scholarly journals Selecting Social Indicators to Forecast Child Welfare Caseload

2008 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 119
Author(s):  
Raghubar D. Sharma

The purpose of this study is to identify an optimum number of social indicators that provide maximum predictability of child welfare caseloads. The analysis is based on cross-sectional data pooled from the 1996 and 2001 censuses. The unit of analysis is the census division. From an exhaustive review of literature on social indicators and child welfare, we identified ten risk factors. Then, we identified social indicators that were statistically associated with the risk factors. After measuring the statistical association between social indictors with child welfare caseload, this study develops regression models to select and narrow down a list of social indicators with the highest predictability.

BMJ Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (9) ◽  
pp. e030894 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hnin Thiri Khaing ◽  
Shuhei Nomura ◽  
Daisuke Yoneoka ◽  
Peter Ueda ◽  
Kenji Shibuya

ObjectiveThe levels, distributions of child malnutrition and its potential risk factors are not very well known in Myanmar. The objectives included in this study were: to estimate the current national and subnational prevalence of four types of malnutrition (stunting, wasting, underweight and overweight) among children under 5 in Myanmar; to identify potential risk factors associated with each type of malnutrition and to investigate how the identified risk factors’ distributions explained the regional disparities in malnutrition prevalence.Design/methodsData from the Myanmar Demographic and Health Survey 2015–2016 were used to estimate the prevalence of four types of malnutrition at both national and subnational levels (15 regions). Logistic regression models were applied to examine the association between each type of malnutrition and its risk factors, including child’s factors, parental social status and household conditions. The risk factor-adjusted prevalence of the malnutrition was estimated at the subnational level based on the estimated parameters from the regression models.ResultsThe national prevalence of stunting, wasting, underweight and overweight in children under 5 was estimated to be 29.1% (95% CI 27.7% to 30.6%), 6.8% (6.0% to 7.6%), 18.3% (17.0% to 19.5%) and 1.5% (1.1% to 1.9%), respectively. Substantial regional variations in the prevalence of each type of malnutrition were observed. Several risk factors of each type of malnutrition were identified, including low birth weight (LBW) and inadequate maternal nutritional status. Except for overweight, regional variations largely persisted even after adjustment for the risk factors investigated.ConclusionThe prevalence of malnutrition among children under 5 is still high in Myanmar, most commonly stunting. Targeted interventions aimed at prevention of LBW, improving the maternal nutritional status, in addition to other sociodemographic conditions should be encouraged urgently. Further research is necessary to investigate the potential sources of regional variation in prevalence of malnutrition among children under 5 in the country.


2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 48
Author(s):  
Annisa Rahim ◽  
Ririh Yudhastuti

Abstract: One  of the  zoonosis in Indonesia is leptospirosis. Leptospirosis is caused due  to infection  of bacteria Leptospira. There  were  107 cases and  9 deaths due  to leptospirosis in Sampang. The  incidence of leptospirosis in Sampang was an outbreak. The purpose of this study  was to map the distribution  of leptospirosis cases in Sampang in 2013 and to analyze environmental risk factors of leptospirosis cases (rainfall, altitude, and the presence of flood). This study  was an observational-descriptive study  and used cross-sectional study  design. The unit of analysis  of the study was administrative  regions  based on the districts.  There was patients  of leptospirosis in 4 districts in Sampang regency, there are Sampang district, Camplong district Robatal district and Omben district. The highest incidence of leptospirosis in Sampang regency was occured in Sampang district with rainfall more than 177.6 mm,  altitude less  than 47mdpl, and had experienced flooding.  Mapping  the incidence of leptospirosis showed the distribution  of leptospirosis cases tend to be  concentrated in Sampang district which  had a history of flooding  status.  The conclusion is rainfall, altitude, and presence of flood are risk factors  of leptospirosis. The advice is to improve  surveillance of patients  with leptospirosis particularly during floods,  to do outreach to the community, to perform cross-sector cooperation, to avoid or to reduce the frequency of direct contact with the flood to minimize  transmission of leptospirosis.Keywords: leptospirosis incidence, risk factors,  mapping


