In-work Poverty in Russia: How Determinants Have Changed over the 20 years?

This paper examines the determinants of in-work poverty and estimates the probability of falling into poverty for various groups of the Russian population in 1998 and 2018. Drawing from the representative RLMS HSE cross-sections, we showed that, despite a large-scale reduction in Russian poverty in 1998–2018, the ratio of structural and individual determinants did not change substantially. At the same time, the configuration of structural determinants has changed. In 2018, personal efforts became less crucial in reducing the likelihood of falling into poverty; the job characteristics and settlement inequalities have become eventually prominent. By 2018, women and rural residents were at the highest chance of poverty, although in 1998, men and a predominantly urban population were at risk. The long-term conservation of “bad” jobs in routine labour and the unequal distribution of the gains from de-industrialization between urban and rural areas over the past two decades are seen as the main explanations for the nature of Russian in-work poverty.

Behavioural and patient-individual determinants of quality of life, functioning and physical activity in older adults (MobilE-TRA 2): study protocol of an observational cohort study in a tertiary care setting

IntroductionVertigo, dizziness and balance problems (VDB) as well as osteoarthritis (OA) are among the health conditions with the greatest impact on mobility and social participation in older adults. Patients with VDB and OA were shown to benefit from specialised care such as vestibular rehabilitation therapy or joint replacement. However, these effects are not permanent and seem to disappear over time. One important reason might be a decreasing adherence to therapy recommendations. Findings from behavioural economics (BE) can help to shed light on individual effects on adherence behaviour and long-term outcomes of VDB and OA.ObjectiveBased on insights from BE concepts (ie, self-efficacy, intention, and time and risk preferences), MobilE-TRA 2 investigates the determinants of functioning and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) 3 and 12 months after discharge from total hip replacement (THR)/total knee replacement (TKR) in patients with OA and after interdisciplinary evaluation for VDB.Methods and analysisMobilE-TRA 2 is a longitudinal observational study with data collection in two specialised tertiary care centres at the university hospital in Munich, Germany between 2020 and 2023. Patients aged 60 and older presenting for their first THR/TKR or interdisciplinary evaluation of VDB at Ludwig Maximilians University (LMU) hospital will be recruited for study participation. Three and twelve months after baseline assessment, all patients will receive a follow-up questionnaire. Mixed-effect regression models will be used to examine BE concepts as determinants of adherence, HRQoL and functioning.Ethics and disseminationThe study was approved by the ethics committee at the medical faculty of the LMU Munich under the number 20-727. Results will be published in scientific, peer-reviewed journals and at national and international conferences. Findings will also be disseminated via newsletters, the project website and a regional conference for representatives of local and national authorities.

International economic and social determinants of the state economic security: A causal analysis

The priority task for ensuring the economic security of a country, which is especially noticeable in the rapidly changing conditions of the contemporary global world, is to forecast challenges and threats. Economic security is one of the necessary conditions for state development, which provides guidelines for making major social and economic decisions. There are a few studies on the determinants of the economic security and no data about security determinants that are required to monitor it. The study aims to identify possible links between leading determinants of the economic security. For this purpose, on the example of Ukraine, causal links between the formation of real GDP (as the leading determinant that characterizes the economic security of the state), 11 determinants that indicate the level of international economic development, and 6 determinants of social development for the period 2014–2020 were determined. With a 5% level significance, the impact on the volume of real GDP of 14 determinants of state economic security was noted and specific time lags were defined. Besides, the bilateral causal effect and lack of causal connection between individual determinants were mentioned. Findings are helpful for effective public administration. In addition, active measures are needed to combat corruption, shadow and criminal economy, and state protection of domestic producers operating in the military, food, information, and energy security sectors. AcknowledgmentAlina Bukhtiarova gratefully acknowledges financial support from the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine (0120U100473).

Individual determinants of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy

Background Novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine hesitancy is a barrier to achieving herd immunity, and thus, a prominent public health concern. This study aimed to identify the determinants of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy based on the World Health Organization’s ‘3Cs’ model (i.e., confidence, complacency, and convenience) in the United States (U.S.) and Canada. Methods Data from 7678 adults ages 18 or older were collected from the four most populous U.S. States, specifically New York, California, Florida, and Texas, and from English-speaking Canada at three timepoints, in May and July 2020, and March 2021 using a web-based survey (www.covid19-database.com). Sociodemographic information was collected, and comprehensive psychological assessments were administered. Univariate analyses were performed to identify the individual determinants of vaccine hesitancy, which were categorized as: 1) vaccine confidence, 2) vaccine complacency, 3) sociodemographic, and 4) other psychological factors. A series of models were computed using these categorizations. Results Mistrust of vaccine benefit (β(SE) = 0.67(0.01), p<0.001, partial η2 = 0.26) and lower perceived seriousness of COVID-19 (β(SE) = 0.68(0.02), p<0.001, partial η2 = 0.12) were the principal determinants of vaccine hesitancy. Right-wing political affiliation (β(SE) = 0.32(0.02), p<0.001, partial η2 = 0.03), higher risk propensity (β(SE) = 0.24(0.02), p<0.001, partial η2 = 0.03), and less negative mental health effects of the COVID-19 pandemic (β(SE) = 0.20(0.01), p<0.001, partial η2 = 0.03) were the main sociodemographic and psychological determinants. Other sociodemographic determinants included younger age, women, race, and employment status. Lack of vaccine confidence and complacency explained 38% and 21% of the variance in vaccine hesitancy, respectively; whereas, sociodemographic and psychological determinants explained 13% and 11% of the variance in vaccine hesitancy, respectively. Discussion Targeted and tailored public health interventions that enhance the public’s confidence in vaccines and emphasize the risk and seriousness of COVID-19 may address COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. Efforts directed toward specific marginalized and underserved groups may be required to promote vaccine confidence.

