Financial reporting quality of ESG firms listed in China.

Given the growing importance of environmental protection in China, this study investigated the determinants of the financial reporting quality of environmental, social and governance (ESG) firms listed in China. The quality of financial reporting shows how informative the accounting numbers are for decision-making. Because business outlook can influence financial reporting quality, this study examined predictable, moderately predictable and unpredictable business outlooks. The study randomly selected 100 firms from the 2021 China ESG Top 500 Outstanding Enterprises published by the Sina Finance ESG Rating Centre and then analysed those firms in 2018, 2019 and 2020. It investigated determinants (financial health, governance and earnings management), controlling for the influence of known variables (firm age and firm-specific risk) on financial reporting quality measured as accruals quality and earnings smoothness. Ordinary robust least square regression was conducted. Financial health had a negative influence, but governance variables and earnings management did not affect financial reporting quality. Firm-specific risk had a positive effect, but firm age did not influence financial reporting quality. Changes in business outlook had no impact on the determinants' effect on financial reporting quality. The study found that ESG firms did not engage in earnings management and aggressively manage earnings, pointing to ethical behaviour. This is the first study to contribute to understanding the financial reporting quality of ESG firms listed in China. It examined different business outlooks to understand ESG firms' behaviour towards financial reporting quality. The findings invite replicable studies outside China to understand the contextual validity and reliability of the financial reporting quality of ESG firms, and to investigate the effect of determinants not examined in this study.

Predictors of Alcohol Use Among Latinx Men in South Florida: Machismo as a Correlate of Alcohol Use Frequency and Quantity.

Previous studies have found Latinx cultural values to be positively associated with healthy behaviors. This study aims to examine socioeconomic and cultural correlates of alcohol use among Latinx adult men living in Miami-Dade County, Florida. The study sample included 122 Latinx adult men (mean age = 44, SD = 10), predominantly of South and Central American origin. Data was collected using REDCap. Interviews included the Timeline Follow-Back scale for alcohol use. Results indicate that Caribbean participants were significantly less likely to report drinking in the past 90 days (aOR = 0.08, p = 0.042) compared to their Venezuelan counterparts. Higher machismo scores were associated with low drinking frequency (aRR = 0.67, p = 0.043), while no significant associations were found between machismo and other drinking outcomes. Drinking quantity and frequency are significantly associated with higher income and authorized immigration status in the US among Latinx men in South Florida. Higher machismo scores were associated with low drinking frequency.

What we talk about when we talk about COVID-19 vaccination campaign impact: a narrative review.

Background: The lack of precise definitions and terminological consensus about the impact studies of COVID-19 vaccination leads to confusing statements from the scientific community about what a vaccination impact study is. Objective: The present work presents a narrative review, describing and discussing COVID-19 vaccination impact studies, mapping their relevant characteristics, such as study design, approaches and outcome variables, while analyzing their similarities, distinctions, and main insights. Methods: The articles screening, regarding title, abstract, and full-text reading, included papers addressing perspectives about the impact of vaccines on population outcomes. The screening process included articles published before June 10, 2022, based on the initial papers' relevance to this study's research topics. The main inclusion criteria were data analyses and study designs based on statistical modelling or comparison of pre- and post-vaccination population. Results: The review included 18 studies evaluating the vaccine impact in a total of 48 countries, including 32 high-income countries (United States, Israel, and 30 Western European countries) and 16 low- and middle-income countries (Brazil, Colombia, and 14 Eastern European countries). We summarize the main characteristics of the vaccination impact studies analyzed in this narrative review. Conclusion: Although all studies claim to address the impact of a vaccination program, they differ significantly in their objectives since they adopt different definitions of impact, methodologies, and outcome variables. These and other differences are related to distinct data sources, designs, analysis methods, models, and approaches.

Estimating the impact of COVID-19 vaccine inequities: a modeling study.

