Is low fertility really a problem? Population aging, dependency, and consumption.

Copyright 2014 by the American Association for the Advancement of Science; all rights reserved.Longer lives and fertility far below the replacement level of 2.1 births per woman are leading to rapid population aging in many countries. Many observers are concerned that aging will adversely affect public finances and standards of living. Analysis of newly available National Transfer Accounts data for 40 countries shows that fertility well above replacement would typically be most beneficial for government budgets. However, fertility near replacement would be most beneficial for standards of living when the analysis includes the effects of age structure on families as well as governments. And fertility below replacement would maximize per capita consumption when the cost of providing capital for a growing labor force is taken into account. Although low fertility will indeed challenge government programs and very low fertility undermines living standards, we find that moderately low fertility and population decline favor the broader material standard of living

Racial /Ethnic Differences Metabolic Profiles of American Women Diagnosed Diabetes Mellitus

ABSTRACT Background: Evidence suggests that gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is associated with various metabolic conditions including elevated cholesterol, low HDL, elevated LDL, elevated triglycerides and obesity. However, comparative data on the association between GDM and various metabolic conditions across racial/ethnic groups are rare. This study focuses on differences in metabolic profiles among pregnant Non-Hispanic (NH) Whites, NH-Blacks, Mexican-Americans and women of other races/ethnicities with prediabetes and diabetes. Method: Available data from the 1999 to 2010 survey waves of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) was used for this study. NHANES uses a stratified multistage probability sample of the civilian non-institutionalized population of the US chosen from a broad range of age groups and racial/ethnic backgrounds. Descriptive statistics were used to describe demographic variables, metabolic profiles across prediabetes/diabetes status. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were then used to determine the association between metabolic variables and prediabetes/diabetes across race/ethnicity. Results: The study population (n=1417) consisted NH-Whites (N=620), NH-Blacks (N=219), Mexican-Americans (N=420), and “Other” races (N=168). Individuals with high LDL levels were significantly more likely to be diagnosed with GDM when compared to those with low LDL in both the crude (OR= 3.47, 95% CI= 1.90-6.33) and adjusted (OR= 2.81, 95% CI= 1.17-6.75) models. Individuals with high triglycerides levels were significantly more likely to be diagnosed with GDM when compared with individuals with low triglycerides in both the crude (OR= 2.44,95% CI= 1.36-4.38), and adjusted (OR= 1.30, 95% CI= 0.56-3.01) models. Individuals who are overweight/obese were significantly more likely to be diagnosed with GDM when compared with individuals normal weight both the crude (OR= 3.13, 95% CI= 1.28-7.64), and adjusted (OR= 2.44, 95% CI= 1.02-5.86) models. NH-Whites with elevated LDL and increased BMI are significantly more likely to be diagnosed with GDM; NH-Blacks with elevated triglycerides and increased BMI are significantly more likely to be diagnosed with GDM; Mexican-Americans with elevated triglycerides and increased BMI were significantly more likely to be diagnosed with GDM; Individuals of “Other” races with elevated LDL were significantly more likely to be diagnosed with GDM Conclusion: With the exception of non-Hispanic Whites, pregnant American women with higher levels of cholesterols, high triglycerides, increased body mass index (25 kg/m2 or greater), and less than high school education were found to be at greater risks of diabetes. The result of this analysis suggests that healthcare professionals should be more aggressive in controlling these metabolic abnormalities in pregnant women. Early intervention prior to pregnancy may help delay the onset of prediabetes/diabetes. Empowerment of pregnant women in the management of their diabetes may also be critical in averting the detrimental effect of these metabolic abnormalities

A review of catholic men organisation (cmo) the history of st. Paul parish, university of calabar: my life as a catholic faithful, 2021 international father’s day celebration essay- writing competition results, 12th june, 2021

