Covid Vaccines for Children with Developmental Disabilities: Parent Survey of Willingness and Concerns

Objective While 1-in-6 US children has a developmental disability (DD), and such children are disproportionately affected by COVID-19, little is known about their vaccination status. We surveyed US parents of children with DDs to ascertain willingness and concerns regarding COVID-19 vaccines. Methods An online survey was distributed to national, statewide, and regional DD networks from June-September 2021. (Vaccines were authorized for adolescents in May 2021.) We report associations between vaccine willingness and concerns and: race/ethnicity, child age, in-person schooling, routine/flu vaccinations, and DD diagnoses. Willingness was categorized as Got /Will Get ASAP (high), Wait and See/Only if Required, or Definitely Not. Results 393 parents (51.2% white) responded. Willingness differed by age (p<.001). High willingness was reported for 75.3%, 48.9%, and 38.1% of children aged 12-17, 6-11 and 0-5 years-old, respectively. Willingness differed by Autism diagnosis (p<.001) and routine and flu vaccination status (p<.01). Predominant concerns included side effects (89%) and children with disabilities not being in trials (79%). Less common concerns were: COVID not serious enough in children to warrant vaccine (22%) and misinformation (e.g., microchips, 5G, DNA changes) (24%). Concerns about vaccine safety differed by age (p<.05) and were highest for young children. In age-stratified adjusted models, Autism was positively associated with high willingness for 6-11year-olds (OR= 2.66, 95% CI= 1.12-6.35). Conclusion Parents of children with DD are more willing for them to receive COVID-19 vaccines, compared to the general population. While few factors predicted willingness to vaccinate, addressing safety and developmental concerns regarding young children is warranted.

Acceptance and Preferences of Using Ambient Sensor-Based Lifelogging Technologies in Home Environments

Diverse sensor-based technologies can be used to track (older and frail) people’s movements and behaviors in order to detect anomalies and emergencies. Using several ambient sensors and integrating them into an assisting ambient system allows for the early identification of emergency situations and health-related changes. Typical examples are passive infrared sensors (PIR), humidity and temperature sensors (H&T) as well as magnetic sensors (MAG). So far, it is not known whether and to what extent these three specific sensor types are perceived and accepted differently by future users. Therefore, the present study analyzed the perception of benefits and barriers as well as acceptance of these specific sensor-based technologies using an online survey (reaching N=312 German participants). The results show technology-related differences, especially regarding the perception of benefits. Furthermore, the participants estimated the costs of these sensors to be higher than they are, but at the same time showed a relatively high willingness to pay for the implementation of sensor-based technologies in their home environment. The results enable the derivation of guidelines for both the technical development and the communication and information of assisting sensor-based technologies and systems.

Kepemimpinan inovatif dalam pelaksanaan program swasembada pangan nasional di Kabupaten Bone

The research aims to analyses the innovative leadership capacity in increasing national food self-sufficiency through the direct seed planting program in Bone Regency. Innovative leadership is a crucial dimension in the implementation of an innovation program to increase national food self-sufficiency. In its development innovative leadership capacity can be described through strategic planning, commitment and stability of a leader, these abilities will be described in the implementation of the ATABELA program in Bone District. From the results of the study, it was found that the strategic planning of the Regent as the head of the region was active in disseminating information about the ATABELA innovation program, involving local government stakeholders to realize the vision and mission of the Regent and Deputy Regent in the ATABELA innovation program. these were instructed to the Department of Agriculture, the existence of collaboration in the implementation of innovation ATABELA. In terms of leadership commitment, this research has not been supported by specific regulations in the form of local regulations on innovation, but the leadership commitment appears in the direct seed planting tool innovation program with the legitimacy of a strong Regent and legislative members, the majority of which are in the DPRD from the Golkar party whose chair is also the Regent. also, leadership commitment was found with the Regent's leadership character that was hard and a high willingness to innovate in increasing national food self-sufficiency with direct seed planting programs could be realized. Furthermore, leadership stability in implementing innovation with dedication starting from career officials, becoming a Deputy Regent, expert staff of the Governor of South Sulawesi and eventually being elected as a Regent with capital and experience, then strongly supports ideas and knowledge about the characteristics of the Bone Regency to carry out innovation.

Factors Influencing the Level of Local Participation in Planning and Management of the Planned Salzburger Lungau & Kärntner Nockberge Biosphere Reserve in Austria

The participation of the local population in the planning and management of biosphere reserves is one of the preconditions for success. While numerous studies underpin its importance, few studies have addressed to what extent participation is desired by local residents and which factors determine the level of participation. A postal survey among local residents (n = 449) explored factors influencing their willingness to participate in the planning and management of the Salzburger Lungau & Kärntner Nockberge Biosphere Reserve in Austria before it was officially recognised by UNESCO. By applying the “Theory of Planned Behaviour”, the study found a high willingness to be involved among the local population, but a considerable variance as to what extent. Regression models showed a strong influence of perceived behavioural control and the social environment, whereas the factors identified in previous studies were less relevant. The results show that the readiness to become active seems to be higher than expected by local bodies and more linked to the design of the participatory process or other barriers. The results support the biosphere reserve management in developing appropriate participatory approaches to maximise satisfaction with participation and management success.