Access to COVID-19 vaccines on the global scale has been drastically hindered by structural socio-economic disparities. Here, we develop a data-driven, age-stratified epidemic model to evaluate the effects of COVID-19 vaccine inequities in twenty lower middle and low income countries (LMIC) selected from all WHO regions. We investigate and quantify the potential effects of higher or earlier doses availability. In doing so, we focus on the crucial initial months of vaccine distribution and administration, exploring counterfactual scenarios where we assume the same per capita daily vaccination rate reported in selected high income countries. We estimate that more than 50% of deaths (min-max range: [54-94%]) that occurred in the analyzed countries could have been averted. We further consider scenarios where LMIC had similarly early access to vaccine doses as high income countries. Even without increasing the number of doses, we estimate an important fraction of deaths (min-max range: [6-50%]) could have been averted. In the absence of the availability of high-income countries, the model suggests that additional non-pharmaceutical interventions inducing a considerable relative decrease of transmissibility (min-max range: [15-70%]) would have been required to offset the lack of vaccines. Overall, our results quantify the negative impacts of vaccine inequities and underscore the need for intensified global efforts devoted to provide faster access to vaccine programs in low and lower-middle-income countries.

Period poverty and mental health in a representative sample of young women in Barcelona, Spain.

BACKGROUND: The intersection between poverty and mental health is clear. Period poverty, understood as the lack of access to menstrual products, has been gaining attention especially among low and middle-income countries as an overlooked aspect of gendered poverty. Less is known about the incidence of period poverty in high-income countries and its association with mental health. The purpose of this study is to examine this association in a representative sample of young women living in an urban setting in southern Europe. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study. Data were obtained from a representative survey of individuals aged 15 to 34 in the city of Barcelona (Spain), with a sample group of 647 young women. Subjects were selected through a systematic stratified random sampling method. A proportional quota sampling was used. The information was registered using CAPI data collection method. Period poverty was measured by a combination of three questions about the lack of access or misuse of menstrual products for economic reasons. The GHQ-12 was used to measure the risk of poor mental health. The analysis was carried out using multivariable logistic regression. RESULTS: From our sample, 15.3% of young women reported having experienced period poverty. Higher odds of poor mental health were estimated for women facing period poverty (AOR = 1.85 p < 0.05). This effect is statistically significant after controlling by their income status and level of deprivation. Young women living in poorer households have a higher probability of poor mental health than those living in high-income households (AOR = 0.47 p < 0.05). Finally, material deprivation was associated to an increased risk of poor mental health among young women reporting period poverty (AOR = 2.59 p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: We found that a considerable number of young women living in an urban setting in a high-income country cannot afford menstrual products, and this may have an impact on their mental wellbeing. The relationship between period poverty and respondents' mental health is significant when controlling for factors known to confer an increased risk of poor mental health. If confirmed by further research, the public health burden of poor mental health in young women could be reduced by policy-level interventions to improve access to menstrual products.

Comparing food consumption during the COVID-19 pandemic: analysis of household income and expenditure survey data in Iran.

BACKGROUND: On March 11, 2020, the WHO declared the outbreak of the infectious disease COVID-19 as a pandemic. The health strategies of nations lead to possible changes in lifestyle and increase poor eating habits. Hence, the purpose of this study is to compare food consumption during COVID-19 pandemic in Iran. METHODS: This cross-sectional study used secondary data from the Households Income and Expenditure Survey (HIES) conducted annually by the Statistical Centre of Iran. Food cost data of HIES included the amount of all food items in household food baskets during the last month. Then, they were classified into six food groups to evaluate their energy intake. The consequence of food consumption was analyzed as a function of socioeconomic status (SES) variables and residence pre- and post-COVID-19 pandemic. RESULTS: In total, 75,885 households (83.5% male) were included in the study. Among the population of urban and rural areas as well as in different SES categories, people tended to increase the consumption of meat (P < 0.05) and fresh foods, especially vegetable groups (P < 0.001) and decrease the consumption of fruit (P < 0.001), fat and sweets groups (P < 0.05) and also in energy intake (P < 0.05). Macronutrient changes were different in the category of SES, urban and rural. CONCLUSION: Our study indicated that the COVID-19 pandemic had different effects on food groups, energy and macronutrients consumption, which could be due to possible changes in food patterns as a result of the pandemic.

The multidimensional construct of precarious work, the future of work, and workers' health. / O construto multidimensional trabalho precário, o futuro do trabalho e a saúde de trabalhadoras(es).

