Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is caused by SARS-COV2 and represents the causative agent of a potentially fatal disease that is of great global public health concern. Based on the large number of infected people that were exposed to the wet animal market in Wuhan City, China, it is suggested that this is likely the zoonotic origin of COVID-19. Person-to-person transmission of COVID-19 infection led to the isolation of patients that were subsequently administered a variety of treatments. Extensive measures to reduce person-to-person transmission of COVID-19 have been implemented to control the current outbreak. Special attention and efforts to protect or reduce transmission should be applied in susceptible populations including children, health care providers, and elderly people. In this review, we highlights the symptoms, epidemiology, transmission, pathogenesis, phylogenetic analysis and future directions to control the spread of this fatal disease.
ABSTRACT International comparisons of cycling behaviour have typically been limited to high-income countries and often limited to the prevalence of cycling, with lack of discussions on demographic and trip characteristics. We used a combination of city, regional, and national travel surveys from 17 countries across the six continents, ranging from years 2009 through 2019. We present a descriptive analysis of cycling behaviour including level of cycling, trip purpose and distance, and user demographics, at the city-level for 35 major cities (>1 million population) and in urbanised areas nationwide for 11 countries. The Netherlands, Japan and Germany are among the highest cycling countries and their cities among the highest cycling cities. In cities and countries with high cycling levels, cycling rates tend to be more equal between work and non-work trips, whereas in geographies with low cycling levels, cycling to work is higher than cycling for other trips. In terms of cycling distance, patterns in high- and low-cycling geographies are more similar. We found a strong positive association between the level of cycling and women’s representation among cyclists. In almost all geographies with cycling mode share greater than 7% women made as many cycle trips as men, and sometimes even greater. The share of cycling trips by women is much lower in geographies with cycling mode shares less than 7%. Among the geographies with higher levels of cycling, children (60 years) remain underrepresented in all geographies but have relatively better representation where levels of cycling are high. In low-cycling settings, females are underrepresented across all the age groups, and more so when older than 16 years. With increasing level of cycling, representation of females improves across all the age groups, and most significantly among children and older adults. Clustering the cities and countries into homogeneous cycling typologies reveals that high cycling levels always coincide with high representation of females and good representations of all age groups. In low-cycling settings, it is the reverse. We recommend that evaluations of cycling policies include usage by gender and age groups as benchmarks in addition to overall use. To achieve representation across different age and gender groups, making neighbourhoods cycling friendly and developing safer routes to school, should be equally high on the agenda as cycling corridors that often cater to commuting traffic.
Abstract Migration in some societies transcends mere economic considerations, becoming a culturally ingrained practice. Through an ethnographic study in Nepal, this research explores how migration aspirations are reproduced and transmitted across generations and social networks, creating a self-sustaining cycle, and forming a ‘culture of migration’. The study discusses, how the economic necessity, together with a pervasive Fear of Missing Out (FOMO), social comparisons, perceptions of relative deprivation, perceived social status, and stigma shape individual’s migration decisions, despite varying personal circumstances. These factors also collectively produce a cultural environment where migration is idealized, and the societal expectations lead individuals to stop exploring local opportunities but prioritize migration as a primary choice. This study broadens the understanding of migration decision-making beyond structural and economic frameworks, by emphasizing its cultural underpinnings, contributing to the growing discourse on migration studies in the Global South.
Hale Yapıcı Eser, Defne Ertuna, Merve Yalcinay-Inan
et al.
Introduction Chronic social-role-related stress plays a crucial role in the development and progression of mental and medical disorders, making it an important factor to consider. This study aimed to translate and validate The Chronic Stress Scale (CSS) adapted by Turner for a Turkish population and explore its role in depression, anxiety, and perceived stress. Methods A total of 524 participants (mean age 31.59 years, 68% women) were recruited from Koç University and Basaksehir Cam Sakura City Hospitals, including 260 from the general population and 264 with depressive or anxiety disorders. The 51-item CSS was translated into Turkish and validated through reliability and validity analyses, including Cronbach’s alpha, exploratory factor analysis, and correlations with the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), and Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-14). Results The Turkish CSS showed good internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.90) and identified 13 dimensions of chronic stress (partner, children, work, loneliness, finances, workload, debt, relationship inoccupancy, family health, residence, family, ex-partner, and others). Dimensions were named based on the content of the items included. Significant correlations were found between CSS and BDI (r = 0.611, p < 0.001), BAI (r = 0.558, p < 0.001), and PSS-14 (r = 0.222, p < 0.001). Discriminant validity revealed significant score differences between clinical and general populations. Conclusion The Turkish CSS is a reliable and valid tool for assessing chronic social role-related stressors, supporting its use for both research and practice.
