Can psychological distress account for the associations between COVID-19 vaccination acceptance and socio-economic vulnerability?

Socially disadvantaged individuals and communities consistently showed lower COVID-19 vaccination acceptance. We aimed to examine the psychological mechanisms that could explain such vaccination disparities. This study used data from serial population-based surveys conducted since the COVID-19 vaccination programme being launched in Hong Kong (N = 28,734). We first assessed the correlations of community-level and individual-level social vulnerability with COVID-19 vaccination acceptance. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was then conducted to test whether psychological distress measured by PHQ-4 can account for the associations between participants' socio-economic vulnerability and COVID-19 vaccination acceptance. The third part analysis examined whether perceived negativity of vaccine-related news and affect towards COVID-19 vaccines accounted for the association between psychological distress and COVID-19 vaccination. Communities with higher social vulnerability scores and participants who had more vulnerable socio-economic status showed lower COVID-19 vaccination acceptance. Individuals with more vulnerable socio-economic status reported higher psychological distress, which lowered COVID-19 vaccination acceptance. Furthermore, higher psychological distress was associated with lower vaccination acceptance through its psychological mechanisms of processing vaccine-related information. We proposed a renewed focus on tackling psychological distress rather than merely increasing vaccine accessibility in more socio-economic-disadvantaged groups for promoting COVID-19 vaccination acceptance.

Covid-19 Economic Vulnerability Index: EU Evidence.

The COVID-19 pandemic outbreak caused many negative effects on both the global and national economies. To implement effective policies to mitigate the negative impact of a pandemic, it is necessary to identify particularly vulnerable areas. The objective of this paper is to rank the EU countries in terms of the level of vulnerability of their economies to the impact of the pandemic. For this purpose, the COVID-19 Economic Vulnerability Index (CEVI) was constructed. It replaces the 15-dimensional set of characteristics of the countries with one aggregate, synthetic indicator estimated for 27 EU member states. In the study multivariate statistical methods, including agglomerative clustering and multi-attribute methods of object assessment were used to analyse the effects of the pandemic. The research shows that EU countries have different levels of economic vulnerability to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The southern European countries (Spain, Croatia, Greece and Italy), where the tourism sector plays an important role in GDP composition, are the most fragile. Germany and the Scandinavian countries proved to be the least sensitive to the negative impact of the pandemic. The CEVI can be an important part of the decision support system. It enables the identification of countries that show greater vulnerability to the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and may help support countries that need help the most. The proposed index also indicates certain areas in the country's economy that make it more vulnerable. The CEVI in combination with other instruments can be a very useful tool to improve the economy's resilience and help it recover faster in the event of a pandemic shock.

Emphasizing Health Insurance as Social Security System of Unorganized Sector in Maharashtra: The Case of the Ragpickers

The Indian economy is categorized into two sectors, namely: organized and unorganized sectors. The unorganized sector consists of a pivotal part of the Indian economy. Ragpickers are that class of employees who can be considered as an organized-unorganized labor class. Ragpicking business entails collecting, sorting, and selling various waste materials, mainly plastics or metals. After doing all this work, they sell recyclable material to the junkyard dealers at very petty prices, making them economically poor. Ragpickers are a major contributor to the Indian economy, as they are involved in recycling. Ragpickers mostly work without being equipped with any protective gear and are exposed to many health hazards while doing their role. They suffer from occupational risks and are often found hospitalized paying their bills from their pockets. There are times when they even do not go to hospitals because of hospital expenses. The paper primarily focuses on analyzing the different health insurance schemes, which are provided as social security by the Maharashtra Government and tries to find out the possible loopholes in health insurance policies because of which the ragpickers are not able to utilize or avail the benefits of the policies for which they are eligible. For developing a better understanding of the subject, the researcher has conducted an empirical survey on the ragpickers of Pune. Based on this, the researcher has recommended some policy changes, which can prove beneficial for the welfare of the Ragpickers.Copyright © 2022 Novyi Russkii Universitet. All rights reserved.

Economic vulnerability assessment of EU countries to the impact of COVID-19 pandemic with the revised CEV index.

The COVID-19 pandemic had a wide range of detrimental consequences for the global and national economies. It is vital to identify particularly susceptible areas to adopt effective strategies to alleviate the adverse effects of a pandemic. The objective of the paper is to assess the economic vulnerability of EU countries to the COVID-19 pandemic impact using the revised CEV Index. In the study, methods of multivariate statistics were used to analyse the effects of the pandemic. The revised CEVI replaces the 20-dimensional set of features with one aggregate measure, estimated for 27 EU Member States. According to the study, the economic vulnerability of EU countries to the COVID-19 pandemic varies significantly. The most vulnerable countries are in southern Europe, where the tourism sector plays a significant role in GDP composition. Highly susceptible are also Baltic countries: Latvia and Lithuania. The pandemic's harmful impact was the least seen in Germany and Scandinavian countries. The results of this study can be used as a tool for the formulation of policies aimed at overcoming the adverse consequences of economic vulnerability. The CEVI indicates certain areas in the country's economy that make it more fragile. Thus, it can play a significant role in the decision-making process. In the event of a pandemic shock, the CEVI, in combination with other tools, can be an effective instrument for improving the economy's resilience and helping it recover faster.

