Sexual risk-taking in the slums of Nairobi,Kenya, 1993-98

Relatively less attention has been paid to reproductive health problems facing deprived urban residents than to those facing rural residents in sub-Saharan Africa. This is probably because the majority of Africans live in rural areas, where they are presumed to have poorer medical, educational, and other social services. Yet, the unprecedented rate of urbanization and the accompanying disproportionate growth in the proportion of poor city residents pose new challenges for health care in the region. This study examines differences in sexual behaviour between slum residents and non-slum residents in Nairobi city. The results show that slum residents start sexual intercourse at earlier ages, have more sexual partners, and are less likely than other city residents to know of or adopt preventive measures against contracting HIV/AIDS. The findings highlight the need to treat slum residents as a subpopulation uniquely vulnerable to reproductive health problems, and to expend more resources in slum settings.     

Differences in Child Health Across Rural,Urban, and Slum Areas: Evidence From India

The developing world is rapidly urbanizing, but an understanding of how child health differs across urban and rural areas is lacking. We examine the association between area of residence and child health in India, focusing on composition and selection effects. Simple height-for-age averages show that rural Indian children have the poorest health and urban children have the best, with slum children in between. With wealth or observed health environment held constant, the urban height-for-age advantage disappears, and slum children fare significantly worse than their rural counterparts. Hence, differences in composition across areas mask a substantial negative association between living in slums and height-for-age. This association is more negative for girls than boys. Furthermore, a large number of girls are “missing” in slums; we argue that this implies that the negative association between living in slums and health is even stronger than our estimate. The missing girls also help explain why slum girls appear to have a substantially lower mortality than rural girls, whereas slum boys have a higher mortality risk than rural boys. We estimate that slum conditions (such as overcrowding and open sewers), which the survey does not adequately capture, are associated with 20 % to 37 % of slum children’s stunting risk.     

Why do the children of the poor die in Dhaka,Bangladesh?

Mortality data from much of the developing world show that the health advantage of urban over rural areas is being eroded. The single most important factor is the very high mortality of the slum populations, mostly rural-urban migrants in the large cities. This has been shown to be true of Dhaka, Bangladesh, where much of the mortality differential between the poor and other residents can be explained by higher mortality in the slums among young children, especially infants. This paper reports on a collaborative project, Access to Health and Reproductive Health Services in the Dhaka Slums, which confirmed this situation in a 1999 survey and employed an in-depth approach in 2000 to investigate the circumstances of child deaths. It is shown that these deaths mostly occur among illiterate rural-urban migrants who have brought pre-Islamic folk beliefs about illness and its treatment with them. This and cost in most cases preclude modern medical treatment. These disadvantages are reinforced by treatment decisions being made in a purdah society almost entirely by women, especially old women, with husbands and other male relatives often being beyond contact. Suggestions are advanced for improving the situation.     

我国流动儿童生存和发展：问题与对策——基于2010年第六次全国人口普查数据的分析

文章利用2010年第六次全国人口普查数据,概括和分析全国流动儿童的人口学特征、迁移特征和受教育状况等关系流动儿童生存和发展的基本情况。流动儿童规模庞大、增长迅速、且分布高度集中,多数来自农村;跨省流动儿童约占三分之一;他们作为父母的随迁者已属于长期流动的人口;流动儿童的受教育状况有所好转,但情况依然不乐观．仍然有2．94％的义务教育阶段适龄流动儿童未按规定接受义务教育,流动儿童的学前教育和高中教育问题亟待解决。文章分析结论期望能为流动儿童各方面问题的解决提供基本的依据。     

The potential impact of discrimination fears of older gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender individuals living in small- to moderate-sized cities on long-term health care

