Measuring Geographic Distribution for Political Research

2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 263-280 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dong Wook Lee ◽  
Melissa Rogers
Keyword(s):  
Geographic Distribution ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Modifiable Areal Unit Problem ◽  
Areal Unit ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Comparing Distributions ◽  
Political Units ◽  
Urban And Rural Areas ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Unit Of Observation

Political scientists are increasingly interested in the geographic distribution of political and economic phenomena. Unlike distribution measures at the individual level, geographic distributions depend on the “unit question” in which researchers choose the appropriate political subdivision to analyze, such as nations, subnational regions, urban and rural areas, or electoral districts. We identify concerns with measuring geographic distribution and comparing distributions within and across political units. In particular, we highlight the potential for threats to inference based on the modifiable areal unit problem (MAUP), whereby measuring concepts at different unit aggregations alters the observed value. We offer tangible options for researchers to improve their research design and data analysis to limit the MAUP. To help manage the measurement error when the unit of observation is unclear or appropriate data are not available, we introduce a new measure of geographic distribution that accounts for fluctuations in the scale and number of political units considered. We demonstrate using Monte Carlo simulations that our measure is more reliable and stable across political units than commonly used indicators because it reduces measurement fluctuations associated with the MAUP.

Feminisation of Multidimensional Poverty in Rural Odisha

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Surya Narayan Biswal ◽  
◽  
S. K. Mishra ◽  
M. K. Sarangi ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Social Groups ◽  
Multidimensional Poverty ◽  
Cumulative Distribution ◽  
Policy Framework ◽  
Living Standard ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Multidimensional Poverty Index ◽  
Order Stochastic Dominance ◽  
The Individual

UNDP’s 2030 agenda of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) emphasized gender equality in augmenting human capital and alleviating poverty. For eradication of extreme poverty and building resilience for persons who are vulnerable to poverty, SDGs calls for a pro-poor and gender-sensitive policy framework. In this context, a gender-based study on multi-dimensional aspects of poverty is highly significant. Extant literature reveals that females are more deprived in different dimensions of poverty such as education, health, living standard, empowerment, environment, autonomy and social relationship. The present study is conducted with the basic objective of examining feminization of poverty in rural areas of Jagatsinghapur district of Odisha. Seven socio-economic dimensions comprising sixteen indicators have been taken into consideration to construct the Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) using the Alkire-Foster (AF) Method at the individual level. The novelty of the study lies in analyzing MPI at the individual level for rural Odisha. Higher female deprivation is observed across social groups and all occupation categories except services. Dummy variable regression analysis also supports the major findings of the study. Complementary Cumulative Distribution Function satisfies strict first-order stochastic dominance condition and substantiates the feminisation of poverty at each level of poverty cut-off across all social groups and occupational categories except for services. The findings of the study have significant implications for developing suitable policies for gender equalization and poverty alleviation.

Biomass models for three species with different growth forms and geographic distribution in the Brazilian Atlantic forest

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Heitor Felippe Uller ◽  
Laio Zimermann Oliveira ◽  
Aline Renata Klitzke ◽  
Joberto Veloso de Freitas ◽  
Alexander Christian Vibrans
Keyword(s):  
Atlantic Forest ◽  
Geographic Distribution ◽  
Morphological Features ◽  
Brazilian Atlantic Forest ◽  
Growth Forms ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Generic Models ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Species Specific ◽  
Individual Trees