European Union Cohesion Policy: Socio-Economic Vulnerability of the Regions and the COVID-19 Shock.

The European Union Cohesion Policy for the period 2021-2027 focuses on five goals to make the European Union smarter, greener, more connected, more social and closer to citizens. However, a macroeconomic index is proposed as the predominant criterion for allocating the Structural Funds among regions. In this paper, we hypothesise that it is possible to take into account new, complementary criteria that better reflect citizens' quality of life. To that end, we build a composite index of socio-economic vulnerability for the 233 regions. The results show that following our multidimensional approach for allocating the Structural Funds, there are remarkable differences in the maps of priority regions. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic represents a threat to well-being. Are all regions equally exposed to COVID-19 in terms of their socio-economic vulnerability? To address this issue, we estimate multilevel models which indicate that country characteristics interact with regions' characteristics to alter patterns of vulnerability. More specifically, increases in government expenditures in education and an improvement in political stability would reduce the regional vulnerability or foster the capacity for resilience, whereas increases in poverty would be associated with greater vulnerability. Likewise, more vulnerable regions would be the most exposed to the negative socio-economic effects of COVID-19. However, it is remarkable that several regions of Sweden and Finland would be among the group of regions whose socio-economic vulnerability would be the most negatively affected.

APPLICATION OF THE PAR MODEL TO ASSESS VULNERABILITY TO COVID-19 IN AN INDUSTRIAL SECTOR OF BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO

This paper explores economic vulnerability in an industrial sector of Baja California, Mexico, during the first wave of COVID-19. In this regard, the Pressure and Release (PAR) model is used to analyze the information obtained from a panel of business representatives in the industrial sector. The results reveal several processes and factors that explain the fragility (vulnerability) of the industrial sector against hazardous events such as the COVID-19 pandemic. © 2022, Corporation for the Management and Reduction of Disaster Risk in Chile (GRID-Chile). All rights reserved.

Medical economic vulnerability: a next step in expanding the farm resilience scholarship.

In recent years, the long-standing questions of why, how, and which farm families continue farming in the face of ongoing changes have increasingly been studied through the resilience lens. While this body of work is providing updated and novel insights, two limitations, a focus on macro-level challenges faced by the farm operation and a mismatch between the scale of challenges and resilience measures, likely limit our understanding of the factors at play. We use the example of medical economic vulnerability, a micro-level challenge traditionally confined to the household sphere of the agri-family system, as a way to call attention to these limitations. Focusing on United States (U.S.) farm households, we assess: (1) To what extent are they experiencing medical economic vulnerability when using objective and subjective outcome measures? (2) Which demographic and farm characteristics are associated with experiencing medical economic vulnerability? (3) What is the association between institutional arrangements and medical economic vulnerability? Our analysis of over 900 surveys coupled with a conceptual framework merging complementary insights from three bodies of literature revealed seemingly large differences in the prevalence of medical economic vulnerability across the objective and subjective measures with the subjective measure indicating a general sentiment of medical economic vulnerability in a majority of respondents. Conversely, limited variations were noted in who experiences medical vulnerability on the basis of demographic and farm characteristics, with stronger associations being connected to the households' health insurance arrangements. We conclude with three implications of our findings for the farm resilience literature.

Impact of COVID-19 on Infants Followed After Discharge from the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit via a Telemedicine Model