As an exploration of the potential impact of fears of discrimination against GLBTs in long-term health care settings, this study compared perceptions of GLBT persons and heterosexuals. A total of 132 GLBT persons and 187 heterosexuals living in Eastern Washington completed a survey that contained demographic questions and perceptions of discrimination in long-term care settings. Most respondents suspected that staff and residents of care facilities discriminate against GLBTs. GLBT respondents who believed that residents of care facilities are victims of discrimination were more likely to believe that they would have to hide their sexual orientation if admitted to a care facility. GLBT respondents were more likely than heterosexual respondents to believe that GLBTs do not have equal access to health care and social services, that GLBTs residents of care facilities are victims of discrimination, that GLBT sensitivity training programs would benefit staff and residents of care facilities, and that GLBT retirement facilities would be a positive development for older GLBTs. This study is offered as a preliminary investigation of concerns about GLBT discrimination in health care settings, how concerns are expressed, and the implications of those concerns for health care needs.     

Growth of small and intermediate cities in Korea, 1975-1980

"This paper examines the urban growth of 33 small and intermediate Korean cities during 1975-1980 from the ecological perspective. Using the multiple regression analysis, population growth of a city is measured by variables such as industrial structure, distance from a metropolitan city, and educational level of residents in a corresponding city. At the present development stage in Korea, those cities whose industrial structure is more specialized in the transformative sector rather than other sectors have grown more rapidly. The closeness to a metropolitan city and the educational level of residents for each city strongly influence urban growth of small cities."     

Slum Residence and Child Health in Developing Countries

Continued population growth and increasing urbanization have led to the formation of large informal urban settlements in many developing countries in recent decades. The high prevalence of poverty, overcrowding, and poor sanitation observed in these settlements—commonly referred to as “slums”—suggests that slum residence constitutes a major health risk for children. In this article, we use data from 191 Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) across 73 developing countries to investigate this concern empirically. Our results indicate that children in slums have better health outcomes than children living in rural areas yet fare worse than children in better-off neighborhoods of the same urban settlements. A large fraction of the observed health differences appears to be explained by pronounced differences in maternal education, household wealth, and access to health services across residential areas. After we control for these characteristics, children growing up in the slums and better-off neighborhoods of towns show levels of morbidity and mortality that are not statistically different from those of children living in rural areas. Compared with rural children, children living in cities (irrespective of slum or formal residence) fare better with respect to mortality and stunting but not with respect to recent illness episodes.     

农村未婚青年生殖健康现状及需求研究

本文根据对农村未婚青年生殖健康现状问卷调查和座谈调查的结果,对农村未婚在业青年的生殖健康现状及其对婚前性行为、人工流产的态度进行了分析研究,同时还探讨了农村未婚青年对计划生育服务的需求,最后还就提高农村未婚青年生殖健康水平提出了一些对策性建议。     

中国社会保障模式选择的民意基础——基于重庆市城乡居民福利态度的实证调查

究竟是哪些因素影响中国城乡居民对社会保障模式的选择？这些因素到底对中国社会保障模式选择影响有多大？对于这些问题,至今我们的了解仍显不足。对重庆市城乡居民福利态度的实证研究结果显示：城乡居民呈现出较为明显社会公平取向的特征。经济发展水平、人口结构特征、制度效果等因素对城乡居民均有显著影响。制度效果、恩格尔系数和文化程度、性别等因素对城乡居民社会保障模式取向的影响存在差异性。     

我国人口流动中的健康选择机制研究

利用2008年中国流动与健康调查数据,对农村留守人口、农村外出返乡人口、乡城流动人口以及城镇居民等不同流动特征群体之间的健康差异进行比较,并系统检验了我国人口流动过程中的两种健康选择机制——"健康移民"(healthy migrant)效应和"三文鱼偏误"(salmon bias)效应。模型分析结果表明,我国人口流动存在着较为明显的"健康移民"和"三文鱼偏误"选择效应。在控制被访者的年龄、性别、主要社会经济特征以及相关健康行为后,流动人口自评一般健康、慢性病状况、经常性身体不适和肺活量等健康指标显著优于农村留守人口,乡城流动人口患有慢性病和出现经常性身体不适的可能性也显著低于农村返乡人口。在控制相关变量后,乡城流动人口与城镇居民的健康状况(除慢性病和心率过高症状外)不存在显著差别。     

