Quality of service delivered by alcoholic beverage suppliers to customers in the South African hospitality industry

Service quality can be described as the relative distance between a customer’s expectation of how they feel a service should be performed, and their perception of how that service was executed. Anecdotal evidence suggested that, according to this definition, a service quality “gap” exists between the service attributes expected by businesses in the hospitality industry and those actually offered by service providers in the South African alcoholic beverage industry. The primary objective of this study was to investigate whether there is a discrepancy between the reselling customer’s expectations and perceptions of the service quality delivered by South African alcoholic beverage suppliers. This is necessary due to the importance of the South African alcoholic beverage industry within the global and local contexts, as well as service quality's significant role in business. Secondary objectives involved exploring service quality dimensions and what customers' actual expectations and perceptions are. This exploratory research study was conducted through the use of online SERVQUAL surveys to obtain the relevant data from respondents. Screened respondents were reached via email and social media platforms. This study found that there is a discrepancy between customers’ expectations and perceptions of service quality in this context. It also found that there are discrepancies for each of the RATER dimensions, of which Reliability showed both the highest expectation and gap score, and that all five RATER dimensions have a unique effect on customers’ perception of service

Generalisability of vaccine effectiveness estimates: an analysis of cases included in a postlicensure evaluation of 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine in the USA

External validity, or generalisability, is the measure of how well results from a study pertain to individuals in the target population. We assessed generalisability, with respect to socioeconomic status, of estimates from a matched case–control study of 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine effectiveness for the prevention of invasive pneumococcal disease in children in the USA

The Changing Epidemiology of Coccidioidomycosis in Los Angeles (LA) County, California, 1973-2011.

Coccidioidomycosis, also known as Valley Fever, is often thought of as an endemic disease of central California exclusive of Los Angeles County. The fungus that causes Valley Fever, Coccidioides spp., grows in previously undisturbed soil of semi-arid and arid environments of certain areas of the Americas. LA County has a few large areas with such environments, particularly the Antelope Valley which has been having substantial land development. Coccidioidomycosis that is both clinically- and laboratory-confirmed is a mandated reportable disease in LA County. Population surveillance data for 1973-2011 reveals an annual rate increase from 0.87 to 3.2 cases per 100,000 population (n = 61 to 306 annual cases). In 2004, case frequency started substantially increasing with notable epidemiologic changes such as a rising 2.1 to 5.7 male-to-female case ratio stabilizing to 1.4-2.2. Additionally, new building construction in Antelope Valley greatly rose in 2003 and displayed a strong correlation (R = 0.92, Pearson p<0.0001) with overall LA County incidence rates for 1996-2007. Of the 24 LA County health districts, 19 had a 100%-1500% increase in cases when comparing 2000-2003 to 2008-2011. Case residents of endemic areas had stronger odds of local exposures, but cases from areas not known to be endemic had greater mortality (14% versus 9%) with notably more deaths during 2008-2011. Compared to the 57 other California counties during 2001-2011, LA County had the third highest average annual number of cases and Antelope Valley had a higher incidence rate than all but six counties. With the large number of reported coccidioidomycosis cases, multi-agency and community partnering is recommended to develop effective education and prevention strategies to protect residents and travelers

Annual coccidioidomycosis incidence (N = 3338) and decennial incidence rates, Los Angeles County, California, 1973–2011.

<p>Legend. Starting in 2004, substantial increases in the number of reported coccidioidomycosis cases occurred. Except for an outbreak during 1992 to 1994 involving strong winter storms and a 6.7 magnitude earthquake, annual cases numbered between 21 and 80 from 1973 to 2003. Sharp multi-year increases in cases occurred from 2003 (n = 80) to 2004 (n = 149) to 2005 (n = 225), and from 2009 (n = 173) to 2010 (n = 240) to 2011 (n = 306). Incidence rates were calculated using data from the U.S. Decennial Census. *A 1973 rate using the 1970 census count is presented because of the absence of surveillance data before 1973. These rates ranged between 0.35 and 0.87 cases per 100,000 people between 1973 and 2000, and increased 365% from 0.52 cases per 100,000 people in 2000 to 2.44 cases per 100,000 people in 2010.</p

Coccidioidomycosis cases (N = 2534) by gender and male to female ratio, Los Angeles County, California, 1992–2011.

