Beginning farmer and rancher credit usage by socially disadvantaged status

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine credit usage by beginning farmers and ranchers (BFR). BFR credit usage is stratified by location (state) and by socially disadvantaged farmer and rancher (SDFR, also known as historically underserved) status. SDFR groups are defined to include women; individuals with Hispanic, Latino or Spanish Origin; individuals who identify as American Indian or Alaskan Native, Black or African American, Asian, Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander. Non-SDFR is defined as individuals who identify as non-Hispanic, White men.Design/methodology/approachThe US Department of Agriculture’s Census of Agriculture, Agricultural Resource Management Survey (ARMS) is linked with Farm Service Agency (FSA) loan program administrative data to estimate shares of BFR operations using FSA credit. Census data provided information on population changes in total farms and BFR operations from 2012 to 2017 which are compared by SDFR status.FindingsResults reveal differences among BFR operations active in agricultural credit markets by SDFR status and state. BFR were more common among SDFR groups as well as in regions where farms tend to be smaller, such as the Northeast, compared to a more highly agricultural upper Midwest. Among BFR, non-SDFR are more likely to utilize credit than SDFR, however, FSA appeared to be crucial in enabling BFR and especially beginning SDFR groups to access loans.Originality/valueThe results are timely and of keen interest to researchers, industry and policymakers and are expected to assist in developing and adjusting policies to effectively promote and improve BFR success in general and for beginning SDFR groups.

Equity-Oriented Healthcare: What It Is and Why We Need It in Oncology

Alarming differences exist in cancer outcomes for people most impacted by persistent and widening health and social inequities. People who are socially disadvantaged often have higher cancer-related mortality and are diagnosed with advanced cancers more often than other people. Such outcomes are linked to the compounding effects of stigma, discrimination, and other barriers, which create persistent inequities in access to care at all points in the cancer trajectory, preventing timely diagnosis and treatment, and further widening the health equity gap. In this commentary, we discuss how growing evidence suggests that people who are considered marginalized are not well-served by the cancer care sector and how the design and structure of services can often impose profound barriers to populations considered socially disadvantaged. We highlight equity-oriented healthcare as one strategy that can begin to address inequities in health outcomes and access to care by taking action to transform organizational cultures and approaches to the design and delivery of cancer services.

What Do the Australian Black Summer Fires Signify for the Global Fire Crisis?

The 2019–20 Australian fire season was heralded as emblematic of the catastrophic harm wrought by climate change. Similarly extreme wildfire seasons have occurred across the globe in recent years. Here, we apply a pyrogeographic lens to the recent Australian fires to examine the range of causes, impacts and responses. We find that the extensive area burnt was due to extreme climatic circumstances. However, antecedent hazard reduction burns (prescribed burns with the aim of reducing fuel loads) were effective in reducing fire severity and house loss, but their effectiveness declined under extreme weather conditions. Impacts were disproportionately borne by socially disadvantaged regional communities. Urban populations were also impacted through prolonged smoke exposure. The fires produced large carbon emissions, burnt fire-sensitive ecosystems and exposed large areas to the risk of biodiversity decline by being too frequently burnt in the future. We argue that the rate of change in fire risk delivered by climate change is outstripping the capacity of our ecological and social systems to adapt. A multi-lateral approach is required to mitigate future fire risk, with an emphasis on reducing the vulnerability of people through a reinvigoration of community-level capacity for targeted actions to complement mainstream fire management capacity.

The Challenge of Inequality in University Education: Is the District Quota Scheme Addressing Socio-Economic Disparities in Access to University Education in Uganda?

Access to university education is one of the fundamental educational questions in contemporary educational debates. This is because university education is seen as having an array of benefits to individuals, their households, and their nations. However, the challenge of inequality in terms of gender, income, location, and socio-economic status has constrained some individuals and households to access quality university education. In 2005 the government of Uganda introduced the District Quota Scheme to address the social inequalities in accessing university education. This study examined how the District Quota Scheme is addressing the rural-urban divide in access to university; how the District Quota Scheme has increased access to university education for children with parents who have low levels of education; and whether the District Quota Scheme is improving access to university education for children from low-income families. Following the social constructivist research paradigm and integrating both quantitative and qualitative research methods, the study found a change in access to university education by students from rural areas, students whose parents have lower levels of education, and those from low-income families as a result of introducing the District Quota Scheme. The study recommends that the government of Uganda and other stakeholders in the higher education sector should address the structural challenges to ensure that mainly the socially disadvantaged students take the biggest advantage of this scheme.

Trauma-Informed School Strategies for SEL and ACE Concerns during COVID-19

The precarious circumstances associated with the COVID-19 pandemic have raised important questions concerning the potential impact on child and adolescent development. For instance, how might this disruption influence social and emotional learning (SEL) and affect adverse childhood experiences (ACEs)? Moreover, what protective practices may be put in place to mitigate risks? The purpose of this critical review is to engage with these questions. Relevant research findings published before and during pandemic contexts are presented. Connections between SEL, ACEs and past social disruptions are substantiated in the literature. Additionally, preliminary evidence has elucidated variables associated with ACEs and SEL concerns during the pandemic. For instance, research suggests that students from socially disadvantaged positions may be disproportionately impacted by these issues. Actionable trauma-informed recommendations for educators are discussed, including creating safe school environments and adopting a strength-based perspective.