Allometric models embedding independent variables such as diameter at breast height (d) and total height (h) are useful tools to predict the biomass of individual trees. Models for tropical forests are often constructed based on datasets composed of species with different morphological features and architectural models. It is reasonable to expect, however, that species-specific models may reduce uncertainties in biomass predictions, especially for palms, tree ferns, and trees with peculiar morphological features, such as stilt roots and hollow trunks. In this sense, three species with wide geographical distribution in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest were sampled, namely Euterpe edulis Mart., Cyathea delgadii Sternb., and Cecropia glaziovii Snethl., with the aim to (i) quantify their aboveground biomass (AGB), (ii) evaluate the AGB distribution in different plant compartments, (iii) fit species-specific models for predicting AGB at the individual level, and (iv) assess the performance of specific and generic models available in the literature to predict the AGB of individuals of these species. The compartment stem represented, on average, ∼74% of the total AGB of E. edulis individuals; in turn, the caudex compartment of C. delgadii represented, on average, ∼87% of the total AGB, while the trunk compartment of C. glaziovii represented, on average, ∼74%. Among the fitted models, the power model [Formula: see text] showed the best performance for E. edulis and C. delgadii. In turn, the asymptotic logistic model [Formula: see text], where dc is the diameter above the upper stilt root, presented the best performance for C. glaziovii. The variable h appeared as the most important predictor of AGB of E. edulis and C. delgadii; in contrast, the stem and caudex mean basic specific gravities were not suitable predictors. The fitted species-specific models outperformed the specific and generic models selected from the literature. They may, therefore, contribute to the reduction of uncertainties in AGB estimates. In addition, the results support evidence that specific models may be necessary for species with different growth forms and (or) peculiar morphological features, especially those with great abundance and wide geographic distribution.

scholarly journals Sickness absence among privately employed white-collar workers: A total population study in Sweden

2020 ◽  
pp. 140349482093427
Author(s):  
Kristin Farrants ◽  
Kristina Alexanderson
Keyword(s):  
Sickness Absence ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
White Collar ◽  
Sociodemographic Factors ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Small Towns ◽  
Older Individuals ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
White Collar Workers ◽  
The Individual

Background: Knowledge about sickness absence (SA) and disability pension (DP) among privately employed white-collar workers is very limited. Aims: This study aimed to explore SA and DP among privately employed white-collar women and men using different measures of SA to investigate differences by branch of industry, and to analyse the association between sociodemographic factors and SA. Methods: This was a population-based study of all 1,283,516 (47% women) privately employed white-collar workers in Sweden in 2012, using register data linked at the individual level. Several different measures of SA and DP were used. Logistic regression was used to investigate associations of sociodemographic factors with SA. Results: More women than men had SA (10.9% women vs. 4.5% men) and DP (1.8% women vs. 0.6% men). While women had a higher risk of SA than men and had more SA days per employed person, they did not have more SA days per person with SA than men. The risk of SA was higher for women (odds ratio (OR)=2.54 (95% confidence interval (CI) 2.51–2.58)), older individuals (OR age 18–24 years=0.58 (95% CI 0.56–0.60); age 55–64 years OR=1.43 (95% CI 1.40–1.46) compared to age 45–54 years), living in medium-sized towns (OR=1.05 (95% CI 1.03–1.06)) or small towns/rural areas (OR=1.13 (95% CI 1.11–1.15)), with shorter education than college/university (OR compulsory only=1.64 (95% CI 1.59–1.69); OR high school=1.38 (95% CI 1.36–1.40)), born outside the EU25 (OR=1.23 (95% CI 1.20–1.27)) and singles with children at home (OR=1.33 (95% CI 1.30–1.36)). Conclusions: SA and DP among privately employed white-collar workers were lower than in the general population. SA prevalence, length and risk varied by branch of industry, sex and other sociodemographic factors, however, depending on the SA measure used.

scholarly journals HUMAN BEHAVIORAL CHANGES AND ITS IMPACT IN DISEASE MODELING

2015 ◽  
Vol 77 (33) ◽  
Author(s):  
Teoh Shian Li ◽  
Jane Labadin ◽  
Phang Piau ◽  
Ling Yeong Tyng ◽  
Shapiee Abd Rahman
Keyword(s):  
Uniform Distribution ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Disease Modeling ◽  
Demographic Factors ◽  
Behavioral Changes ◽  
Individual Based Model ◽  
Preventive Actions ◽  
Urban And Rural Areas ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Impact