Author(s):  
Alebachew Abebe

Instructors’ publication (IP) is one of the major activity in higher education institutes. Currently, IP faced problem both high prevalence and severity in Ethiopia public universities. Even if the problem is common to both developed and developing countries, about 352 (73.9 %) of the instructors employed by public universities in Ethiopia have been affected by a lack of scholarly publications. Since the outcomes from IP factors are mostly discrete variable; they are often modelled using advanced count regression models. The purpose of this study was to model the appropriate count regression model that efficiently fit the IP data and further to identify the key risk factors contributing significantly to IP in public Universities in Ethiopia. The data were collected between November 2015 through November 2016 from selected thirteen (13) public universities in Ethiopia through both questionnaires and interview. The cross-sectional study design was employed using IP data. A simple random sampling technique was applied to the population of Ethiopia public universities to obtain a sample of 13 universities or 476 individual instructors were selected. The average age of the 476 participants was found to be 30 years with 31(6.5%) being females and 445(93.5%) being males. The count outcomes obtained were modelled using count regression models which included Zero-Inflated Negative Binomial (ZINB), Zero-Inflated Poisson (ZIP) and Poisson Hurdle regression models. To compare the performance and the efficiency of the listed count regression models concerning the IP data, the various model selection methods such as the Vuong Statistic (V) and Akaike’s Information Criterion (AIC) were used. The ZINB count regression model concerning the values of the Vuong Statistic and AIC was selected as the most appropriate and efficient count regression model for modelling IP data. Based on the ZINB model the variables age, experience, average work-load, association member and motivation to work were statistically significant risk factors contributing to IP in Ethiopia public universities.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amira Daher ◽  
Ofra Halperin

Abstract Background: Neck pain (NP), one of the most reported musculoskeletal disorders, is a major cause of illness and absence from university lessons among students. The COVID-19 pandemic affected higher education institutions worldwide. Academic studies shifted to online-learning, changing students’ habits and lifestyle. Data demonstrated that the pandemic and consequent lockdowns can affect people’s physical and mental well-being. Thus, the aim of this study is to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 lockdowns on the prevalence of and risk factors of NP among college students compared to the pre-epidemic period. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in the form of an online questionnaire survey that included sociodemographic data, Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), Neck Disability Index (NDI), and Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). NP was reported at four time points—lifetime, last year, last six months, and current—on a scale ranging from never/seldom to almost every day. Logistic regression models were calculated for all study variables and compared to the (NDI) cut-off score of 15. Results: A total of 295 college students were recruited. Among them, 35.6% reported at least moderate neck-related disability (NDI≥15) and significantly more NP than before the lockdown. NP increased gradually and significantly (on a scale 1-4), from a lifetime mean of 1.80 to a mean of 2.57 last year to 2.73 during the past six months to the current mean of 3.07 (p< .001). Participants’ scores on the PSS were moderate, with 59.3% reporting a high level of study-related stress. Logistic regression models revealed that sitting more than three hours a day, high study-related stress and higher PSS and VAS scores were associated with higher risk of at least a moderate level of neck-related disability (R2=.513, p< .001). Conclusions: The transition from on-campus studies to online learning had negative effects on students. It significantly increased study-related stress and the development of NP. Identifying risk factors at an early stage may prevent NP from becoming chronic and affecting students’ future careers, thereby improving students’ quality of life.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hua-Feng Yang ◽  
Xin Hong ◽  
Wei-Wei Wang ◽  
Qing Ye ◽  
Zhi-Yong Wang ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are serious public health issues and the burden of CVDs is at alarmingly high level in China. The aim of the current study was to estimate the prevalence of CVDs and modifiable risk factors, and explore the association of risk factors, risk factor clustering with CVDs among Nanjing adults from eastern China. Methods: A population-based cross-sectional survey was conducted by a stratified clustered sampling between June and November 2011. A representative sample of 40,896 residents aged over 18 years was interviewed by face-to-face questionnaire survey, anthropometric measurements and laboratory examinations. The prevalence of CVDs including coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke was determined according to a participant’s self-report. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to estimate the relationship between relevant risk factors, their clustering and CVDs. Results: The weighted prevalence of self-reported in the entire population was 1.1% for CHD; and 1.4% for stroke. The weighted prevalence of hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, overweight or obesity, and current smoking was 25.0%, 6.7%, 29.6%, 35.9% and 24.5%, respectively. In multivariable-adjusted models, higher levels of body mass index, systolic blood pressure and fasting plasma glucose could be associated with increased risks of CHD and stroke, whereas higher level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol could be related to lower risks of CHD. Hypertension, diabetes and dyslipidemia were likely to be positively associated with self-reported CVDs regardless of genders in multivariable logistic regression models. Participants with CVDs had significant higher proportion of at least two of CVD risk factors than their counterparts without CVDs. Compared to those having no risk factor; adults with one, two, three or more CVD risk factors had possibly gradually increased risks of CHD and stroke in both genders. Conclusion: Higher regional prevalence of CVDs was likely to be synergistic effects of risk factors aggregation. Therefore, multifactorial intervention strategies based on associated risk factors may be available for prevention and control of CVDs in Chinese population. Keywords: Cardiovascular diseases, Risk Factors, Prevalence, Coronary heart disease, Stroke, China