This essay aims to discuss the flexibilization of work, which has been accentuated during the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to an expansion of precarious work. Additionally, the essay seeks to explore theoretical models and methodological challenges for the study of precarious work, its dimensions, and its effects on workers' health. The health and economic crisis has heightened the social vulnerability of workers, introduced by the global flexibilization and the Brazilian Labor Reform. The setbacks materialize in precarious work, a multidimensional construct that encompasses the characteristics of this flexibilization in its three dimensions: (1) unstable work relationships resulting from insecure hiring, temporary contracts, involuntary part-time work, and outsourcing; (2) inadequate and unstable income; and (3) insufficient rights and protection, with reduced collective representation of workers, resulting in low power to react to degrading working conditions, lack of social security, and setbacks in regulatory support for labor safety. Repercussions of precarious work on health - work accidents, musculoskeletal and mental disorders - are evidenced in epidemiological studies, highlighting the theoretical and methodological limitations that still exist. The conclusion is that if the current bases of social protection and work insertion for workers are maintained, the future will see an expansion of precarious work. Thus, highlighting the causal relationships between precarious work and health is a contemporary challenge of the research and public policy agenda that is imposed upon society, with a focus on workers' health services.

Este ensaio objetivou discutir a flexibilização do trabalho, acentuada no curso da pandemia de COVID-19, com ampliação do trabalho precário; e discutir modelos teóricos e desafios metodológicos para o estudo do trabalho precário, suas dimensões e os efeitos à saúde de trabalhadoras(es). A crise sanitária e econômica ampliou a vulnerabilidade social de trabalhadoras(es), já em curso em decorrência das mudanças trazidas pela flexibilização, globalmente, e pela Reforma Trabalhista brasileira. Os retrocessos se concretizam no trabalho precário, construto multidimensional que engloba as características dessa flexibilização, em suas três dimensões: (1) relações de trabalho instáveis, decorrentes de contratação insegura, contrato temporário, trabalho parcial involuntário, terceirização; (2) renda inadequada e instável; e (3) insuficiência de direitos e de proteção, com reduzida representação coletiva de trabalhadoras(es), que implica baixo poder de reação às condições aviltantes de trabalho, falta de seguridade social, e retrocessos no apoio regulatório em segurança laboral. Repercussões do trabalho precário na saúde - acidentes de trabalho, distúrbios musculoesqueléticos e transtornos mentais - são evidenciadas em estudos epidemiológicos, destacando-se as limitações teóricas e metodológicas ainda existentes. Conclui-se, que mantidas as bases atuais da inserção de trabalhadoras(es) sem proteção social e do trabalho, o futuro será de ampliação do trabalho precário. Destarte, evidenciar as relações causais entre trabalho precário e saúde é desafio contemporâneo da agenda de pesquisa e de políticas públicas que se impõe na sociedade, com destaque para serviços de saúde do trabalhador.

Este ensayo tuvo como objetivo discutir la flexibilización del trabajo, acentuada en el transcurso de la pandemia de la COVID-19, con la expansión del trabajo precario; y discutir modelos teóricos y desafíos metodológicos para el estudio del trabajo precario, sus dimensiones y los efectos sobre la salud de las trabajadoras(es). La crisis sanitaria y económica aumentó la vulnerabilidad social de los trabajadoras(es) ya en marcha, como resultado de los cambios provocados por la flexibilización, a nivel mundial, y por la Reforma Laboral brasileña. Los retrocesos se concretan en el trabajo precario, constructo multidimensional que engloba las características de esa flexibilización, en sus tres dimensiones: (1) relaciones laborales inestables, derivadas de contratación insegura, contrato temporal, trabajo parcial involuntario, tercerización; (2) ingresos inadecuados e inestables; y (3) insuficiencia de derechos y de protección, con reducida representación colectiva de trabajadoras(es), lo que implica un bajo poder de reacción ante condiciones de trabajo degradantes, falta de seguridad social y retrocesos en el apoyo normativo a la seguridad laboral. Las repercusiones del trabajo precario en la salud -accidentes de trabajo, trastornos musculoesqueléticos y trastornos mentales- se evidencian en estudios epidemiológicos, destacando las limitaciones teóricas y metodológicas que aún existen. Se concluye que de mantenerse las bases actuales para la inserción de trabajadoras(es) sin protección social y laboral, el futuro será de expansión del trabajo precario. Por lo tanto, evidenciar las relaciones causales entre trabajo precario y salud es desafío contemporáneo de la agenda de investigación y de políticas públicas que se impone en la sociedad, con destaque para servicios de salud del trabajador.