One of the threats of the world health is the infectious diseases. This leads to the raise of concern of the policymakers and disease researchers. Vaccination program is one of the methods to prevent the vaccine-preventable diseases and hence help to eradicate the diseases. The impact of the preventive actions is related to the human behavioral changes. Fear of the diseases will increase one’s incentive in taking the preventive actions to avoid the diseases. As human behavioral changes affecting the impact of the preventive actions, the individual-based model is constructed to incorporate the behavioral changes in disease modeling. The agents in the individual-based model are allowed to move randomly and interact with each other in the environment. The interactions will cause the disease viruses as well as the fearfulness to be spread in the population. In addition, the individual-based model can have different environment setups to distinguish the urban and rural areas. The results shown in this paper are divided into two subsections, which are the justification of using uniform distribution as random number generator, and the variation of disease spread dynamics in urban and rural areas. Based on the results, the uniform distribution is found to be sufficient in generating the random numbers in this model as there is no extreme outlier reported in the experiment. We have hypothesized the individuals in urban area to have higher level of fearfulness compared to those in rural area. However, the preliminary results of the survey conducted show a disagreement with the hypothesis. Nevertheless, the data collected still show two distinct classes of behavior. Thus, the distinction does not fall into the samples taken from rural or urban areas but perhaps more on the demographic factors. Therefore, the survey has to be study again and demographic factors have to be included in the survey as we could not distinguish the level of fearfulness by areas.  

scholarly journals Prevalensi dan Determinan Hipertensi di Pulau Jawa, Tahun 2004

2006 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 57
Author(s):  
Zamhir Setiawan
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factor ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Analysis Method ◽  
Hypertension Status ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Level Measurement ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Ecological Measurement ◽  
The Individual

Hipertensi merupakan faktor risiko utama kardiovaskuler yang merupakan penyebab utama kematian di seluruh dunia. Peningkatan umur harapan hidup dan perubahan gaya hidup meningkatkan faktor risiko hipertensi di berbagai negara. Tujuan penelitian ini (1) Mengetahui prevalensi hipertensi dan penyebarannya di Pulau Jawa tahun 2004. (2) Mengetahui faktor-faktor sosiodemografi yang berhubungan dengan kejadian hipertensi. (3) Mengetahui kontribusi dan dampak potensial masing-masing faktor tersebut. Penelitian dengan rancangan studi Ekologi Multilevel ini menggabungkan variabel tingkat pengukuran individu dengan tingkat pengukuran ekologi dalam analisis bersama, dengan unit analisis individu. Analisis kontekstual dilakukan melalui kerangka konsep hipertensi, menggunakan metode analisis regresi logistik ganda, dengan status hipertensi sebagai variabel dependen. Data variabel dependen dan variabel perancu yang merupakan data pengukuran tingkat individu diambil dari data SKRT 2004. Data sosiodemografi tingkat pengukuran ekologi sebagai variabel independen utama, diperoleh dari Profil Kesehatan Indonesia, Statistik Indonesia, Statistik Kesehatan, Statistik Kesejahteraan Rakyat, danData Departemen Dalam Negeri, unit pengamatan provinsi. Hasil penelitian ini menunjukkan prevalensi hipertensi di Pulau Jawa 41,9%, dengan kisaran di masing-masing provinsi 36,6%-47,7%. Prevalensi di perkotaan 39,9% (37,0%-45,8%) dan di perdesaan 44,1% (36,2%-51,7%). Kata kunci: Hipertensi, faktor sosiodemografiAbstractHypertension is a main risk factor of cardiovascular disease which is ranked as number one cause of death in the world. The increase of life expectancy and changes in life style have increased the prevalence of hypertension risk factor in both developed and developing countries. The objectives of this study are (1) To know the prevalence and distribution of hypertension in di Java island, in year 2004. (2) To know sosiodemographic factors related to hypertension. (3) To know the contribution of each sosiodemographic factor toward hypertension. The study used multilevel ecologic study design that integrated both individual and ecological level variables measurement. The analysis method used in this study was contextual analysis and multiple logistic regression with hypertension status as dependent variable. The individual level measurement of variables such as hypertension status and age, job, education and sex is taken from Household Health Survey (SKRT) 2004. The sosiodemographic data which was ecological measurement level served as the main independent variables were taken from Indonesian Health Profile, Indonesian Health Statistics, Public Welfare Statistics and data from Department of Internal Affair, particularly from Province Surveillance Unit. The study results showed that the prevalence of hypertension in Java Island was 41.9%, with range of prevalence in provincial level of 36.6%-47.7%. The prevalence in urban areas was 39.9% (37.0%-45.8%) and in rural areas was 44.1% (36.2%-51.7%)Keywords: Hypertension, sosiodemographic factors