The role of social support in the experience of life with ischemic heart disease for socially disadvantaged patients: A qualitative study

Objectives Ischemic heart disease (IHD) displays wide social inequalities that are often explained with reference to lifestyle factors. However, research indicates that social support may also play an important role in social inequality in IHD. This study aims to explore the role of social support in the experience of life with IHD for socially disadvantaged patients. Methods The study was conducted as a critical hermeneutic qualitative study in Denmark between October 2018 and August 2019. Data consist of in-depth qualitative interviews with 30 socially disadvantaged patients with IHD. Results The findings showed a notable difference between the participants who were engaged in close and supportive social relationships and those who were not. Life with IHD for those who lacked supportive relationships tended to be marked by feelings of chaos, powerlessness and meaninglessness. Contrarily, those who were engaged in supportive relationships received help to navigate their life with illness, reconcile with what had happened to them, feel empowered, and gain a sense of meaning in their life. Discussion: Social support from close social relationships appears to be crucial for socially disadvantaged ischemic heart patients, and should be encouraged and facilitated in healthcare and interventions targeting this patient group.

Sugar-sweetened beverages consumption among New Zealand children aged 8-12 years: a cross sectional study of sources and associates/correlates of consumption

Background The benefit of reducing sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption is widely accepted, but updated and in-depth data on New Zealand (NZ) children’s SSB consumption is lacking. The aims of this study were to describe beverage consumption, focusing on SSBs in primary school age children living in Auckland; to examine the association of selected socio-demographic, home, community and school factors and children’s beverage knowledge/attitudes with regards to beverage consumption; to explore the relationship between SSBs consumption and adiposity in children. Methods A cross-sectional, Auckland-wide survey of 578 school age children (8-12 years) was conducted using questionnaires to collect data on beverage consumption, beverage knowledge/attitudes, and selected socio-demographic and home, community, school factors. Body fat percentage (BF%) was assessed using bioelectrical impedance (BIA). Results Ninety-six percent of children consumed ≥1 serving of SSBs a week; with ≥5 servings reported by 62% of children. Of all SSBs assessed, consumption of ≥1 serving of sugar sweetened milk-based beverages (85%, mainly milk drinks made from powder) was most prevalent, followed by fruit juice (46%) and sugar-containing carbonated drinks (39%, mainly soft/fizzy drinks). Among unsweetened beverages, plain water was reported to be consumed < 2 times a day by 22% of children, and plain milk < 1 serving a day by 53%. Higher consumption of SSBs was associated with socio-economic disadvantage, non-NZ European ethnicities (Māori, Pacific, Asian, others), availability of SSBs in the home, frequent takeaway/convenience shop visits, children’s incorrect perception of adequate SSBs consumption frequency, and higher BF% (females only). School health policy and encouragement of children to consume un-sweetened beverages was not associated with SSBs consumption. Conclusions The consumption of SSBs is prevalent in NZ school age children, with higher consumption rates observed among those from socially disadvantaged areas. This high consumption is associated with higher BF% in females. Multi-contextual interventions to decrease SSBs should target children, and their families/environment, particularly those from socially disadvantaged areas.

Customized moodle-based learning management system for socially disadvantaged schools

This study aims to develop Moodle-based LMS with customized learning content and modified user interface to facilitate pedagogical processes during covid-19 pandemic and investigate how teachers of socially disadvantaged schools perceived usability and technology acceptance. Co-design process was conducted with two activities: 1) need assessment phase using an online survey and interview session with the teachers and 2) the development phase of the LMS. The system was evaluated by 30 teachers from socially disadvantaged schools for relevance to their distance learning activities. We employed computer software usability questionnaire (CSUQ) to measure perceived usability and the technology acceptance model (TAM) with insertion of 3 original variables (i.e., perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and intention to use) and 5 external variables (i.e., attitude toward the system, perceived interaction, self-efficacy, user interface design, and course design). The average CSUQ rating exceeded 5.0 of 7 point-scale, indicated that teachers agreed that the information quality, interaction quality, and user interface quality were clear and easy to understand. TAM results concluded that the LMS design was judged to be usable, interactive, and well-developed. Teachers reported an effective user interface that allows effective teaching operations and lead to the system adoption in immediate time.

Socially Disadvantaged Youth: Forms of Expression and Communication in Social Networks as a Vehicle of Inclusion

Socially disadvantaged youth are a group to which prejudices are attached which question the appropriateness of their participation, communication and language in the digital setting. From this perspective, the aim of the present research proposes to identify the forms and expressions of communication used by socially disadvantaged young people from the city of Madrid in social networks. This will be examined as a tool for the development of interpersonal and social relatedness processes, which will enable inclusion and socialisation in contemporary society. To this end, a qualitative approach was proposed which enabled a set of core memos, codes, networks and categories to be established, through which study data were interpreted. WhatsApp images and interviews conducted with 78 informants were analysed using Atlas.ti 9 software. All participants belonged to a social group characterised by circumstances of social vulnerability. Of the main findings, it should be indicated that these young people exhibit a social network use that is not limited to engagement in digital leisure but, instead, is based on the exchange of communication. For this reason, these individuals have developed their own language, a fact that highlights specific traits of the digital culture to which they belong and contributes to disproving the idea that these young people use the digital setting inappropriately.