Author(s):  
Behrooz Shahmoradi ◽  
Navitha Thimmaiah ◽  
S. Indumati

The marked rise of FDI ?ows to high-income countries since the early 1990s has prompted substantial empirical research into the important determinants of FDI. This paper also has attempted to identify important determinants of FDI inflow for the selected high-income countries (23 countries) since 1990. Based on the related review of literature, six variables (Outflow, GDP, BOP, Export, Import and Labor) have been selected. Employing adding-up/multiple regression models, significant determinants were identified.


Crisis ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 130-139 ◽  
Author(s):  
Danica W. Y. Liu ◽  
A. Kate Fairweather-Schmidt ◽  
Richard Burns ◽  
Rachel M. Roberts ◽  
Kaarin J. Anstey

Abstract. Background: Little is known about the role of resilience in the likelihood of suicidal ideation (SI) over time. Aims: We examined the association between resilience and SI in a young-adult cohort over 4 years. Our objectives were to determine whether resilience was associated with SI at follow-up or, conversely, whether SI was associated with lowered resilience at follow-up. Method: Participants were selected from the Personality and Total Health (PATH) Through Life Project from Canberra and Queanbeyan, Australia, aged 28–32 years at the first time point and 32–36 at the second. Multinomial, linear, and binary regression analyses explored the association between resilience and SI over two time points. Models were adjusted for suicidality risk factors. Results: While unadjusted analyses identified associations between resilience and SI, these effects were fully explained by the inclusion of other suicidality risk factors. Conclusion: Despite strong cross-sectional associations, resilience and SI appear to be unrelated in a longitudinal context, once risk/resilience factors are controlled for. As independent indicators of psychological well-being, suicidality and resilience are essential if current status is to be captured. However, the addition of other factors (e.g., support, mastery) makes this association tenuous. Consequently, resilience per se may not be protective of SI.


Crisis ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (2) ◽  
pp. 134-140 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher R. DeCou ◽  
Stephanie P. Kaplan ◽  
Julie Spencer ◽  
Shannon M. Lynch

Abstract. Background and Aim: This study evaluated trauma-related shame as a mediator of the association between sexual assault severity and perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness. Method: A total of 164 female undergraduates who reported attempted or completed sexual assault completed self-report measures of sexual assault, trauma-related shame, perceived burdensomeness, and thwarted belongingness. Results: Using path analysis, trauma-related shame mediated the association between sexual assault severity and perceived burdensomeness, and between sexual assault severity and thwarted belongingness. Limitations: The findings of this study are limited by the retrospective, self-report, and cross-sectional nature of these data, and do not allow for causal inference. Conclusion: Trauma-related shame warrants additional investigation as a mechanism that explains the association between sexual assault and psychosocial risk factors for suicidal ideation and behavior.


2019 ◽  
Vol 47 (02) ◽  
pp. 132-132
Author(s):  
Sebastian Ganz

Nathues C, Janssen E, Duengelhoef A et al. Cross-sectional study on risk factors for Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome virus sow herd instability in German breeding herds. Acta Vet Scand 2018; 60 (1): 1–8 In mit PRRSV (Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrom Virus) infizierten Schweinebeständen zeigen die Tiere oftmals ernsthafte klinische Symptome. Die Schwere der Symptomatik hängt von der Virulenz der jeweiligen Virusstämme ab. Deshalb ist die Impfung gegen diesen Erreger sinnvoll und wird empfohlen, auch wenn sie nicht immer klinische Fälle verhindert bzw. das Virus vollends eliminiert. Aufgrund dessen rückt die Prävention durch Verbesserung der innerbetrieblichen Abläufe zunehmend in den Fokus. Um solche Maßnahmen erfolgreich etablieren zu können, ist es wichtig, den epidemiologischen Status der Herde und mögliche Risikofaktoren zu kennen. Ziel der Studie war deshalb, die Prävalenz der Infektion in Sauenbetrieben in Norddeutschland zu eruieren und verschiedene Arbeitsabläufe hinsichtlich des Risikos der Erregerverbreitung zu untersuchen.


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