Background: While the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 has remained low among newborns, there is increasing evidence that the COVID-19 pandemic impacted healthcare for families with infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). However, little is known about the impact of COVID-19 on families with infants discharged from the NICU. During the initial pandemic shutdown, our Neonatal Follow-Up Program (NFP) transitioned to a virtual platform and implemented a survey about new/worsened obstacles families might be facing due to the pandemic as standard of care. We aimed to: 1) evaluate for patient-level differences in virtual neonatal follow-up visit rates;and 2) characterize the social impact of the pandemic on families followed via a large, urban NFP. Methods: All infants scheduled for NFP visits during our telemedicine epoch (March 13, 2020- July 31, 2020) were eligible for inclusion. We compared the family demographics and medical history of infants whose televisits occurred to those for whom televisits did not occur as scheduled. Secondly, we conducted a descriptive analysis of caregiver responses to the pandemic-specific challenges survey. Given the known disproportionate impact of SARS-CoV-2 on communities of color, we also assessed for differences in responses by self-identified race. Data was manually extracted by three coders from the electronic medical record who showed high interrater agreement. Results: After excluding visits cancelled by the provider team, we found 499 clinic encounters for 678 scheduled visits during the study period (i.e. a show-rate of 73.6%). When comparing patients who completed their virtual visit to those who did not, we found no differences in infants' sex, birthweight or gestational age at birth, nor in their reliance on medical technology at discharge. (Table 1). There were also no differences by caregiver self-reported race/ethnicity, but infants whose visits did not occur were more often covered by public insurance. (Table 1). In addition, 43.9% of caregivers reported that their employment had changed since the onset of the shutdown and 6.1% reported housing changes. (Table 2). Eight percent of families endorsed having trouble accessing at least one basic infant necessity (i.e. formula, diapers or medical supplies) due to cost issues and 10% of families endorsed having trouble accessing such necessities due to availability. Non-Hispanic Black caregivers reported this challenge and other infant food-related challenges more often than non-Hispanic White caregivers. Conclusion: We found socioeconomic disparities with respect to virtual follow-up visit rates after discharge from the NICU during the initial COVID-19 shutdown. In addition to navigating the discharge of their infant, families also reported pandemic-enhanced stressors related to difficulty accessing basic infant needs as well as employment and housing changes. Our study highlights the importance of proactive strategies to screen for and mitigate the unique economic vulnerabilities of families discharged from the NICU even beyond the pandemic. (Table Presented).

The Vulnerability Effect that Wasn’t: Trade Dependence and Entry Bans on China at the Beginning of the COVID-19 Pandemic

In response to the outbreak of a new viral infection in the early weeks of 2020, some countries imposed strict entry restrictions on visitors from China, while others opted for less stringent measures. Among the explanations for such variation, this study is focused on the argument that a country’s economic dependence on China, particularly via trade, affected its decision. This economic vulnerability argument posits that countries highly dependent on China for trade avoided imposing a ban because it might have caused (1) primary economic losses from trade disruptions and (2) secondary economic losses from Chinese sanctions. I empirically test this argument using an original data set on entry restrictions on China. The findings do not support such a hypothesis. Using the nonconforming cases of Japan and South Korea, I speculate that country-specific factors, which tend to be idiosyncratic and political, may have played a role.

COVID-19 AND THE PRECARIOUS SITUATION OF LESBIANS, GAYS AND BISEXUALS IN ETHIOPIA

The burden of the pandemic is more pronounced among vulnerable and marginalized groups in the society, who, in the context of complex disadvantages, do not have the means to cope with the multifaceted disruptions in the labour market, food and health system, and their social networks. The pandemic and different measures taken by the Ethiopian government including State of Emergency (SOE) and strategies to contain COVID-19 affect all citizens in general and LGB in particular. This mixed methods study seeks to assess the impact of COVID-19 and the wide socio-economic and political upheaval associated with the State of Emergency Proclamation on the lives of LGBs in Ethiopia. The research combines phone surveys involving 200 LGB and qualitative interviews with 12 LGB. Most of the participants reported experiencing drastic changes in their lives since the advent of COVID-19. The most reported as well as the worst experiences include unemployment/ reduced income and food/housing insecurity;fear of COVID-19 infection or death;inability to continue normal daily life, social and intimate relationship;and change in living arrangement. A small proportion of participants also mentioned violence. The study confirmed the precarious situation of sexual minorities in times of crisis. The ongoing war since Nov.2020 and resulting insecurity have led to disruption and destruction of the economy, social and health services;and deterioration of peace and security with significant bearing on marginalized groups. Long standing and entrenched stigma and widely held notions of heteronormativity have relegated LGB in Ethiopia to the margins of society. The pandemic and subsequent SOE and internet interruptions have pushed LGB into further physical, social, and economic vulnerabilities and marginalization. Within the LGB group, the impact varies across individuals based on their socioeconomic and health standing. The situation calls for concerted policy measures to address economic, social, and health determinants.