<p>Legend. The male to female ratio increased from 2.1 to 5.7 between 1992 and 2003. This changed starting in 2004 through 2011 as the ratio abruptly dropped and stabilized between 1.4 and 2.2. The number of female cases increased suddenly in 2004 but the number of male cases increased gradually since 1997.</p

Average annual coccidioidomycosis incidence rate* by age (N = 2234), Los Angeles County, California, 1995–2011.

<p>Legend. *Average annual incidence rates were calculated by dividing the average annual number of cases for 1995–2003 and 2004–2011 by the U.S. Census population counts for 2000 and 2010, respectively. The period of 1992–1994 was excluded because these were outbreak years. For all age groups, average annual incidence rates increased substantially between 1995–2003 and 2004–2011. The percent increase ranged from 151% to 318%, with age groups ≥65, 0–14, and 15–24 years having the greatest increases. During 1995–2003, incidence rates increased with age until age group 55–64 years. However, during 2004–2011, incidence rates continued to increase in the age group ≥65 years.</p

Average annual coccidioidomycosis incidence and incidence rates (IR) by race-ethnicity (N = 2234), Los Angeles County, California, 1995–2011.

<p>Legend. *2004–2011 excludes 2006–2008 because of substantial missing race-ethnicity data during those years and the missing data coincides with substantially less white cases. **Average annual incidence rates per 100,000 people were calculated by dividing the average annual number of cases for 1995–2003 and 2004–2011 (excluding 2006–2008) by the U.S. Census population counts for 2000 and 2010, respectively. Race-ethnicity categories are mutually exclusive. Between 1995–2003 and 2004–2011, all race-ethnicity categories had large increases in average annual incidence and in average annual incidence rate. The average annual number of cases increased from 7.0 to 17.6 for Asians (151%), 10.8 to 34.4 for blacks (219%), 20.6 to 72.6 for Hispanics (252%), and 20.3 to 82.4 for whites (306%). The average annual incidence rate per 100,000 people increased from 1.16 to 4.22 (264%) for blacks, 0.69 to 3.02 (338%) for whites, 0.48 to 1.55 (223%) for Hispanics, and 0.62 to 1.33 (115%) for Asians. Whites and Hispanics had the most number of annual cases on average, but blacks and whites had the highest incidence rates.</p

Top average annual coccidioidomycosis cases and incidence rates (per 100,000 people) in California, 2001–2011 and 2008–2011.

<p>*Ranks are based on case counts and incidence rates of California counties. Antelope Valley, not a county but a large part of Los Angeles County, is included to demonstrate how high incidence rate can be within LA County. Compared to the 57 other counties in California during 2001–2011, LA County had the third highest average annual number of cases and Antelope Valley had a higher incidence rate than all but six counties.</p><p>**Counties not part of the Central California Valley are Los Angeles, San Luis Obispo, San Diego, Riverside, Ventura, Orange, San Bernardino, Monterey, Santa Clara, and Santa Barbara.</p><p>Top average annual coccidioidomycosis cases and incidence rates (per 100,000 people) in California, 2001–2011 and 2008–2011.</p

Coccidioidomycosis 4-year incidence (N = 903) comparisons by health districts not known to be endemic in Los Angeles County, California, 2000–2011.

<p>Legend. The increase in coccidioidomycosis cases has been extremely high in the health districts not known to be endemic in Los Angeles County. Year of disease onset was categorized into three 4-year time periods, 2000–2003, 2004–2007, and 2008–2011. *Only 19 of 21 health districts not known to be endemic are shown in the figure because East Los Angeles and Whittier had 14% and 18% decreases, respectively, between the first and last time periods. (For each successive time period, East LA had 7, 9, and 6 cases and Whittier had 11, 12, and 9 cases.) Case numbers rose steeply during 2004–2007 for at least eight health districts. For 18 health districts, case numbers rose steeply or continued to climb during 2008–2011. Percent increase in cases between 2000–2003 and 2008–2011 are shown and ranged between 67% and 1500%. Seventeen of the 21 health districts not known to be endemic had at least a 100% increase in the number of cases between 2000–2003 and 2008–2011.</p