Integrated malaria prevention in rural communities in Uganda: a qualitative feasibility study for a randomised controlled trial

Background A randomised controlled trial (RCT) on integrated malaria prevention, which advocates the use of several malaria prevention methods holistically, has been proposed. However, before conducting an RCT, it is recommended that a feasibility study is carried out to provide information to support the main study, particularly for such a complex intervention. Therefore, a feasibility study for an RCT on integrated malaria prevention in Uganda was conducted. Methods The qualitative study carried out in Wakiso District employed focus group discussions (FGDs) and key informant interviews (KIIs) to explore community willingness to participate in the RCT as well as assess stakeholder perspectives on the future study. The participants of the FGDs were community members, while the key informants were selected from malaria stakeholders including Ministry of Health officials, health practitioners, local leaders, district health team members, and community health workers (CHWs). Thematic analysis was employed with the support of NVivo. Results A total of 12 FGDs and 19 KIIs were conducted. Five main themes emerged from the study: malaria prevention practices related to integrated malaria prevention; preferred malaria prevention methods in the integrated approach; potential challenges of integrated malaria prevention; perspectives on the proposed RCT; and sustainability of integrated malaria prevention. Despite a few methods being employed holistically in the community, insecticide-treated nets were the most widely used and preferred method for malaria prevention mainly because they were provided free by the government. The main challenges in the integrated approach were the high cost of some methods such as house screening, and concerns about the potential side effects of insecticide-based methods such as indoor residual spraying. Participants expressed high willingness to participate in the RCT to promote the use of multiple methods in their households and community. Involvement of CHWs during implementation was proposed as a sustainability strategy for the RCT interventions. Conclusion There was high willingness to participate in the proposed RCT on integrated malaria prevention. However, high cost and perceived negative health effects from some methods were identified as potential challenges. The type of methods to be included as well as sustainability mechanisms needs to be considered during the design of the RCT.

Analysis of price bundling and framing: the impact of availability and discount messaging

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine consumer behaviors toward a bundle of tickets and lodging using two different message framing: (1) scarcity framing for a high demand event, the All-Star Game, and (2) discount framing for a lower demand event, an MLB mid-week game.Design/methodology/approachData were collected through two online surveys of 836 sport consumers in total on Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk) and were analyzed using a mix of analysis of variances (ANOVAs) and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA).FindingsConsumers are likely to buy products separately in a scarce situation. When discounts are offered as benefits of choosing a bundle, consumers with high willingness to pay (WTP) have higher purchase intentions (PI) and perceived value toward cumulative discounts.Originality/valueThis is the one of few studies that investigate (1) price bundling of products from two disparate industries where consumer demands fluctuate, (2) the effects of scarcity in a bundle, and (3) all possible discount messaging in a bundle.

Biofortification of tomatoes in Italy: Status and level of knowledge

Biofortification is a strategy to reduce micronutrient deficiency in humans by fortifying food through natural processes, agronomic practices and genetic modification. In this study, we seek to shed light on what consumers understand by the term 'biofortified products' and thus to understand their level of knowledge about these products, as well as the reasons that dictate their purchasing choices and the relationship between consumption choices and lifestyles. The analysis focuses on vegetables and, in particular, on tomatoes with a high lycopene content. Research shows that consumers of biofortified food products are generally confused and uninformed, even though they show a high willingness to pay. This confusion seems to result, moreover, from the lack of a clear definition of a biofortified product, as well as from the lack of clear information on the specifics of biofortified products and the benefits they can bring. The future of biofortified products can, therefore, be improved by the creation of clear standards and reference definitions and better information and transparency that would benefit the consumer.

(Not) Doing the Right Things for the Wrong Reasons: An Investigation of Consumer Attitudes, Perceptions, and Willingness to Pay for Bio-Based Plastics

Fossil-based plastics are significant contributors to global warming through CO2 emissions. For more sustainable alternatives to be successful, it is important to ensure that consumers become aware of the benefits of innovations such as bio-based plastics, in order to create demand and a willingness to initially pay more. Given that consumer attitudes and (inaccurate) beliefs can influence the uptake of such new technologies, we investigated participants’ attitudes towards fossil-based and bio-based plastic, their perceived importance of recycling both types of plastic, their willingness to pay, and their perceptions of bio-based plastic in four studies (total N = 961). The pre-registered fourth study experimentally manipulated information about bio-based plastic and measured willingness to pay for different types of plastic. The results suggest participants hold very favourable attitudes and are willing to pay more for bio-based products. However, they also harbour misconceptions, especially overestimating bio-based plastic’s biodegradability, and they find it less important to recycle bio-based than fossil-based plastic. Study 4 provided evidence that educating consumers about the properties of bio-based plastic can dispel misconceptions and retain a favourable attitude and a high willingness to pay. We found mixed evidence for the effect of attitudes on willingness to pay, suggesting other psychological factors may also play a role. We discuss how attitudes and misconceptions affect the uptake of new sustainable technologies such as bio-based plastics and consumers’ willingness to purchase them.

Employment Rank and the Choice of Health Insurance Benefit Scheme among Bangladeshi Civil Servants

This study surveys 622 Bangladeshi civil servants of all administrative jurisdictions and elicits their preference for health insurance schemes. The latter vary in the amount of sum assured as well as in terms of premium sharing rules with the government. The paper also explores the financial burden that the premium subsidy may impose on the exchequer and the state’s fiscal capacity to shoulder it. We discover a very high willingness to join the scheme. Though all three premium-sharing options posit flat rates common for all employment ranks, respondents appear to prefer premiums proportional to their basic salary.