Individual Determinants of Rest-Break Behavior in Occupational Settings

Aims: Work breaks improve well-being, productivity, and health. The aim of this study was to investigate the individual determinants of rest-break behavior during work using the theory of planned behavior (TPB). Methods: The association between attitude, control, and subjective norm and rest-break intention (i.e., taking rest breaks regularly), and rest-break behavior (average number of rest breaks/workhour) was analyzed with stepwise linear regression in a cross-sectional design. The study participants included 109 clerical employees, and 215 nurses. Results: Attitude and control were positively associated with rest-break intention. Intention and control were positively associated with rest-break behavior. The effect of intention was moderated by occupation, with intention being more weakly associated with rest-break behavior in nurses who had less behavioral control. Conclusions: Job control is the major predictor of rest-break behavior, with attitudes playing a minor role, and social norm playing no role. To increase rest-break behavior, a greater extent of job control is necessary.

Etude de Perception de l’employabilité chez les étudiants issus des établissements à accès régulé dans le secteur public au Maroc : vers un style pédagogique favorisant l’autonomie

L’intérêt porté à la pédagogie universitaire et à l’employabilité des jeunes diplômés, réside dans l’ambition d’améliorer la qualité du système éducatif. Et ce, par une mise en question rigoureuse sur le style pédagogique autonomisant du professeur, et son incidence sur les déterminants individuels de l’employabilité. Le présent travail vise à étudier l’effet potentiel du style pédagogique autonomisant sur la perception de l’employabilité des étudiants. Afin de confronter les aboutissements théoriques à la réalité marocaine, nous avons mené une étude qualitative auprès des étudiants en fin de parcours issus des écoles publiques à accès régulé du secteur Commerce, Gestion, et Sciences de l’ingénieur. Les résultats montrent qu’effectivement les jeunes étudiants sont plus susceptible de développer des caractéristiques individuelles et des compétences d’employabilité par la perception d’un style pédagogique autonomisant. The interest in university pedagogy and the undergraduate’s employability lies in the ambition to improve the quality of the educational system. This is done through a rigorous questioning of the autonomy supportive teaching style and its impact on the individual determinants of employability. The present work aims to investigate the potential effect of autonomy supportive teaching style on students' perceived employability. In order to confront the theoretical findings with the Moroccan reality, we conducted a qualitative study with undergraduates from public schools with regulated access in the business, management, and engineering sectors. The results show that young students are indeed more likely to develop individual characteristics and employability skills through the perception of autonomy supportive teaching style.

A Comparison of Motives by Gender and Age Categories for Training at Norwegian Fitness Centres

Examining participatory motives clarifies what engages and keeps individuals participating in exercise. The popularity of training at fitness centres has greatly increased over the last two decades, but individual determinants for motivation remain uncertain. This study compared motives between gender and age categories in training and performing physical activity at Norwegian fitness centres. To compare motives, a survey utilising a standardised questionnaire (MPAM-R) was conducted at six different Norwegian fitness centres. It was hypothesised that the intrinsic motive socialisation and extrinsic motive fitness would be more important among the older age categories for both genders, while the extrinsic motive appearance and intrinsic motive enjoyment would be more important among younger age groups. A total response of 183 men and 150 women, aged 14–80 years, was divided into seven categories based on their age and included in the statistical analysis. The main findings after conducting a two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) with repeated measures, were that the most important motive for training at fitness centres was increasing fitness, followed by enjoyment, competence, vitality and appearance. The social motive was rated the lowest. Women rated fitness and enjoyment higher compared to men, and men rated the motive for appearance higher than women, but this decreased with age in both genders. With increasing age, the importance of enjoyment and competence decreased in men, while women seemed to place increased importance on vitality with age. The importance of the social motive decreased first as age increased, but then increased again in the age group 41–50 years and older. It was concluded that the motives for participating in exercise at fitness centres was dependent on individual characteristics and that motives about training at fitness centres differed by gender and changed with age.