Quality of life of coffee growers in the high mountains of Veracruz, Mexico

Introduction. The High Mountain Region (RHM) is the most productive and socioeconomic region for the coffee cultivation in the state of Veracruz, Mexico, and one of the most representative of the sector at the national level. Objective. To determine the quality of life (QL) from the objective and subjective point of view of the small coffee producers (SP) in RHM, Mexico. Materials and methods. One hundred and fifty semi-structured interviews were applied to producers in eleven municipalities located in: Comapa, Coscomatepec, Huatusco, Ixhuatlan del cafe, Sochiapa, Tenampa, Tomatlan, Totutla, Tlaltetela, Tlacotepec, and Zentla, during 2020. Descriptive statistics and trend measurements were obtained. Results. At objective level the QL was found to be low, but at the farmers' subjective level, it was determined to be acceptable. In the objective assessment, it was identified that the SP have minimal education (primary), the income is not adequate (they require activities outside the farm with an average net annual income of US $ 416 to US $ 1115), the cost of health has increased (due to the COVID-19 pandemic), and proper nutrition is lacking (19 to 25 meals per month). In the subjective assessment there is insecurity and distrust with the government authorities, however, the producers have adapted to living in adverse socioeconomic contexts, since they value community life, intra-family relationships and their environment (coffee growing), which could be influenced by their own worldview. Conclusion. With or without knowledge of the concept of quality, producers have developed a learned or acquired capacity, both individually and collectively to adapt to the environment. Objectively, the quality of life is considered low, however, the interviewees had a perception of satisfaction both individually and collectively.

Spatial analysis and optimization of self-pickup points of a new retail model in the Post-Epidemic Era: the case of Community-Group-Buying in Xi'an City.

The Community-Group-Buying Points (CGBPs) flourished during COVID-19, safeguarding the daily lives of community residents in community lockdowns, and continuing to serve as a popular daily shopping channel in the Post-Epidemic Era with its advantages of low price, convenience and neighborhood trust. These CGBPs are allocated on location preferences however spatial distribution is not equal. Therefore, in this study, we used point of interest (POI) data of 2,433 CGBPs to analyze spatial distribution, operation mode and accessibility of CGBPs in Xi'an city, China as well as proposed the location optimization model. The results showed that the CGBPs were spatially distributed as clusters at α = 0.01 (Moran's I = 0.44). The CGBPs operation mode was divided into preparation, marketing, transportation, and self-pickup. Further CGBPs were mainly operating in the form of joint ventures, and the relying targets presented the characteristic of 'convenience store-based and multi-type coexistence'. Influenced by urban planning, land use, and cultural relics protection regulations, they showed an elliptic distribution pattern with a small oblateness, and the density showed a low-high-low circular distribution pattern from the Palace of Tang Dynasty outwards. Furthermore, the number of communities, population density, GDP, and housing type were important driving factors of the spatial pattern of CGBPs. Finally, to maximize attendance, it was suggested to add 248 new CGBPs, retain 394 existing CGBPs, and replace the remaining CGBPs with farmers' markets, mobile vendors, and supermarkets. The findings of this study would be beneficial to CGB companies in increasing the efficiency of self-pick-up facilities, to city planners in improving urban community-life cycle planning, and to policymakers in formulating relevant policies to balance the interests of stakeholders: CGB enterprises, residents, and vendors.

Effect of COVID-19 lockdown on lifestyle habits and self-care practices of diabetic and hypertensive patients in rural Shimla and Udaipur - Findings from the HealthRise India program.