Abstract To describe migration-related phenomena, we need to reflect on the terminology and choose the most adequate one that allows us to determine whether migration is the (main) cause of a phenomenon, a consequence, or even unrelated and misattributed. We argue that the use of such terminology in quantitative and experimental research is often flawed because of its differentiated adoption in legal, political, or scientific contexts. To illustrate our argument, we focus on two commonly used terms, ‘second generation’ and ‘migration background’ to show that in many situations these terms do not accurately describe the population we study. In part, the terms imply a false homogeneity, focus on deficits, and perpetuate differences regarding national belonging where there may be structural reasons and other aspects, such as social class, that lie at the heart of observed differences. With a particular focus on quantitative research, we use survey evidence and a principled literature search, to show that both researchers and the general population often identify immigrants in terms of ethnic origin — even though the term has its own pitfalls. We conclude that quantitative research should avoid reproducing state-created terminology and instead look beyond the strict field of immigration to consider other systems of classification like gender, ethnicity, language, or social class to reduce the negative attributes ascribed to non-citizens.
Abstract The creation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam is indicative of the sharpening tensions surrounding citizenship, belonging and integration in India. Officially aimed at demarcating the “legitimate citizens”, its implementation is believed to have resulted in the partial exclusion of the so-called “Doubtful Voters” and denationalisation of the “illegitimate residents”. These frictions associated with citizenship identity and rights are nowhere as acute as in the northeastern Indian state of Assam, where measures of retroactive revocation, administrative erasure and withdrawal of citizenship rights have been systematically deployed against religious and linguistic minorities. Using new research with some NRC rejected applicants in western Assam and other materials, this article identifies the central aspects of the implementation gap in the crucial, albeit problematic task of locating the rightful “Assamese-Indian” citizens. Linking our work to the idea of the ‘process is the punishment’, we conceptualise these conspicuous inconsistencies in the NRC citizenship determination processes and their results as the “punitive gap”. We have identified the distinctive contours of this gap in terms of the massive economic costs, intensification of social (including gender and religion-based) inequalities, increased control through social suspicion and unpredictable outcomes for the marginal Miya Muslim community. The article highlights how this punitive gap has constantly eroded key components of due process, of procedural and substantive protections of the rights of individuals, during the NRC determination exercise and after the release of the final draft list.
Background The prevalence of double burden of malnutrition (DBM) is high in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Data on malnutrition trends is present for children <5 years of age, however the data for school-going children and adolescents aged 5–15 years is scarce. Objective This systematic review presents the pooled prevalence of nutritional status and dietary intake among school-going children and adolescents (5–15 years of age) in an LMIC of Pakistan and the perspective for broader global nutrition in this age group. Methods An electronic search of databases was run on Pubmed and Medline (via Ovid) along with gray literature and archives of local scientific journals till 2nd January 2021. Studies meeting the eligibility criteria were included and relevant data were extracted, and a pooled proportional analysis was performed. Results A total of 51 studies including 62,148 children of 5–15 years met the inclusion criteria, of which 30 studies reported on anthropometric indices alone, eight on dietary intake patterns while 13 reported both. All of the included studies had a cross-sectional study design. There were 20 studies from the province of Punjab, 15 from Sindh, eight from Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa, two from Balochistan, and three from multiple cities across Pakistan. The pooled proportional analysis showed that the proportion of underweight children and adolescents was 25.1% (95% CI 17.3–33.7%); stunting 23% (95% CI 11.8–36.7%); wasting 24% (95% CI 15.2–34%); thinness 12.5% (95% CI 9.4–16.1%); overweight 11.4% (95% CI 7.2–16.3%); and obesity 6.9% (95% CI 3–12%). A relatively high intake of carbohydrates, soft drinks, and sweets/chocolates; and a low intake of protein-rich foods, fruits, and vegetables, compared to the recommended daily allowance (RDA), was reported. Conclusion The limited data suggests the presence of DBM amongst children aged 5–15 years and also identified that dietary intake patterns are not meeting the recommended allowance. This review highlights the gaps and the need for larger, well-designed studies for this age group with the representation of different contexts and the need for similar studies in various LMICs, so that appropriate actions be deliberated and appropriate programs should be designed focusing on this vital population.