INTRODUCTION The Catholic Men Organisation (CMO) is one of the four major organisations in the Church, the others being Catholic Women Organisation (CWO), Nigerian Federation of Catholic Students (NFCS) and Holy Childhood Association. The CMO is the pillar of the Church and as its motto, “Christ is our Leader” provides exemplary leadership in the Church. Members of the CMO are heads of their various families and understand the need to plan for every member of the family. Since 2006 when the first International father’s Day celebration took place in St Paul, children and students have played a key role. They have entertained the Parish with traditional dance displays, and had essay-writing competitions in 2007 and 2021. In addition, three undergraduate students enjoyed scholarship awards in 2021. Of course, the focus on students and children is not surprising since St. Paul is a predominantly student parish otherwise usually referred to as the Wisdom Parish

How do adults with physical disability experience primary care? A nationwide cross-sectional survey of access among patients in England

This is the final version. Available from the publisher via the DOI in this recordObjectives: Almost a quarter of adults in England report a longstanding condition limiting physical activities. However, recent overseas evidence suggests poorer access to healthcare for disabled people. This study aimed to compare patient-reported access to English primary care for adults with and without physical disability. Design: Secondary analysis of the 2010/11 General Practice Patient Survey (response rate 35.9%) using logistic regression. Setting and participants: 1 780 977 patients, from 8384 English general practices, who provided information on longstanding conditions limiting basic physical activity. 41 389 of these patients reported unmet need to see a doctor in the previous 6 months. Outcomes: Difficulty getting to the general practitioner (GP) surgery as a reason for unmet need to see a doctor in the preceding 6 months; difficulty getting into the surgery building. Results: Estimated prevalence of physical disability was 17.2% (95% CI 17.0% to 17.3%). 17.9% (95% CI 17.4% to 18.4%) of patients with an unmet need to see a doctor were estimated to experience this due to difficulty getting to the surgery, and 2.2% (95% CI 2.2% to 2.3%) of all patients registered with a GP were estimated to experience difficulty getting into surgery buildings. Adjusting for gender, age, health status and employment, difficulty getting to the surgery explaining unmet need was more likely for patients with physical disability than for those without. Similarly, difficulty getting into surgery buildings was more likely among physically disabled patients. Both associations were stronger among patients aged 65 - 84 years. Conclusions: Adults in England with physical disability experience worse physical access into primary care buildings than those without. Physical disability is also associated with increased unmet healthcare need due to difficulty getting to GP premises, compared with the experience of adults without physical disability. Increasing age further exacerbates these problems. Access to primary care in England for patients with physical disability needs improving

A Historical Periscope of Self Inflicted Socio-Political Predicaments of Nigerians

The problems of Nigeria have continued to stare at her very ominously and intermittently harassing her both within and outside her shores These have lingered on and have created a clog on the wheel of the country s economic progress indeed dramatically stagnating and to say the least truncating the mainstay of the country s economy Several interpretations theories analyses syntheses and jingoistic conceptualization have been propagated all producing the same result From scientific to technological approach religious to ritualist approach political to social approach the economy rather than moving is static and under some regimes it retarded Academic contributions especially ideas from the humanities and indeed the discipline of history are jettisoned infact quickly dusted into the waste bin The concern of this paper is to attempt a historical throw back at the problems of Nigeria identifying them with a view to proffering solutions using the historical investigative theory of threw back This study identifies Nigerians as the cause of her problems who rather than face these seismic challenges head on abandon them- a cowardly act ending in futility and deeper chaos It is hoped that if academic exercises are no longer mere this input may create a turnaround in the economy of the Nigeria stat

Neighbourhood Reading Clubs: Rekindling Reading Interest among Nigerian Children

A common comment on the state of reading in Nigeria today is that we have a poor reading culture. Yet up to the early 70s’ school children had a healthy respect for reading because there was supportive environment for such activities through the school system, township/mobile libraries, British Council and United States Information Service (USIS) libraries, etc. To rekindle this interest would require not only the provision of reading materials but also democratising access, quality in time and space, environment considerations and technical expertise by teachers and enthusiasts. Above all, any intervention must be unobtrusive, yet must captivate the children especially given the ICT revolution which revolves round audio-visuals. One avenue for achieving this is the neighbourhood reading club. In this paper we present a report of a volunteer reading club situated within the University of Calabar for children of the neighbourhood. Insights into reading interests, impact of the club on the children’s emotional, educational and psychological development are explored with very surprising results and outcomes. Keywords: Neighbourhood reading clubs, reading culture, mobile libraries, reading materials democratizing access, volunteer reading club, reading interest, educational and psychological development

Should companies pursue corporate social responsibility?