The Potential Impact of Discrimination Fears of Older Gays,Lesbians, Bisexuals and Transgender Individuals Living in Small- to Moderate-Sized Cities on Long-Term Health Care

ABSTRACT

As an exploration of the potential impact of fears of discrimination against GLBTs in long-term health care settings, this study compared perceptions of GLBT persons and heterosexuals. A total of 132 GLBT persons and 187 heterosexuals living in Eastern Washington completed a survey that contained demographic questions and perceptions of discrimination in long-term care settings. Most respondents suspected that staff and residents of care facilities discriminate against GLBTs. GLBT respondents who believed that residents of care facilities are victims of discrimination were more likely to believe that they would have to hide their sexual orientation if admitted to a care facility. GLBT respondents were more likely than heterosexual respondents to believe that GLBTs do not have equal access to health care and social services, that GLBTs residents of care facilities are victims of discrimination, that GLBT sensitivity training programs would benefit staff and residents of care facilities, and that GLBT retirement facilities would be a positive development for older GLBTs. This study is offered as a preliminary investigation of concerns about GLBT discrimination in health care settings, how concerns are expressed, and the implications of those concerns for health care needs.     

吉林省“计划生育服务车”基层服务研究

吉林省榆树市自2003年开展"计划生育服务车"基层服务以来,市计生局发挥服务车机动、便捷的特点,采取"直接进屯,服务到人,逐村推进,一年一回"的服务方式,有效地提高了避孕节育措施的落实率,稳定了农村育龄人群的生殖健康水平。在各方面综合因素作用下,服务车的发展运行健康、有序、规范,拓宽了人口计划生育事业的发展空间,提升了新时期人口计划生育工作的水平和品质,提高了农村计划生育人群和家庭的生育、生活和生命质量。表现了人口计生部门转变工作思路、改进工作方法,推进基层基础工作,乃至推进计划生育的整体工作力度。     

Housing Satisfaction Related to Health and Importance of Services in Urban Slums: Evidence from Dhaka, Bangladesh

Quality of housing plays one of the key roles in a public health research, since inadequate housing may have direct or indirect negative impact on health. Higher satisfaction with housing was shown to be associated with higher income, higher age, a smaller family, higher education, being female and being an owner of a dwelling. The aim of our study is to identify the multiple sources of the satisfaction with housing in population of urban slums and rural areas in Dhaka, Bangladesh. We have used a combined variable “Housing Satisfaction”, containing nine items related to satisfaction with different types of housing facilities (water, electricity, toilet etc.). Ordinal as well as binary multiple logistic regression models were applied to predict housing satisfaction. Rural residents (with 90 % house ownership) were much more satisfied with their housing than urban slum dwellers. Those respondents who perceived their area as “Very bad/Bad” to reach medical care reported significantly higher levels of housing dissatisfaction. Low satisfaction with available facilities (education, health services, etc.) as well as the adjacent neighbourhood being perceived as negative for own health showed as well a strong predictive effect on housing dissatisfaction. The major findings of our study showed a complex relationship between housing satisfaction and the quality of basic facilities including the reachability of medical care. Understanding the factors which lead to satisfaction with housing and residential environment is crucial for planning successful and effective housing policies.     

急需对青少年开展全方位的性与生殖健康教育

本文分析了我国青少年性与生殖健康问题的现状及目前我国对青少年性与生殖健康教育尚很欠缺的一些影响因素.作者强烈呼吁急需对青少年开展全方位、多层次、多形式的性与生殖健康教育.     

