Poverty and Pediatric Palliative Care: What Can We Do?

It has been recognized that families of children with life-limiting health conditions struggle with significant financial demands, yet may not have awareness of resources available to them. Additionally, health care providers may not be aware of the socioeconomic needs of families they care for. This article describes a mixed-methods study examining the content validity and utility for health care providers of a poverty screening tool and companion resource guide for the pediatric palliative care population. The study found high relevance and validity of the tool. Significant barriers to implementing the screening tool in clinical practice were described by participants, including: concerns regarding time required, roles and responsibilities, and discomfort in asking about income. Implications for practice and suggestions for improving the tool are discussed. Screening and attention to the social determinants of health lie within the scope of practice of all health care providers. Social workers can play a leadership role in this work.     

Health Beliefs and Attitudes: A Comparison Between Turkey and Palestine

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study is to identify the beliefs and attitudes that influence health-related behavior while comparing two countries that can have different political and economic structures. This study also gathers both Turkish and Palestinian citizens' beliefs and attitudes towards health determinants. To assess and compare citizens' attitudes toward health care and health determinants a total of 4,100 questionnaires were distributed, whereas 2,600 were distributed in Turkey, and another 1,500 questionnaires in the Palestine. According to the research, the individuals surveyed in Turkey noted that smoking, stress, and getting access to a medical institution were noted as the most influential determinants which affect their health; whereas, the people of Palestine thought that income status, and educational levels were the most influential factors in health. In addition, it was found that there were some statistically significant differences between participants' responses in Turkey and Palestine; however, what both samples shared was that economic factors were an important factor affecting health beliefs and attitudes, regardless of where a participant lived. Finally, comparisons and future recommendations are made to improve health-related beliefs, attitudes and behaviors in both countries.     

公共压力与公益基金会财务信息 披露质量关系研究

选用全国性公益基金会2011-2013年的数据为样本,探究公共压力与公益基金会财务信息披露质量的关系。研究发现:受益者压力能够显著提高基金会的财务信息披露质量。除此以外,不同属性的公益基金会财务信息披露质量的影响因素有所不同。对公募基金会而言,捐赠者压力小、政府资助压力小、志愿者压力大、教育类的财务信息披露质量高;对非公募基金会而言,媒体压力大、业务主管单位为民政部的财务信息披露质量高。     

Health literacy and uptake of annual physical checkups among emerging adults in the United States: Findings from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System

Public health literature is replete with evidence on the determinants of preventive healthcare utilization. However, gap exists in the relationship between health literacy, a key social determinant of health, and annual physical checkups, especially among younger adults in the United States. This age group is one of the least likely to utilize such services for screening and prevention of diseases, which can have a significant impact on their long-term health as they progress through the life course. Using the Andersen Healthcare Utilization framework, this study investigated the association between health literacy, an enabling factor, and uptake of annual physical checkups among emerging adults aged 18–29. A binary logistic regression model was employed to achieve the study objective using data from the 2016 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data (N = 9515). Findings showed that 61% of young adults had physical checkups in the past year. After adjusting for predisposing, need, and other enabling factors, experiencing difficulties with oral and written health literacy and having difficulties obtaining medical information and advice were significantly associated with lower odds of physical checkups in the past year. These findings provide evidence for strategies like Healthy People 2030 that aim to increase preventive healthcare service utilization among emerging adults.     

COVID-19 pandemic and the determinants of depressive symptoms among senior citizens of India: An empirical investigation

The COVID-19 pandemic inflicted multiple threats to individuals' physical, mental, and financial health conditions. The pandemic-related restrictive behaviors pose serious consequences for public health and increase the risk of mental illness among individuals, particularly among older citizens. The combination of their pre-existing illnesses, social isolation, COVID fear, and financial adversity frequently aggravates their condition and leads to depression and mental illness. Thus, the present study investigates the mental health status and the determinants of depressive symptoms among older adults of Bhubaneswar during the COVID pandemic context. The study used the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15) to measure their depressive symptoms. The social isolation parameter is measured with the De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale. Financial self-efficacy, COVID-19-related psychological fear, and comorbidity health status are other determinants considered. A chi-square test and multinomial logistic regression (MLR) models are adopted to find the probable risk factors that may influence depressive symptoms among older people. The results indicate that comorbidity health conditions, a social isolation mindset, and financial efficacy issues are the significant determinants that drive an older person towards different depression categories. The improvement of these influential factors can lead senior citizens to avoid any health emergency like COVID pandemic. In the event of a public health emergency, such as COVID pandemic, the government could use the study's findings to devise methods for assisting the elderly. Society as a whole should be aware of these findings, which can lead to depressive symptoms, and offer support to the elderly. Future research may concentrate on identifying the causes of depressive symptoms in different age groups or in the presence of specific comorbidity health conditions. Future research may also investigate the factors influencing depressive symptoms in a specific occupation.     