There has been a long - standing argument on whether or not companies should be socially responsible. This is so because the primary objective of every company is to maximize profit for its shareholders, corporate social responsibility is therefore seen as a distraction. According to the leading proponent of this view Milton Friedman, 'the social responsibility of business is to increase its profits'i, but does society today stand to maximally benefit if the only concern of companies is to make a profit? Supporters of this view posit that companies involvement in projects not directly aimed at maximizing profit for its shareholders like corporate philanthropy and community development are unnecessary. They insist that issues like these should be left to the government and charities. On the contrary, society's present expectation of business covers a lot more than profit maximization; companies' involvement in corporate social responsibility is therefore the only way these expectations could be harnessed. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is not only about philanthropy as some think, it involves the myriad ways firms integrate social, environmental and economic concerns into the day to day running of their companies. This essay stresses the need for companies' involvement in corporate social responsibility; it seeks to show that a socially responsible company does not only bring environmental and social benefits to the society at large, but also attracts financial benefits for the company involved. It goes further to suggest strategies that could be used to make companies more responsive to social needs than they presently are. The first chapter answers the question, what is corporate social responsibility? Many people and organizations have attempted defining this concept, but more often than not their views do not entirely reflect what corporate social responsibility is about because of the wide spectrum of issues it covers. To some people, corporate social responsibility is all about corporate philanthropy, to others it is more encompassing than that and is closely linked with principles of sustainable development. Although people look at CSR from different perspectives, what is generally agreed by all advocates of corporate social responsibility is that the management of companies should not only consider the interests of shareholders when running the company, but should take into account the welfare of other company stakeholders. Sustainable Development is defined by the United Nations Brundland Commission as 'development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs'.ii The fact that CSR is voluntary leaves companies with discretion to be socially responsible or not. It is the voluntary nature of CSR that makes some people view CSR as basically corporate philanthropy. Those who see CSR as broader than philanthropy and linked with the principles of sustainable development argue that while philanthropy is absolutely discretionary,CSR is sustainable. While philanthropy involves how companies' profits are spent on deserving causes, CSR is concerned with how these profits are made in the first place. Proponents of CSR as an intrinsic part of sustainable development further argue that it is only when social accountability becomes an integral part of corporate conduct rather than a philanthropic add on, that the economic development of the private sector will move forward within an acceptable framework of public purposeiii This is my preferred notion of corporate social responsibility. Chapter one outlines the various definitions of corporate social responsibility. It looks at the relationship between corporate social responsibility and corporate governance and also gives an overview of the background influences of CSR. Chapter two examines the criticisms of corporate social responsibility and counters them. Chapter three presents the business case for corporate social responsibility; it seeks to show that socially responsible companies are not disadvantaged but enjoy numerous financial benefits. Chapter four suggests strategies that could be used to make companies more responsive to societal needs. Flowing from the fact that CSR is voluntary and some companies remain unresponsive to societal needs, regulation of aspects of CSR that cannot be left at the mercy of companies remains a way socially irresponsible companies would be compelled to comply. This chapter presents the arguments for and against legislation of CSR and suggests a balanced regulatory approach to corporate social responsibility

Strengthening family relationship to increase family health, happiness and harmony: Findings from a Community-based Participatory Research (CBPR) project under FAMILY: A Jockey Club Initiative for a Harmonious Society Project in Hong Kong