The role of the California tier system in controlling population mobility during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: Policies to restrict population mobility are a commonly used strategy to limit the transmission of contagious diseases. Among measures implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic were dynamic stay-at-home orders informed by real-time, regional-level data. California was the first state in the U.S. to implement this novel approach; however, the effectiveness of California's four-tier system on population mobility has not been quantified. METHODS: Utilizing data from mobile devices and county-level demographic data, we evaluated the impact of policy changes on population mobility and explored whether demographic characteristics explained variability in responsiveness to policy changes. For each California county, we calculated the proportion of people staying home and the average number of daily trips taken per 100 persons, across different trip distances and compared this to pre-COVID-19 levels. RESULTS: We found that overall mobility decreased when counties moved to a more restrictive tier and increased when moving to a less restrictive tier, as the policy intended. When placed in a more restrictive tier, the greatest decrease in mobility was observed for shorter and medium-range trips, while there was an unexpected increase in the longer trips. The mobility response varied by geographic region, as well as county-level median income, gross domestic product, economic, social, and educational contexts, the prevalence of farms, and recent election results. CONCLUSIONS: This analysis provides evidence of the effectiveness of the tier-based system in decreasing overall population mobility to ultimately reduce COVID-19 transmission. Results demonstrate that socio-political demographic indicators drive important variability in such patterns across counties.

Catastrophic "costs": A hindrance to eliminate tuberculosis.

Globally, one quarter of the population is infected with TB; and only a small proportion of those infected will become sick. Tuberculosis along with poverty disproportionately affects the households causing a financial burden and catastrophic costs (if the total costs incurred by a household's exceeds 20% of its annual income), which could be direct or indirect and procuring detrimental effects on the effective strategic plans. Out of all diseases, India accounts for 18% of the catastrophic health expenditure including tuberculosis. Therefore, an utmost need for a national cost survey either separately or combined with other health surveys should be held for the comprehension of the baseline burden of Tuberculosis in the affected households, to identify the predictors of catastrophic costs, and simultaneously, intensive research and appropriate innovations are needed to assess the effectiveness of the measures undertaken for the reduction of the proportionate patients who overlook catastrophic costs.

Can government subsidies and public mechanisms alleviate the physical and mental health vulnerability of China's urban and rural residents?

BACKGROUND: Poverty vulnerability has been defined as the likelihood of a family falling into poverty in the upcoming months. Inequality is a major cause of poverty vulnerability in developing countries. There is evidence that establishing effective government subsidies and public service mechanisms significantly reduces health poverty vulnerability. One of the ways to study poverty vulnerability is by using empirical data such as income elasticity of demand to perform the analysis. Income elasticity refers to the extent to which changes in consumers' income affect changes in demand for commodities or public goods. In this work, we assess health poverty vulnerability in rural and urban China. We provide two levels of evidence on the marginal effects of the design and implementation of government subsidies and public mechanisms in reducing health poverty vulnerability, before and after incorporating the income elasticity of demand for health. METHODS: Multidimensional physical and mental health poverty indexes, according to the Oxford Poverty & Human Development Initiative and the Andersen model, were implemented to measure health poverty vulnerability by using the 2018 China Family Panel Survey database (CFPS) as the data source for empirical analysis. The income elasticity of demand for health care was used as the key mediating variable of impact. Our assessment was conducted by a two-level multidimensional logistic regression using STATA16 software. RESULTS: The first level regression indicates that the marginal utility of public mechanism (PM) in reducing urban and rural vulnerability as expected poverty on physical and mental health (VEP-PH&MH) was insignificant. On the other hand, government subsidies (GS) policies had a positive suppression effect on VEP-PH&MH to a relatively low degree. The second level regression found that given the diversity of health needs across individual households, i.e., the income elasticity of demand (HE) for health care products, PM and GS policies have a significant effect in reducing VEP-PH&MH in rural and urban areas. Our analysis has verified the significant positive impact of enacting accurate GS and PM policies on effectively reducing VEP-PH&MH in rural as well as urban areas. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that implementing government subsidies and public mechanisms has a positive marginal effect on reducing VEP-PH&MH. Meanwhile, there are individual variations in health demands, urban-rural disparities, and regional disparities in the effects of GS and PM on inhibiting VEP-PH&MH. Therefore, special consideration needs to be given to the differences in the degree of health needs of individual residents among urban and rural areas and regions with varying economic development. Furthermore, considerations of this approach in the current worldwide scenario are analyzed.

