 9 months after (6.2006-T2) several storms over the 2005 hurricane season. Collective efficacy, preparedness behaviors, and socio-demographics were assessed at T1, and preparedness behaviors and hurricane-related characteristics (injury, community-related damage) were assessed at T2. Participant ages ranged from 21-72 (M(SD) = 48.50 (10.15)), and the majority were female (78%). Results: In linear regression models, univariate analyses indicated that being older (B = 0.01, SE = 0.003, P < 0.001), White (B = 0.22, SE = 0.08, P < 0.01), and married (B = 0.05, SE = 0.02, p < 0.001) was associated with preparedness following the 2005 hurricanes. Multivariate analyses, adjusting for socio-demographics, preparedness (T1), and hurricane-related characteristics (T2), found that higher collective efficacy (T1) was associated with preparedness after the hurricanes (B = 0.10, SE = 0.03, P < 0.01; and B = 0.47, SE = 0.04, P < 0.001 respectively). Conclusion: Programs enhancing collective efficacy may be a significant part of prevention practices and promote preparedness efforts before disasters.

COVID-19 among American Indians and Alaska Natives in the United States: An early look

To date the US has experienced the greatest number of cases and deaths due to COVID-19 in the world, but the impact has been even greater for American Indians and Alaska Natives (AIAN). Despite numerous disadvantages related to poor socioeconomic status and preexisting health conditions, Tribal sovereignty, community strength and resiliency have been important factors in limiting the burden of disease on Indigenous Americans. AIAN Tribes have repeatedly chosen to protect lives over Tribal income, choosing to close businesses that are the economic lifeblood of the reservations.

Research of the Disparities in the Process of Revitalization of Brownfields in Small Towns and Cities

The subject of the work is the research on relevant factors influencing participation in the success of brownfield revitalization, especially in the territory of small municipalities. Research has so far dealt with the issue of determining disparities in the municipalities of the Czech Republic, not excluding small municipalities, but their subsequent application has usually been presented in larger cities. The focus on smaller municipalities or cities was usually addressed only in general. The introduction provides an overview of theoretical knowledge in the field of brownfield revitalization. Defining the level of knowledge of the monitored issues is an essential step for the purposes of more effective determination of disparities. Disparities will be determined on the basis of information on localities that have been successfully revitalized. The identified disparities are then monitored in the territory of small municipalities. For the purposes of processing, it was determined that a small municipality or city is an area with a maximum of 5000 inhabitants. Using appropriately selected statistical methods, an overview of disparities and their weights is determined, which significantly affect the success of revitalization. In small municipalities, the issue of brownfields is not emphasized but, in terms of maintaining community strength and reducing population turnover, the reuse of brownfields is a crucial theme.

Measuring Community Strengths – Using Data from The First Nations Regional Health Survey Linked with A Whole-Population Administrative Data Repository

IntroductionAdministrative data studies routinely report that First Nations mothers and children experience a disproportionate burden of poor health. Due to the nature of administrative data, research often takes a deficits-oriented approach. First Nations health research needs to consider the role that community- and individual-level strengths play in promoting wellbeing and examine how these interact with the delivery and outcomes of health programs. Objectives and ApproachThe First Nations Health and Social Secretariat of Manitoba (FNHSSM) and the University of Manitoba partnered to construct measures of community-level strengths that can be linked with administrative data to examine the delivery and outcomes associated with population health programs delivered in First Nations communities. We linked data from the FNHSSM-administered Regional Health Survey (RHS) with administrative data housed in the Manitoba Population Research Data Repository. We identified 60 questions from the child, youth, and adult versions of the RHS to measure community strengths. We used principal component analysis to identify strength-based constructs. We used Eigen values and percent of variance explained to determine the final number of factors. We used random group resampling and bootstrap methods to test for community-level homogeneity. Community-level factor scores were calculated as the scaled combination of RHS questions within each factor and averaged to the community. ResultsWe identified 12 constructs of community strength: 5 from child responses, 4 from youth, and 3 from adult responses. Strength-based constructs common to all age groups included knowledge of traditional language, involvement in cultural events, and connection with community. Conclusion / ImplicationsColonial approaches to health research perpetuate deficit-based dialogues and negative portrayal of First Nations peoples. First Nations health research should consider how community strengths promote health and interact with program delivery. Including measures of community strength leads to richer understandings of factors that promote wellness among First Nations peoples.

“We all know each other”: A Strengths-based Approach to Understanding Social Capital in Pictou Landing First Nation

With over three decades of attention drawn to the health of Indigenous peoples in Canada and around the world, an outpouring of health research has been undertaken, much of which has emphasized the experience of disparity at the expense of recognizing strengths. In this case study, we challenge the damage-centred rhetoric of mainstream health research by reporting the findings of 20 qualitative interviews on community strength and health with members of Pictou Landing First Nation, a Mi’kmaw nation located in Nova Scotia, Canada. We then relate and compare these findings with the emerging conceptualization of Indigenous social capital, which is a concept that has been associated with positive health outcomes in a variety of contexts. Our findings indicate that Pictou Landing First Nation is strengthened by qualities of familiarity, reciprocity, safety, and solidarity, which are rooted in the value of family and embedded within a broader Mi’kmaw worldview. The nature of these strengths aligns in part with the concept of Indigenous social capital, which we suggest may be better harnessed to be a means for conducting strengths-based health research. To this end, our findings support the need for reworking social capital conceptualizations to more strongly centralize cultural identities and worldviews in order to authentically and comprehensively affirm Indigenous and decolonizing health research practices.