Kosovo is a country profoundly shaped by migration. A growing body of literature pays tribute to this. However, up to now, it has barely focused on the implications of return. Female returnees – and especially highly skilled female returnees – are even less likely to be in the focus of research. Against this background, this paper investigates how highly skilled female Kosovars experience migration to North America or Western Europe and their subsequent return to Kosovo. Within this setup, the focus is on the impact of migration on the participants’ gender norms and their attempts to shape those in Kosovo upon return. The results show that all participants experienced their sojourn abroad as empowering. The majority made use of this empowerment and actively fought for gender equality after return. However, resistance by the local population and reintegration issues impeded their engagement, prompting every second participant amongst those interviewed for this study to consider re-emigration. Despite this, two-thirds of the participants stayed and continued their engagement for gender equality but usually in an adapted manner. The paper concludes that highly skilled female return migrants have great – although fragile – potential to promote gender equality in Kosovo.
Colonies and colonization. Emigration and immigration. International migration, City population. Including children in cities, immigration
Implicit biases, expressed as differential treatment towards out-group members, are pervasive in human societies. These biases are often racial or ethnic in nature and create disparities and inequities across many aspects of life. Recent research has revealed that implicit biases are, for the most part, driven by social contexts and local histories. However, it has remained unclear how and if the regular ways in which human societies self-organize in cities produce systematic variation in implicit bias strength. Here we leverage extensions of the mathematical models of urban scaling theory to predict and test between-city differences in implicit racial biases. Our model comprehensively links scales of organization from city-wide infrastructure to individual psychology to quantitatively predict that cities that are (1) more populous, (2) more diverse, and (3) less segregated have lower levels of implicit biases. We find broad empirical support for each of these predictions in U.S. cities for data spanning a decade of racial implicit association tests from millions of individuals. We conclude that the organization of cities strongly drives the strength of implicit racial biases and provides potential systematic intervention targets for the development and planning of more equitable societies.
BackgroundDespite their strong increase, the population of the very old, including near-centenarians and centenarians, represent an unstudied and underserved population. Available studies mostly concentrate on predictors of exceptional longevity, but rarely extend their focus to other areas of functioning. Also, little is known about what contributes to experiencing a quality life in very old age. The present population-based study aims at providing a comprehensive picture of key domain of functioning, including physical, cognitive, social and mental function in very old individuals and to determine predictors of mental health indicators.MethodsA total of 119 individuals aged 95 to 107 living in private dwellings and residential care facilities were recruited based on the New York City Voters Registry. Participants answered questions regarding their health and activities of daily living. Their cognitive functioning was determined using the Mini-Mental State Examination and the Global Deterioration Scale. Social resources were measured with number of children and the Lubben Scale. Mental health was assessed with the Geriatric Depression Scale and the Satisfaction with Life Scale.ResultsAn unexpectedly large proportion of the sample lived in the community. On average, cognitive functioning was high. Although five diseases were reported on average, participants reported good health. Functional status was reduced. Most participants had at least one person for communication/social support. On average, depression was below cut-off, and most participants reported high life satisfaction. Regression analyses indicated that individual differences in depression were associated with subjective health, IADL and relatives support. For life satisfaction, subjective health, ADL and number of children were most important. Demographic characteristics, number of illnesses or cognitive status were not significant.ConclusionsDespite reduced levels of physical functioning and social resources, very old participants were in good mental health suggesting high resilience and ability to adapt to age-associated challenges. That a large proportion of them lived in the community further highlights their desire for leading an autonomous life, which may have been facilitated by New York service culture. More research is necessary to provide guidance for the development of well-suited services for this very old population.
Within a few months, the scientific world achieved a great success, developing effective and safe vaccines against COVID-19. Many countries with full access to vaccines have introduced recommendations for the vaccination of not only people who are at risk of developing severe COVID-19, i.e., the elderly and chronically ill, but all members of society, including children aged 12 and above as the currently registered preparations can be used above the said age. However, the use of COVID-19 vaccines in children arouses strong emotions, with their sense being frequently questioned. The aim of the paper was to assess the attitudes of Polish parents with regard to vaccinations against COVID-19 administered to their children. The study was conducted with the use of the authors’ original questionnaire, which was distributed online. The questionnaire was completed 4732 times, and 4432 surveys were qualified for the final analysis. The vast majority of the respondents were women (77.6%), people aged 36–44 (40.3%), with higher education (86.2%) and people living in the city with more than 250,000 inhabitants (48%). The mean age of the study group was 37.5 ± 6.61 years. Out of the studied group, 28.2% of parents are healthcare professionals. The study was conducted prior to the EMA’s decision that permitted the use of BNT162b2 in children. Results: The vast majority of the respondents were mothers, who showed significantly more favorable attitudes toward the vaccinations than fathers. Forty-four percent of parents want to vaccinate their children as soon as possible, while every fourth parent does not want to vaccinate their child at all. Main concerns about the vaccines include concerns that the preparation has not been adequately tested and that it is ineffective, as well as the lack of information concerning potential complications in the future. The main sources of information on childhood vaccinations are the media, including the Internet and television. Vaccination of the pediatric population against COVID-19 raises many emotions and doubts in parents and it is also debated by experts. The decision to vaccinate should rest on child’s parents. Both the individual benefits of protection against COVID-19 and the population benefits of pandemic control must be considered. There is a need for ongoing monitoring of the safety of administering COVID-19 vaccinations in children, as well as for evaluating their effectiveness and benefits in reducing individual risk of severe course of COVID-19 and complications after this disease, and for evaluating the population benefits of vaccines in children.