An action-oriented public health framework to reduce financial strain and promote financial wellbeing in high-income countries.

BACKGROUND: Perceived financial security impacts physical, mental, and social health and overall wellbeing at community and population levels. Public health action on this dynamic is even more critical now that the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated financial strain and reduced financial wellbeing. Yet, public health literature on this topic is limited. Initiatives targeting financial strain and financial wellbeing and their deterministic effects on equity in health and living conditions are missing. Our research-practice collaborative project addresses this gap in knowledge and intervention through an action-oriented public health framework for initiatives targeting financial strain and wellbeing. METHODS: The Framework was developed using a multi-step methodology that involved review of theoretical and empirical evidence alongside input from a panel of experts from Australia and Canada. In an integrated knowledge translation approach, academics (n = 14) and a diverse group of experts from government and non-profit sectors (n = 22) were engaged throughout the project via workshops, one-on-one dialogues, and questionnaires. RESULTS: The validated Framework provides organizations and governments with guidance for the design, implementation, and assessment of diverse financial wellbeing- and financial strain-related initiatives. It presents 17 priority actionable areas (i.e., entry points for action) likely to have long-lasting, positive effects on people's financial circumstances, contributing to improved financial wellbeing and health. The 17 entry points relate to five domains: Government (All Levels), Organizational & Political Culture, Socioeconomic & Political Context, Social & Cultural Circumstances, and Life Circumstances. CONCLUSIONS: The Framework reveals the intersectionality of root causes and consequences of financial strain and poor financial wellbeing, while also reinforcing the need for tailored actions to promote socioeconomic and health equity for all people. The dynamic, systemic interplay of the entry points illustrated in the Framework suggest opportunities for multi-sectoral, collaborative action across government and organizations towards systems change and the prevention of unintended negative impacts of initiatives.

Disparities in COVID-19 clinical studies from high-income and low-and middle-income countries.

OBJECTIVES: To examine the disparities between COVID-19 studies conducted in high-income countries (HICs) and low-and middle-income countries (LMICs). METHODS: We used the International Clinical Trials Registry Platform to identify COVID-19-related studies registered from December 31, 2019 to December 31, 2021. The World Bank definition was used to classify countries as high-, upper-middle-, lower-middle-, and low-income. The last three were considered to be LMICs. We examined the disparities in response speed, classification of medicines and vaccines, and registration and results reporting compliance between COVID-19 studies conducted in HICs and LMICs. RESULTS: We included 12,396 COVID-19 studies, with 6631 (53.5%) from HICs. HIC-registered studies reached a peak of 1039 in April 2020, whereas LMICs had only 440 studies. Of the 6969 interventional trials, those from HICs showed higher registration compliance (2199, 62.3% vs 1979, 57.6%, P <0.001) and results reporting compliance (hazard ratio 0.39, 95% confidence interval 0.28-0.55, P < 0.001) than LMICs. HICs also conducted significantly more small-molecule drug (956, 57.5% vs 868, 41.2%, P <0.001) and messenger RNA vaccine trials (135, 32.9% vs 19, 4.8%, P <0.001) than LMICs. CONCLUSION: HICs conducted COVID-19 trials with faster response speed and higher registration and publication compliance and produced more innovative pharmaceutical and vaccine products to combat COVID-19 than LMICs.

Behavioral changes during the COVID-19 pandemic decreased income diversity of urban encounters.

Diversity of physical encounters in urban environments is known to spur economic productivity while also fostering social capital. However, mobility restrictions during the pandemic have forced people to reduce urban encounters, raising questions about the social implications of behavioral changes. In this paper, we study how individual income diversity of urban encounters changed during the pandemic, using a large-scale, privacy-enhanced mobility dataset of more than one million anonymized mobile phone users in Boston, Dallas, Los Angeles, and Seattle, across three years spanning before and during the pandemic. We find that the diversity of urban encounters has substantially decreased (by 15% to 30%) during the pandemic and has persisted through late 2021, even though aggregated mobility metrics have recovered to pre-pandemic levels. Counterfactual analyses show that behavioral changes including lower willingness to explore new places further decreased the diversity of encounters in the long term. Our findings provide implications for managing the trade-off between the stringency of COVID-19 policies and the diversity of urban encounters as we move beyond the pandemic.

Can visual impairment impact your income potential?