The real East Asian Aid model: Development assistance as an instrument of comprehensive security in Japan,South Korea and Taiwan

Discussion of East Asian aid modes has remained superficial. And one donor, Taiwan, has been overlooked. This article reconsiders East Asian donorship, and places Taiwan within this category. It argues that East Asian donors are insecure, and see aid as part of a wider security policy. Aid policy pursues two main goals: economic strength and international influence. The aid apparatus is insulated from legislative and public pressure. Due to the nature of the goals pursued, relations with recipient governments in general are good, and recipient publics bad, relative to other Development Assistance Committee (DAC) donors. Relations with other donors are ambivalent; good relations are important, but can interfere with other goals. As such, Taiwan is a quintessential East Asian donor.     

How do post-colonial ties and migration regimes shape travel visa requirements? The case of Caribbean nationals

Travel visa requirements are generally recognised as the result of a trade-off between preventing irregular migration, ensuring security and allowing potential economic benefits to countries. The role of history has been overlooked. This article focuses on the Caribbean, a region heavily influenced by colonialism, which experienced important changes in political status and migration policies over the twentieth century. Using bilateral travel visa requirement data, we examine the importance of two travel visa determinants: post-colonial ties and the migration regimes established by the former colonial state after independence. We show that post-colonial ties explain patterns of travel visa requirements for France, the Netherlands and the US, but less for Britain and British-sphere Caribbean countries, revealing the less uniform and changing role of post-colonial ties. Travel visa requirements largely reinforce migration regimes types, so that Caribbean citizens from countries with a closed migration regime also experienced reduced travel opportunities. This reveals a perception that when the former colonial state limits migration opportunities, it might lead to travel, and potential overstaying, in other destinations. These findings provide new evidence of the relevance of colonial history and migration policies with the former colonial state in shaping travel opportunities of citizens of former colonies.     

Tackling and Mitigating Health Inequalities – Policymakers and Practitioners ‘Talk and Draw’ their Theories

In the context of a long‐standing academic acceptance of the socially structured nature of health inequalities, there has been a growing literature that critically examines policies that aim to reduce them. This has demonstrated inadequate policy assessment of the nature of the problem of health inequalities and correspondingly partial solutions that privilege interventions that focus on individual lifestyle solutions over more structural approaches. Much of the research that has been undertaken in this field to explore competing theories of inequalities has analyzed national policy documents or the views of senior policy advisers rather than practitioners. This study uses Raphael’s ‘seven discourses of the social determinants of health’ to understand the implicit theories of health inequalities of both practitioners and policymakers working within a single health care system as they talk about different policy typologies. To help penetrate potentially well‐rehearsed discourses about health inequalities, it tests a visual method of stimulating discussion about how different types of policy might operate to narrow/widen existing gaps in outcomes. Building on Raphael, it finds that individuals’ theories of health inequalities contain co‐existing although not synthesized material and behavioural explanations and that, although the social patterning of material disadvantage was recognized, the role of power and politics is underplayed. Variations between participants did not align with role (policy/practice) and using visual methods to represent the impact of different policy types on health inequalities, though challenging for participants, stimulated reflection about a subject matter that has otherwise become rather stagnant.     

流动人口户籍迁移意愿的分层模型研究

将2016年中国流动人口动态监测调查数据和城市特征数据进行匹配,使用非线性分层模型分析了流动人口户籍迁移意愿的影响因素。结果表明,流动人口的个人基本特征、经济状况、流动特征对户籍迁移意愿存在单独的影响,流入城市特征不存在对流动人口户籍迁移意愿的直接影响,但通过流动人口个人层面特征跨层交互作用于流动人口的户籍迁移意愿。有子女随迁和在流入地居留时间越长的流动人口户籍迁移意愿越强,流入地的教育公共服务质量越好越会强化这种倾向;已在流入地购房、受教育程度越高、女性流动人口的户籍迁移意愿更高,流入地的人口规模越大越会加强这种作用。