The Consequences of Reproductive Failure: Dependence,Mobility, and Mortality among the Elderly of Rural South Asia

This paper examines the proposition that the economic mobility of persons in rural South Asia is affected by their reproductive outcomes: specifically, that reproductive failure (defined as the failure to rear a surviving son) entails material loss. Underlying this proposition is the notion that sons in this setting constitute an important source of insurance against the risk of income insufficiency in old age and in a variety of other contingencies. Analysis of data on living arrangements of the elderly in several rural South Asian communities and histories of asset gain and loss suggest that the consequences of reproductive failure include higher mortality risks and a high probability of property loss, that these consequences are more severe for women than for men, and are considerably more severe in rural Bangladesh than in the sampled areas of rural India.     

Health Status and Risk Behaviors of Sexual Minorities Among Chinese Adolescents: A School-Based Survey

This study aimed to examine the association between sexual orientation and health disparities among a stratified random sample of 3776 secondary students in Hong Kong. The prevalence of homosexuality and bisexuality were 1.5% and 2.6% in boys and 1.8% and 3.7% in girls, respectively. A total of 10.7% of boys and 8.8% of girls were unsure of their sexual orientation. Homosexual and bisexual boys reported poorer physical and mental health than their heterosexual peers. Homosexual and bisexual boys were more likely to engage in smoking, frequent drinking, and vaginal sex and be subjected to sexually transmitted disease and sexual victimization. However, lesbian and bisexual girls were less likely to engage in risky health behaviors except for smoking and being subjected to sexual victimization. There is a gender-specific problem that may warrant prevention and intervention programs to address the unique health issues facing homosexual and bisexual adolescents in Hong Kong.     

The Emotions and Reproductive Health

It is surprising that social demography has so little to say on the emotional underpinnings of demographic behavior. The central proposition of this essay is that emotions are particularly important for understanding the problems of reproductive health. This understanding allows one to consider the usual determinants of personal autonomy, or access to knowledge or services, but also to take into account the fact that much sexual and reproductive behavior is motivated by emotional states that can suppress prior knowledge, services, or agency. The essay draws upon the emerging theoretical literature on emotions in the disciplines of sociology and anthropology to explore the role of emotions in behavior and outcomes related to reproductive health. It looks especially at the cultural meaning, the ideal, and the experienced reality of the emotion of “love.” All these aspects of what is a positive emotion have important positive as well as negative implications for the diagnosis and treatment of reproductive tract problems and for unsafe sexual activity.     

The inequality of maternal health care in urban sub-Saharan Africa in the 1990s

Numerous studies document the disadvantage in child health of the urban poor in African cities. This study uses Demographic and Health Survey data from 23 countries in sub-Saharan Africa to examine whether the urban poor experience comparable disadvantages in maternal health care. The results show that, although on average the urban poor receive better antenatal and delivery care than rural residents, the care of the urban poor is worse than that of the urban non-poor. This suggests that the urban bias in the allocation of health services in Africa does not benefit the urban poor as much as the non-poor. Multilevel analyses reveal significant variations in maternal health in urban areas across countries of sub-Saharan Africa. The dis-advantage of the urban poor is more pronounced in countries where maternal health care is relatively good. In these countries the urban poor tend to be even worse off than rural residents, suggesting that the urban poor have benefited least from improvements in maternal health care.     

劳动力流动对城镇失业的影响研究

文章探讨了家庭决策下农村劳动力流动对城镇失业的影响,认为劳动力回流会降低流入者的现存失业率进而拉低城镇总体失业率。基于2005年全国1%人口抽样调查数据,作者对城镇失业与其相关因素进行了回归分析。结果发现,就失业概率而言,农村流入人口远低于城镇居民;镇居民低于市居民;女性高于男性;年轻组远高于其他年龄组;受过高等教育的人口总体最低,但高校新近毕业生却较高。另外,区域发展模式影响其失业模式。失业水平在东北、武汉、重庆老工业基地出现了本地居民、农民工和总体均高的三高模式,在京、津、沪和珠三角地区出现了本地居民高、农民工低和总体居中的高低中模式,仅在国有、私营、和三资企业平衡发展的华东沿海地区出现了本地居民低、农民工低和总体低的三低模式。