People's quality of life (QOL) has been disrupted globally in the wake of the pandemic in recent times. This was mainly due to global economic crises fuelled by the coronavirus (COVID- 19) and other related factors. Sri Lanka, too, was facing major social and economic constraints in the period 2021-2022. Thus, all communities islandwide have been economically disturbed. Among others, people with Visual Impairment and Blindness (VIB) have been pushed to severely disadvantageous positions, financially and otherwise. A sample from three geographical locations in Sri Lanka; and eleven individuals representing diverse cadres in Sri Lankan society were purposively selected for the study based on the existence of the majority of the visually impaired community using a mixed approach. Descriptive statistics were utilised to analyse the identified socio-economic characteristics. Ordered probit regression was employed to determine the mediating effect of socio-economic status on income levels. Word Cloud illustrates the factors affecting the QOL. Most severely impaired individuals are more likely to earn a lower rate of income. This situation has degraded their lives and poor QOL. Participants' responses elucidate that facilities, resources, education, opportunities, income, employment, and government activities would enhance their QOL. The study adds value to society by recognising VIB people, helping them gain financial independence and strengthening them without marginalising the impaired community. The proposed policies in this study would be valuable for these social groups to address their wealth concerns.

Pandemic distress associated with segregation and social stressors.

Background: Racial/ethnic minorities are disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, as they are more likely to experience structural and interpersonal racial discrimination, and thus social marginalization. Based on this, we tested for associations between pandemic distress outcomes and four exposures: racial segregation, coronavirus-related racial bias, social status, and social support. Methods: Data were collected as part of a larger longitudinal national study on mental health during the pandemic (n = 1,309). We tested if county-level segregation and individual-level social status, social support, and coronavirus racial bias were associated with pandemic distress using cumulative ordinal regression models, both unadjusted and adjusted for covariates (gender, age, education, and income). Results: Both the segregation index (PR = 1.19; 95% CI 1.03, 1.36) and the coronavirus racial bias scale (PR = 1.17; 95% CI 1.06, 1.29) were significantly associated with pandemic distress. Estimates were similar, after adjusting for covariates, for both segregation (aPR = 1.15; 95% CI 1.01, 1.31) and coronavirus racial bias (PR = 1.12; 95% CI 1.02, 1.24). Higher social status (aPR = 0.74; 95% CI 0.64, 0.86) and social support (aPR = 0.81; 95% CI 0.73, 0.90) were associated with lower pandemic distress after adjustment. Conclusion: Segregation and coronavirus racial bias are relevant pandemic stressors, and thus have implications for minority health. Future research exploring potential mechanisms of this relationship, including specific forms of racial discrimination related to pandemic distress and implications for social justice efforts, are recommended.

Societal volunteering and COVID-19 mortality in high-income countries: a cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to quantify the relationship between societal volunteering and the impact of COVID-19 in that society. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING, PARTICIPANTS AND OUTCOME MEASURE: Data on societal volunteering were collected for 32 high-income countries (international analysis) and 50 US states (US analysis). Using regression analysis, the ability of this variable to explain COVID-19 mortality was compared with other variables put forward in the public debate (eg, vaccination rate, obesity, age). COVID-19 mortality was measured as the number of deaths due to COVID-19 per million inhabitants, from January 2020 until January 2022. RESULTS: Societal volunteering explains 43% (resp. 34%) of observed variation in COVID-19 mortality (R²) in the international (resp. US states) analysis. Compared with other variables, societal volunteering better explains the variation in COVID-19 mortality across countries and US states, with only the prevalence of smokers displaying a higher R² in the international analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Countries and states with more societal volunteering have been less impacted by COVID-19, even after accounting for differences in demographics, gross domestic product, healthcare investments and vaccination rates. Although this evidence is not causal, our findings suggest that factors beyond the public-private debate might impact the resilience of societies to a pandemic, with societal volunteering being one such factor.

