Perceptions of participants and staff of implementing a physical activity program in rural primary care

Addressing the lack of physical activity (PA) in rural adults is vital because of the role it plays in the risk for many chronic diseases. The purpose of the study was to explore the feasibility of conducting a 12-week intervention utilizing a Fitbit to increase PA behavior in inactive rural adults recruited from a primary care clinic. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with study participants (n=10) and a focus group was held with nurses (n=7) from the primary care clinic. Data were analyzed using the process of immersion/crystallization. Participants and nurses both felt the program had a positive impact on PA and that the program was needed in the community. Study participants most often reported their favorite part of the study was being able to track their activity as well as the goal setting. However, study participants reported barriers to continued participation in PA related to a lack of time and ability to be active in cold weather. Further, nursing staff reported barriers in regard to a lack of resources (staffing and money) These barriers need to be examined further and addressed in order to implement a sustainable PA program that can be maintained through a primary care clinic.     

The importance of systems thinking,context, and inclusion when studying the feasibility of expanding the FoodShare (SNAP) outreach program to rural communities of Northern Wisconsin

Evaluators often neglect to question whether a program has been appropriately designed for a new context prior to a feasibility study’s commencement. In this paper, we document the results of a case study that closely examined context when determining the feasibility of implementing a FoodShare outreach program in rural northern Wisconsin. Using community-based participatory mixed methods, we examine how stakeholder engagement led to both study refinement and a more comprehensive understanding of community food security based on contextual factors and systems thinking. Lessons learned when conducting feasibility studies from this perspective are provided to improve evaluation practice.     

新时代推进大中小学劳动教育的三重维度

劳动教育肩负着培养德智体美劳全面发展的社会主义建设者和接班人的重要任务,因此,新时代推进大中小学劳动教育是青少年学生全面发展的客观需要。新时代推进大中小学劳动教育需要从时代性、规律性、创造性三重维度着手,把握新时代大中小学劳动教育的时代特征,遵循新时代大中小学劳动教育的内在规律,激发新时代大中小学劳动教育的内生动力。     

How much is too much: Does the size of income support transfers affect labor supply?

Cash transfer programs pursue mainly protective objectives, but can also impact rural livelihoods by inducing investments in productive activities and changing household labor allocation. We adopt a continuous treatment approach to quantify how households’ labor supply responds to transfer size. We find a shift from paid labor to own farm labor and find that the transfer size is well within a level that would have disincentive effects on time spent on own farm activities. The switch from paid to own farm labor occurs at lower levels of transfers for labor-constrained households, and at higher levels for non-labor constrained households.     

Assessing emotional and social health using photographs: An innovative research method for rural studies and its applicability in a care-farming program for youth

A framework for assessing photographs for the emotional and social health of young people (SHAPE) is described and tested, within the context of a rural program. Two independent raters assessed the photographs of participants. To assess inter-rater reliability, Cohen’ K and Kendall’s W were calculated. The two reviewers’ assessments of photographs were in agreement. The assessment of emotional/behavioural display showed 82% agreement. Agreement between reviewers’ judgements of proxemics (W = .866), interaction (W = .722), engagement (W = .932) and overall impression (W = .804) were all significant (p < .005). The method yielded results indicating that participants found gardening immediately engaging but their approach to equines exhibited a change from fascination to confidence during the program. The visual-diary method is a useful and sensitive method for research: where resources are limited; to complement traditional measures; for use with people who lack appropriate verbal communication or literacy skills to complete questionnaires; young children; other underrepresented groups.     

Educational gradient of health in rural China

The aim of this paper is to examine whether and how rural residents’ educational attainment is associated with their self-rated health in China. Taking advantage of the National Exercise Facility Survey that was collected between December 2015 and March 2016, we find that educational attainment has a significant and positive correlation with self-rated health, net of the effects of age, gender, and geographical region. This correlation is mediated by factors such as perceived importance of exercise and healthy lifestyle. Relatively, people’s cognitive knowledge about health-related information and material resource access fail to play a significant mediating role. The findings highlight the non-material and non-cognitive attributes of educational attainment in shaping the gradient of health in the rural setting of China. Interventions that expand formal education to the mass and optimize teaching contents may offer an effective means to balance the health gradient.     

改革开放 40 年我国农村法治进展与展望

改革开放 40 年来,我国农村法治建设取得了前所未有的成就,具有中国特色的农业农村法律体系基本成型,涉农法律实施机制日益完善,农村社会守法共荣的法治观念明显增强。 以促进农业产业发展、农村建设和农民权益保护为主要目标的农业农村法律体系,和以权利调整、农业补贴、农业市场准入为主要手段的农业农村法律调控机制,成为推进我国农村改革和农业产业调整的重要力量。 面向新时代,需充分发挥农村法治在乡村振兴中的保障作用,并从立法、执法、司法、守法各个环节全方位推进我国农业农村现代化建设。     

Female labor force participation in the US: How is immigration shaping recent trends?

Women entered the paid workforce in unprecedented numbers during the 20th century. Yet recent years have been witness to a creeping reversal in women's labor force participation. Why did the revolution stall? In response to debates over a “natural” limit to women's employment, or a cultural backlash against the dual-breadwinner household, we consider an alternative explanation, namely whether immigration has slowed the growth in female labor force participation. Using CPS data from 1998 to 2018, we show that the increase in the share of immigrants and children of immigrants in the population has reduced overall female labor force participation. However, immigration accounts for relatively little of the retreat from the labor force. Instead, the compositional effect of population change is overshadowed by behavioral shifts that affect both natives and immigrants. Lower participation rates among native-born women accounts for most of the overall decline. Despite persistent differences, we also find substantial convergence in the labor force behavior of native-born and foreign-born women, which bodes well for the long-term economic incorporation of immigrants and their children.     

Unemployment among Mexican immigrant men in the United States, 2003–2012

Based on their socioeconomic characteristics, Mexican immigrant men should have very high unemployment. More than half do not have a high school diploma. One in four works in construction; at the height of the recent recession, 20% of construction workers were unemployed. Yet their unemployment rates are similar to those of native-born white men. After controlling for education and occupation, Mexican immigrant men have lower probabilities of unemployment than native-born white men – both before and during the recent recession. I consider explanations based on eligibility for unemployment benefits, out-migrant selection for unemployment, and employer preferences for Mexican immigrant labor.     

劳动合同服务期规则的适用——以海南省某企业招聘信息为切入点

海南省某企业在其招聘广告中要求劳动者承诺终身服务,涉及服务期规则的适用问题。现行《劳动合同法》存在对劳动者过度保护的倾向性,劳动者约束性条款数量较少。而服务期规则作为用人单位长期留用人才的唯一法律依托,存在着可设定服务期的事项范围过窄、违约金条款不具有应有惩罚性的问题。服务期规则的不健全把企业吸引和培育人才的手段引向异端。司法实践中出现了对现行服务期规则进行突破的裁判或未突破现行规则但裁判结果有违诚信原则的情况。针对现状,建议拓宽可设定服务期的事项范围、改进违约金规则使其具有惩罚性来保障企业人力资本投入上的合理利益,同时规定最长服务期限来维护劳动者基本权益,从而最大限度地维持劳资双方利益平衡。