An empirical analysis on household financial vulnerability in India: exploring the role of financial knowledge, impulsivity and money management skills

Purpose The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the financial-economic vulnerability of the public and threatened the household financial stability, especially of the low-income group population, in developing economies such as India. The assessment of household financial vulnerability has gained considerable attention these days, especially in poor and developing countries. This article seeks to assess the level of household financial vulnerability in India, based on a household survey conducted across India. Design/methodology/approach This paper has proposed a financial vulnerability index (FVI) based on three self-reported parameters: (1) making end meet, (2) perception of income shock and (3) perception of expenditure shock. Subsequently, the impact of various behavioural and socioeconomic factors on the proposed financial vulnerability index has been assessed using fractional probit regression. Findings The research findings indicate that higher financial knowledge, better money management skills and lower impulsivity in financial behaviour can reduce financial vulnerability. It is suggested that suitable financial literacy programmes be implemented for vulnerable sections of society to enhance their financial knowledge, improve money management skills and manage impulsivity, thereby helping them make informed financial decisions leading to their financial well-being. Originality/value To the best of the authors' knowledge, none of the past studies have developed and assessed the financial vulnerability index in India. This study provides relevant recommendations for various financial sector regulators and government institutions in India.

Productive Capacities, Economic Growth and Economic Growth Volatility in Developing Countries: Does Structural Economic Vulnerability Matter?

Recent years' global shocks (e.g., the 2008 financial crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic) and environmental shocks-such as natural disasters-have heightened the vulnerability of developing countries to future shocks, and can compromise their development prospects. International institutions and researchers have advocated that the strengthening of productive capacities in these countries would help enhance the resilience of their economies to shocks, and promote sustainable development. This paper has examined the effect of productive capacities on economic growth and economic growth volatility in developing countries, in particular when they face a high level of structural economic vulnerability. The analysis covers 117 developing countries over the period of 2000-2018. It shows that productive capacities not only promote economic growth, but also reduce economic growth volatility. On the other hand, structural economic vulnerability reduces economic growth (in particular when it exceeds a certain level), and induces greater volatility of economic growth. Interestingly, productive capacities promote economic growth and reduce economic growth volatility in countries that face a high degree of structural economic vulnerability. These findings support the recommendation by international institutions and researchers that if they were to enhance the resilience of their economies to shocks, and promote sustainable economic growth, developing countries (in particular the poorest ones) should strengthen their productive capacities. © 2021 World Scientific Publishing Company.

Health and economic vulnerability o folder adults in Mexico before COVID-19

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the health risks situation and economic stress faced by older adults' places them as a vulnerable group. This manuscript aims to analyze the health and economic vulnerabilities associated with COVID-19, prior to the pandemic. We used data from the fourth wave of the Mexican Health and Aging Study (MHAS) of 2015. Two logistic regression models were estimated, the first one to examine the health profile of older adults having aggravating chronic diseases (diabetes, hypertension and heart problems) related to COVID-19, the second model examine the economic profile of those reporting fair or bad self-reported economic situation;in both analyses the underlying hypothesis points out to a higher vulnerability by health and economic conditions. Results indicate that the older adults vulnerable in health have associated factors making them more vulnerable to COVID-19 (e.g. additional diseases, sedentary lifestyle and obesity). Meanwhile the economically vulnerable older adults are those located in the poorest income strata, with less accumulated assets, with lower educational achievement, not working due to illness or advanced age. The conclusion highlights the importance to identify the associated factors with the vulnerabilities of the elderly, the necessity to adjust public policies and programs during and after health outbreaks, like COVID-19. Finally, it is emphasized that the management of the pandemic requires comprehensive approaches, with support for highly vulnerable groups, such as the elderly.

Psychological distress, low-income, and socio-economic vulnerability in the COVID-19 pandemic.

OBJECTIVES: Although literature broadly reports the impact of COVID-19 on global mental health, little is known about the extent of its deleterious impact on the most vulnerable individuals. The present study aimed to evaluate the level of psychological distress of adult's residents of two urban shantytown communities located in São Paulo city, Brazil. STUDY DESIGN: This was a cross-sectional study. METHODS: An online questionnaire was divided into four sections: (1) informed consent, (2) socio-economic data, (3) 12-item general health questionnaire, and (4) Brazilian food insecurity scale was applied. RESULTS: Of the 495 family headship (448 females and 47 males), the mean age was 36.1 years, 85% have an indication of psychological distress, 61.4% had a monthly income less than or equal to $70, and the incidence of households experiencing moderate or severe food insecurity was 40%. Multivariate logistic regression revealed that respondents who experienced moderate or severe food insecurity (odds ratio [OR] = 2.701, confidence interval [CI] 95% = 1.265-5.769; P = 0.010) and lower monthly income (OR = 2.031, CI 95% = 1.056-3.908; P = 0.034) had a higher risk of psychological distress. On the other hand, having an employment is a protective factor against the stressful situations caused by COVID-19 pandemic (P = 0.029). CONCLUSION: The present study identified low-income younger women residents of urban slums who suffer from food insecurity as high-risk groups to have psychological distress. Our findings are of particular importance because they showed the intersection of vulnerabilities during the COVID-19 outbreak.