Family context as a double-edged sword for psychological distress amid the COVID-19 pandemic with the mediating effect of individual fear and the moderating effect of household income.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic drives psychological distress. Previous studies have mostly focused on individual determinants but overlooked family factors. The present study aimed to examine the associations of individual and family factors with psychological distress, and the mediating effect of individual fear and the moderating role of household income on the above associations. Methods: We conducted a population-based cross-sectional survey on Chinese adults in Hong Kong from February to March 2021 (N = 2,251) to measure the independent variables of anti-epidemic fatigue, anti-epidemic confidence, individual and family members' fear of COVID-19, and family well-being (range 0-10), and the dependent variable of psychological distress (through four-item Patient Health Questionnaire, range 0-4). Results: Hierarchical regression showed that anti-epidemic fatigue was positively (ß = 0.23, 95% CI [0.18, 0.28]) while anti-epidemic confidence was negatively (ß = -0.29, 95% CI [-0.36, -0.22]) associated with psychological distress. Family members' fear of COVID-19 was positively (ß = 0.11, 95% CI [0.05, 0.16]) while family well-being was negatively (ß = -0.57, 95% CI [-0.63, -0.51]) associated with psychological distress. Structural equation model showed that individual fear mediated the above associations except for family well-being. Multi-group analyses showed a non-significant direct effect of anti-epidemic confidence and a slightly stronger direct effect of family well-being on psychological distress among participants with lower incomes, compared to those with higher incomes. Conclusion: We have first reported the double-edged effect of family context on psychological distress, with the positive association between family members' fear of COVID-19 and psychological distress fully mediated by individual fear and the negative association between family well-being and psychological distress moderated by income level. Future studies are warranted to investigate how the contagion of fear develops in the family and how the inequality of family resources impacts family members' mental health amid the pandemic.

Financial inclusion role on energy efficiency financing gaps in COVID-19 period: empirical outcomes of emerging nations.

The structural imposed crises of the COVID-19 have halted the system of financial intermediation at large. By this, the energy sector needs huge financing for energy efficiency maximization in the COVID-19 crises. Thus, the current research aims to inquire the role of financial inclusion in filling the energy efficiency financing gaps for the period of COVID-19 outbreak. The governments of many countries are facing fiscal deficits and trying to survive under tight substantial fiscal limitations. So providing a cheap and efficient energy in modern times, under COVID-19 crises, is merely impossible for many economies because the main source of income for energy sector is the energy users, and having inefficient energy for consumption is raising energy poverty at large. Therefore, COVID-19 crises raised a wide energy financing gap in modern times that needs a fix. However, this research is suggesting the system to make financial inclusion structure as effective, to fill the energy financing gap, for post-COVID-19 time, and to develop a viable and sustainable financing option for energy sector in long-run perspective. This study also validated the empirical role of financial inclusion on energy poverty and energy efficiency, with historical data, to justify the significance of financial inclusion for energy financing gap fulfillment. More so, this paper is also recommending new policy implications for the stakeholders to utilize. We believe if the recommended policy recommendations are considered for practice, the energy financing gap in post-COVID-19 era would be mitigated, and there is a high probability to supply the efficient energy to the end users.

Gaps in the welfare state: A role-based model of poverty risk in the U.S.

BACKGROUND: Research clearly demonstrates that income matters greatly to health. However, income distribution and its relationship to poverty risk is often misunderstood. METHODS: We provide a structural account of income distribution and poverty risk in the U.S., rooted in the 'roles' that individuals inhabit with relation to the 'factor payment system' (market distribution of income to individuals through wages and asset ownership). Principal roles are child, older adult, and, among working-age adults, disabled individual, student, unemployed individual, caregiver, or paid laborer. Moreover, the roles of other members of an individual's household also influence an individual's income level. This account implies that 1) roles other than paid laborer will be associated with greater poverty risk, 2) household composition will be associated with poverty risk, and 3) income support policies for those not able to engage in paid labor are critical for avoiding poverty. We test hypotheses implied by this account using 2019 and 2022 U.S. Census Current Population Survey data. The exposure variables in our analyses relate to roles and household composition. The outcomes relate to income and poverty risk. RESULTS: In 2019, 40.1 million individuals (12.7% of the population) experienced poverty under the U.S. Census' Supplemental Poverty Measure. All roles other than paid laborer were associated with greater poverty risk (p < .001 for all comparisons). Household composition, particularly more children and disabled working-age adults, and fewer paid laborers, was also associated with greater poverty risk (p < .001 for all comparisons). Five key policy areas-child benefits, older-age pensions, disability and sickness insurance, unemployment insurance, and out-of-pocket healthcare spending-represented gaps in the welfare state strongly associated with poverty risk. CONCLUSIONS: The role one inhabits and household composition are associated with poverty risk. This understanding of income distribution and poverty risk may be useful for social policy.