The Coronavirus-19 disease (COVID-19) pandemic has influenced the nutrition of individuals, including the diet followed, food availability, and food security. However, thus far, only a few studies have been published regarding the diet and activity of children and adolescents. The aim of the present study was to analyze the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic and remote education in this period on the diet and physical activity in a Polish population-based sample of primary school adolescents. In June 2020, the Diet and Activity of Youth during COVID-19 (DAY-19) Study was conducted on a population recruited based on stratified random sampling from all regions (schools sampled from counties, and counties from voivodeships). The sample consisted of a total of 1334 adolescents aged 10–16 years. The study assessed the diet and physical activity of the participants using a validated questionnaire which included questions about the period of remote education and the period before the COVID-19 pandemic. The participants were asked about the following: consumption of fruit, vegetables, soft drinks, water, French fries, and fast food; eating meals in front of the television; and the number of days they are physically active and the number of hours they spend watching television. The obtained data were analyzed by stratifying the respondents by the gender, age, size of the city and total COVID-19 morbidity in the voivodeship. It was observed that, during the pandemic and the resultant remote education, the proportion of respondents who declared the recommended intake of fruits and vegetables had increased compared to that before the pandemic—a higher proportion consumed at least three portions of fruit per day (19.0% before pandemic vs. 27.4% during pandemic; p < 0.0001), as well as three and four or more portions of vegetables per day (11.9% vs. 14.5% and 7.5% vs. 11.1%; p = 0.0004). At the same time, the proportion of respondents consuming at least three cups of water per day had increased (41.1% vs. 47.9%; p = 0.0020), whereas the proportion of respondents who never or rarely eat their meals in front of the television had decreased (35.6% vs. 28.9%; p < 0.0001), and the proportion watching television for more than 2 h a day had increased (78.3% vs. 88.4%; p < 0.0001). Based on the results, it may be concluded that, during the period of remote education due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the dietary behaviors of the studied population of Polish adolescents were more beneficial, which included a higher intake of fruit, vegetables, and water, compared to before the pandemic. In spite of the increasing screen time, including eating in front of the television, there was no reduction in the number of days the respondents were physically active.
Abstract There has been an increase of academic publications that argue in favor of ‘majority rights,’ ‘majority precedence,’ or ‘white identity,’ claiming that the (cultural) interests of majorities in liberal-democratic countries have been ignored due to ‘asymmetrical multiculturalism.’ This article critically examines this academic trend. In particular, we question the claim that liberal-democratic and multicultural theories to date have ignored the importance of the majority (culture). We observe that liberal-democratic and multicultural theory in fact strongly promote and privilege the majority culture, although in ways that do not violate core individual rights and accommodate minorities. In addition, we explore several more empirical issues regarding the claim that the interests of majorities are under threat in liberal-democratic countries today. Among other things, we observe that pro-majority theories tend to work with specific understandings of who embodies the majority. These theories rest on the idea that immigrants and their descendants (may) ‘dilute’ majorities, as they are (culturally) ‘not native.’ As a result, majority rights theorists ‘freeze’ the majority culture claimed to be worth protecting in ways that it, first, neglects ongoing processes of integration and, second, disregards possibilities for social and political change and emancipation, particularly if triggered by immigrant groups. Finally, we wonder why majority rights theories currently seem to resonate. We discuss the possibility that certain pro-diversity voices, such as those who claim that Europe has become superdiverse or who defend multiculturalism, might have (unintentionally) enabled alarmist defenses of majority rights.