Oral Poster Presentation SessionSham Shui Po (SSP) district is one of the districts with high population density and lowest median household income. A CBPR project “Enhancing Family Well-being Project” was conducted by SSP District Social Welfare Office and School of Public Health, the University of Hong Kong from February 2012 to May 2013. (1) To promote family health, happiness and harmony (3Hs) by building capacity for families to enhance family relationship; (2) To investigate the effectiveness of CBPR programmes in improving family relationship and 3Hs. After training, based on positive psychology, social service workers in 30 participating organizations designed and organized their own programmes (one 2-hour session; one 1-hour booster) on one self-selected theme (“Gratitude”, “Hope/Resilience” and “Open-mindedness”) for people aged 6+ recruited by the organization. Participants were assessed four times (T1, pre-intervention; T2, immediately post-intervention; T3, 6 weeks and T4, 3 months after T2) primarily on family relationship and family 3Hs using Family Relationship Scale and family 3H indicators respectively. 1586 individuals aged 12+ from 1031 families participated in 29 programmes. Most (89.5%) were aged 18+, 69.0% were female, 65.9% had secondary or above education level and 69.5% were married. The mean score of overall family relationship increased from 75.6 (T1) to 76.0 (T4) (effect size, ES=0.06, p=0.03). The mean scores of family expressiveness increased (ES=0.10, p<0.001) and family conflict decreased from T1 to T4 (ES=-0.05, p=0.04). Family health, happiness and harmony scores all significantly increased from T1 to T4: ES = 0.14 (p<0.001), 0.10 (p<0.001) and 0.10 (p<0.001) respectively. All changes above indicated improvements after the programmes. This CBPR brief intervention was effective in enhancing family relationship and 3Hs. The effects were small but sustained up to 3 months. The main limitation was the lack of a control group, which was not feasible in a large CBPR project.postprin

Using Information and Communication Technologies for Family Communication and Its Association With Family Well-Being in Hong Kong: FAMILY Project

Background: Family communication is central to the family and its functioning. It is a mutual process in which family members create, share, and regulate meaning. Advancement and proliferation of information and communication technologies (ICTs) continues to change methods of family communication. However, little is known about the use of different methods for family communication and the influence on family well-being. Objective: We investigated the sociodemographic factors associated with different methods of family communication and how they are associated with perceived family harmony, happiness, and health (3Hs) among Chinese adults in Hong Kong. Methods: Data came from a territory-wide probability-based telephone survey using the Family and Health Information Trend survey (FHInTs). Frequency of family communication using different methods (ie, face-to-face, phone, instant messaging [IM], social media sites, and email) were recoded and classified as frequent (always/sometimes) and nonfrequent (seldom/never) use. Family well-being was measured using 3 questions of perceived family harmony, happiness, and health with higher scores indicating better family well-being. Adjusted odds ratios for family communication methods by sociodemographic characteristics and adjusted beta coefficients for family well-being by communication methods were calculated. Results: A total of 1502 adults were surveyed. Face-to-face (94.85%, 1408/1484) was the most frequent means of communication followed by phone (78.08%, 796/1484), IM (53.64%, 796/1484), social media sites (17.60%, 261/1484), and email (13.39%, 198/1484). Younger age was associated with the use of phone, IM, and social media sites for family communication. Higher educational attainment was associated with more frequent use of all modes of communication, whereas higher family income was only significantly associated with more frequent use of IM and email (P=.001). Face-to-face (beta 0.65, 95% CI 0.33-0.97) and phone use (beta 0.20, 95% CI 0.02-0.38) for family communication were associated with significantly higher levels of perceived family well-being. Conclusions: Socioeconomic disparities in using these information and communication technologies (ICT) methods for family communication were observed. Although traditional methods remain as the main platform for family communication and were associated with better family well-being, a notable proportion of respondents are using new ICT methods, which were not associated with perceived family well-being. Because ICTs will continue to diversify modes of family communication, more research is needed to understand the impact of ICTs on family communication and well-being.published_or_final_versio