Democracy’s Rural Dividend

2020 ◽  
pp. 58-84
Author(s):  
Robin Harding
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Electoral Competition ◽  
Theoretical Argument ◽  
African Countries ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Education And Health ◽  
Urban Rural ◽  
Urban And Rural Areas ◽  
Democratic Elections ◽  
National Analysis

This chapter evaluates the second and third hypotheses identified in Chapter 2, that the distribution of benefits resulting from the introduction of democratic electoral competition should be targeted primarily towards rural areas, and that the extent of any such urban–rural differences should be conditional on levels of urbanization. This is done using quantitative cross-national analysis of data from the Demographic and Health Survey Series. These household surveys provide incredibly detailed individual-level data on a range of essential education and health outcomes, across thirty African countries. This enables investigation of the extent to which these outcomes are affected by the introduction of electoral competition, and importantly, how these effects vary across urban and rural areas. Robust estimates demonstrate that democratic elections significantly increase access to primary education and reduce infant mortality rates, but only for children in rural areas. Moreover, these effects are conditional on the level of urbanization. The analysis provides no support for a series of alternative explanations, thereby strengthening confidence in the validity of the theoretical argument.

scholarly journals Well-Being of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual Youth: The Influence of Rural and Urban Contexts on the Process of Building Identity and Disclosure

2022 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbara Agueli ◽  
Giovanna Celardo ◽  
Ciro Esposito ◽  
Caterina Arcidiacono ◽  
Fortuna Procentese ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Cultural Context ◽  
Interpersonal Relationship ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Lgb Youth ◽  
Rural And Urban ◽  
Bisexual Youth ◽  
Urban And Rural Areas ◽  
The Individual

The study investigates how the territorial community can influence the individual and social well-being of lesbian, gay, bisexual (LGB) youth and especially the recognition of their feelings and the construction of their own identity as well as their needs to be socially recognized. This research focuses on the experiences of 30 LGB individuals (23 males and 7 females), with a mean age of 25.07 years (SD = 4,578), living in urban and rural areas of Southern Italy. Focalized open interviews were conducted, and the Grounded Theory Methodology, supported by the Atlas.ti 8.0 software, was used for data analysis. The textual material was first coded, and then codes were grouped into five macro-categories: Freedom of identity expression in the urban and rural context, identity construction and acceptance process, need of aggregation and identification with the LGB community, role of the interpersonal relationship in the process of identity acceptance, socio-cultural context, and LGB psychological well-being. The results showed a condition common to the two contexts that we can define as “ghettoization.” The young LGB is alone in the rural area due to a lack of places and people to identify with and greater social isolation. On the contrary, although there are more opportunities in the urban area, young people feel stigmatized and ghettoized because “their places” are frequented exclusively by the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transexual, queer (LGBTQ) community. The work will extensively discuss the limitations of the research, future proposals, and the practical implications of the results.

scholarly journals Geographies of Flowers and Geographies of Flower Power

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (24) ◽  
pp. 13712
Author(s):  
Annie Tubadji ◽  
Valentina Montalto
Keyword(s):  
Utility Function ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Strong Dependence ◽  
Creative Industries ◽  
Trade Off ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Proactive Behaviour ◽  
Green Areas ◽  
The Individual

The world is changing under the pressure of environmental and health crises, and in this context, location choice and political choice become of even more poignant importance. Following a Culture-Based Development (CBD) stand, our paper highlights the link between political voting and the cultural and ecological valuation of a place. We start from the premise that the individual utility functions of the urban inhabitant and the urban voter coincide, since they both express the citizen’s satisfaction with the life in a place. We suggest that the unified citizen’s utility function is driven by a trade-off between the availability of virtual and physical spaces for interaction. We expect that this trade-off can lead to dissatisfaction with the place and consequent political discontent if the incumbents’ access to green areas and artistic environment in a place is simultaneously hampered for a long time. Our operational hypothesis is that the political sensitivity of citizens is related to the local availability of green areas (geographies of flowers) and cultural capital endowments (geographies of flower power). Using individual-level data from the WVS from the period close before the pandemic—2017–2020, we test empirically this hypothesis. We use as an outcome of interest the individual propensity to active political behaviour. We explain this propensity through the geographies of flowers (i.e., green areas) and geographies of flower power (i.e., cultural and creative industries). We compare the effects for urban and for rural areas. We find strong dependence of politically proactive behaviour on the geographies of flowers and geographies of flower power, with explicit prominence in urban areas. We find a more pronounced effect of these two geographies on the utility function of incumbent than migrant residents. We also crosscheck empirically the relationship of this CBD mechanism on an aggregate level, using data from the Cultural and Creative Cities Monitor. The findings confirm the Schelling magnifying effect of micro preferences on a macro level.