Remus Gabriel Anghel, Ovidiu Oltean, Alina Petronela Silian
This article contributes to the growing debate on reintegration and the positioning of returnees in their home societies. Increasingly, studies focus on returnees’ agency in reintegration processes, their practices of mobility in return and their use of social capital and financial and social remittances acquired abroad. Much less analysed is how ethnicity influences such processes of return and experiences of reintegration. In this paper we examine how returnees belonging to different ethnic groups – Germans, Romanians and Roma – reintegrate in a Romanian multi-ethnic context with marked ethnic inequality and lasting segregation. Fieldwork was carried out in a town that has undergone massive changes in the past 30 years due to the combined effects of foreign direct investment and international migration. Economically, the town changed from a poor and decaying context, to one that was poor but developing and finally to one experiencing strong development. Using a modes-of-integration perspective and analysing returnees’ reintegration and mobilities, we show how return evolved as an ethnicised process in different contexts of reception.
Colonies and colonization. Emigration and immigration. International migration, City population. Including children in cities, immigration
The importance of skin colour is often neglected in empirical studies of negative attitudes towards minorities. In this study we use data from the 2014/2015 wave of the European Social Survey to analyse explicitly racist attitudes in Hungary, Poland and the Czech Republic. The data was collected before the refugee crisis of 2015–2016, which gives the study a unique opportunity to analyse these attitudes in three of the countries that were among the most hostile to migrants in the EU. The study demonstrates how theoretical perspectives commonly used in explorations of negative attitudes based on ethnicity may be effectively used to analyse racist attitudes. The results show high levels of racist attitudes in both Hungary and the Czech Republic, despite there being very few non-white immigrants in these countries, while, in Poland, the racist attitudes are less widespread. Realistic threats seem to be of little importance for understanding racist attitudes – in contrast, symbolic threats appear to be very important for understanding them. There is also the surprising result that voters for more moderate political parties are no less racist than voters for the more radical political parties in any of the three countries.
Colonies and colonization. Emigration and immigration. International migration, City population. Including children in cities, immigration
Background In Kenya, typhoid fever and invasive non-typhoidal salmonellosis present a huge burden of disease, especially in poor-resource settings where clean water supply and sanitation conditions are inadequate. The epidemiology of both diseases is poorly understood in terms of severity and risk factors. The aim of the study was to determine the disease burden and spatial distribution of salmonellosis, as well as socioeconomic and environmental risk factors for these infections, in a large informal settlement near the city of Nairobi, from 2013 to 2017. Methods Initially, a house-to-house baseline census of 150,000 population in Mukuru informal settlement was carried out and relevant socioeconomic, demographic, and healthcare utilization information was collected using structured questionnaires. Salmonella bacteria were cultured from the blood and faeces of children < 16 years of age who reported at three outpatient facilities with fever alone or fever and diarrhea. Tests of association between specific Salmonella serotypes and risk factors were conducted using Pearson Chi-Square (χ 2 ) test. Results A total of 16,236 children were recruited into the study. The prevalence of bloodstream infections by Non-Typhoidal Salmonella (NTS), consisting of Salmonella Typhimurium/ Enteriditis, was 1.3%; Salmonella Typhi was 1.4%, and this was highest among children < 16 years of age. Occurrence of Salmonella Typhimurium/ Enteriditis was not significantly associated with rearing any domestic animals. Rearing chicken was significantly associated with high prevalence of S. Typhi (2.1%; p = 0.011). The proportion of children infected with Salmonella Typhimurium/ Enteriditis was significantly higher in households that used water pots as water storage containers compared to using water directly from the tap (0.6%). Use of pit latrines and open defecation were significant risk factors for S. Typhi infection (1.6%; p = 0.048). The proportion of Salmonella Typhimurium/ Enteriditis among children eating street food 4 or more times per week was higher compared to 1 to 2 times/week on average (1.1%; p = 0.032). Conclusion Typhoidal and NTS are important causes of illness in children in Mukuru informal settlement, especially among children less than 16 years of age. Improving Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) including boiling water, breastfeeding, hand washing practices, and avoiding animal contact in domestic settings could contribute to reducing the risk of transmission of Salmonella disease from contaminated environments.
This article introduces you to the general themes and questions of this special issue. We argue that history and visual media have long been central to humanitarian communication, but that the overlaps between history, visual media, and humanitarian communication have seldom been addressed. A focus on those overlaps, we suggest, not only demonstrates that critical historical inquiry has much to offer for professional communication specialists, it also sheds new light on the workings, changes and persistence of humanitarian narratives over the twentieth century.
City population. Including children in cities, immigration