Background: COVID-19 pandemic has increased the risk of mortality among patients with noncommunicable diseases. Maintaining a good metabolic control, lifestyle modification along with improved self-care practices are not only associated with less severe COVID-19 infections but also with a high recovery rate. Objectives: This research article explores the changes in lifestyle habits, self-care practices, and metabolic control among patients enrolled in the HealthRise program. The study compares behavioral changes, before COVID-19 pandemic and during COVID-19 pandemic, between intervention and control arms in Shimla and Udaipur. Methods: A quasi-experimental study design was employed for program implementation in select villages of Shimla district, and Udaipur district. A total of 459 patients from Shimla and 309 patients from Udaipur with diabetes mellitus or hypertension or with both were enrolled and followed for 1 year. Results: Metabolic control in Shimla intervention arm was 2.6 times higher than in control arm (P = 0.001) before COVID-19 pandemic. During COVID-19 pandemic, Odds of metabolic control in Shimla intervention was 1.5 times higher when compared with control arm (P = 0.03). In Udaipur, metabolic control before COVID-19 pandemic was comparable between control and intervention arms. During the pandemic, metabolic control in intervention arm of Udaipur was 5 times higher when compared to the control arm ((P = 0.001). Conclusion: Participants exposed to support, appreciate, learn, and transfer-community life competence process (SALT-CLCP) intervention maintained metabolic control during the COVID-19 pandemic with improved behavioral and self-care practices. Community-based interventions such as SALT-CLCP method bring ownership and empower community in achieving the better health outcomes.

El trabajo de campo en la investigación social en tiempos de pandemia

El trabajo de investigación de campo en su generalidad corresponde a una fase determinante del proceso de conocimiento directo de actores sociales y de sus dinámicas colectivas que suelen estar permeadas por convivencia armónica, problemas, conflictos, contradicciones y, en algunos casos, por agresiones y violencias culturales, psicológicas, de género y simbólicas. En cualquier situación, la y el investigador que se adentra al campo para realizar etnografía o para hacer trabajo de campo con el empleo de diversas técnicas e instrumentos de observación y de recolección de información, se enfrenta a realidades muy complejas como las de la pandemia mundial de Covid-19 que ha modificado la vida personal, familiar, social, comunitaria y pública, así como la relación directa con los actores sociales y los espacios de investigación. En este sentido, el artículo aporta a la construcción del conocimiento sobre el trabajo de campo a partir de la pregunta ¿cómo podemos investigar la realidad social en tiempos de pandemia? La metodología consistió en la sistematización de experiencias del trabajo de campo en posgrados de México de 2020 a 2021. Se concluye que es necesario replantear los proyectos, metodologías, técnicas e instrumentos de investigación ortodoxos priorizando la emergente indagación social online.Alternate :Field research work in general corresponds to a determining phase of the process of direct knowledge of social actors and their collective dynamics that are usually permeated by harmonious coexistence, problems, conflicts, contradictions and, in some cases, by cultural, psychological, gender, and symbolic aggression and violence. In any situation, the researcher who enters the field to carry out ethnography or to do fieldwork with the use of various techniques and instruments of observation and data collection, faces very complex realities such as those of the global pandemic of Covid-19 that has modified personal, family, social, community and public life, as well as the direct relationship with social actors and research spaces. In this sense, the article contributes to the construction of knowledge about fieldwork based on the question: How can we investigate social reality in times of pandemic? The methodology consisted of the systematization of fieldwork experiences in postgraduate courses in Mexico from 2020 to 2021. It is concluded that it is necessary to rethink orthodox research projects, methodologies, techniques and instruments, prioritizing the emerging online social inquiry.

Strategies for building resilience of 15-minute community life circles from the perspective of pandemic

COVID-19 has triggered the scholars to think about how to improve the city’s ability to respond to public health emergencies. From the perspective of the community, this article reviews the risk cases in Wuhan chenjiadun community and other communities under the epidemic, and analyzes the response to public health emergencies such as infectious disease outbreaks in the excellent cases of resilient epidemic prevention communities. Then, combined with the planning of the life circle, it demonstrates the necessity of integrating the concept of resilience into the 15-minute community life circle to make up for the shortcomings of infectious disease prevention. Finally, it is proposed to strictly control the source and tail of the epidemic in the layout of the life circle, daily health and epidemic emergency should be taken into account in planning, community medical resources should be decentralized in management, and the application of smart technologies in the planning of life circle should be fully emphasized, so as to improve the community’s ability to respond to public health emergencies.