scholarly journals Determinants of Investment at the Individual Level - Evidence from SACCOS in Mbeya District, Tanzania

2017 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 33
Author(s):  
Momole Kasambala
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
National Level ◽  
Simple Random Sampling ◽  
Least Square ◽  
Sufficient Evidence ◽  
Poor People ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Ordinary Least Square Regression ◽  
The Individual

Investment is the corner stone for economic growth and development. Poor countries experience a scant growth of their economy simply because of minute investment at the individual to national level. In these less developed economiesinvestment has been hampered by insufficient capital to support a viable business enterprise. External financing is required to reverse this trend. Experience shows that the provision of credit is the preeminent way to increase capital for investment. There have been several credit providers in developing countries namely, the formal, semiformal, and informal sources. While the formal and semiformal sources dominate in urban areas, the informal ones seem to dominate in rural areas. Many of the formal sources require credit to be secured by tangible assets. Unlike other credit lines like banks, credit from saving and credit cooperative (SACCOS) are issued without delay because credit worthiness can be established easily. These SACCOS normally operate within the premises of members and are well positioned to serve poor people both in urban and rural areas.This study was conducted to assess the determinants of investment at the individual level. Multistage and simple random sampling techniques were used to select the study area and respondents. The sample includes 239 SACCOS members and 241 non members. Data analysis employed both descriptive statistics and Ordinary least square regression methods. The study examines achievement differences in terms of the investment level achieved by SACCOS and non SACCOS members in order to determine the attributed factors to their success. The study provides sufficient evidence to support the proposition that acquisition of credit is important for investment at an individual level at P<0.001.

scholarly journals Examining Individual- and Community-Level Factors Affecting Skilled Delivery Care among Women Who Received Adequate Antenatal Care in Ethiopia: Using Multilevel Analysis

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Eshetu E. Chaka ◽  
Peng Bao
Keyword(s):  
Antenatal Care ◽  
Maternal Mortality ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Intraclass Correlation ◽  
Community Level ◽  
Delivery Care ◽  
Skilled Delivery ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
The Individual

Introduction. Maternal mortality continues to be a major public health and development challenge in Africa even after the permissible commitment of the international community. Although the use of skilled delivery care is the key intervention and is effective to lower maternal mortality rates, it is still at a lower proportion. The study is aimed at investigating the individual- and community level factors affecting the use of skilled delivery care among those women who had received adequate antenatal care. Materials and Methods. Data were extracted from the 2016 Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey on women aged 15-49 years and gave birth within five years prior to the survey ( N = 957 ). Multilevel logistic regression model with two levels were fitted to assess the influence of the individual- and community-level factors on the use of skilled delivery care. Results. Women who were exposed to media were more likely to use skilled delivery care ( OR = 1.81 ; 95% CI: 1.20-2.74). Having six or more birth order ( OR = 0.33 ; 95% CI: 0.16-0.69) and residing in rural areas ( OR = 0.40 ; 95% CI: 0.21-0.79) were associated with less likelihood use of skilled delivery care. Attaining primary and secondary educational level, being older women, being from the richest household, and having a urine test during antenatal visits were significantly associated with the use of skilled delivery care. The value of intraclass correlation coefficient supported a significant community-level effect on the likelihood of using skilled delivery care. Conclusions. Factors operating both at the individual level and community level were found significantly associated with the use of skilled delivery care in Ethiopia. A considerable variation at community level accounts for the difference in the use of skilled delivery level.

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