Measuring Parental Involvement in Dual-Earner Qatari Families

Parental involvement in dual-earner families is a subject that has been widely studied in the literature in Western contexts. Less attention, however, has been allocated to the challenges that dual-earner families encounter in raising children in Arab Gulf states. This paper study aims to address the following questions: To what extent are dual-earner families involved in their children’s lives? What are the gender differences in parental involvement? This paper employed the 2017 survey data of working Qatari males and females to measure their parental involvement and engagement in family time and childcare. The results highlighted parental factors, work characteristics and social supports as key factors determining the degree of parental involvement. The results also showed the gender differences in parental involvement scores, which comprise several factors, including work demands and time spent with children. Taken together, our findings provide insights allowing suggestions for mechanisms that could generate foundational parental welfare policies for dual-earner families in Qatar and the wider Arab Gulf Region as a whole. Further contributions to this research domain could include studies encompassing a wider scope of geographical locations within the Arab Gulf states using robust experimental investigations.Open Access funding provided by the Qatar National Library

Health impact of indoor air pollution in the gulf region: A review

Factors such as unfavorable meteorological conditions within the Gulf region force citizens to spend a considerable amount of time in their homes. Indoor air quality in the Arabian Gulf is rapidly becoming an issue of vital concern that requires urgent governmental intervention and control measures as well as increased in-depth research on likely health consequences. In this review, we surveyed the current literature on the potential health impact of daily household activities in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries like Qatar where practiced traditions such as burning incense and scented candles are commonplace. These may increase indoor pollution levels, and worsen the health conditions of residents. The main goal of this review is to assess the extent of common indoor pollutants and suggest strategies of pollution control that may alleviate pollution concentration in an indoor environment. Creating awareness about the most common sources of indoor air pollution in the GCC may help improve health promotion and lifestyle changes, especially with respect to reproductive health that is a major concern in the region. The government may also explore recommendations for more environmentally friendly incense and organic candles

سياسات معالجة الأسماك وتصنيعها وتطوير المصائد السمكية بدولة قطر

The second National Development Strategy (NDS) of the State of Qatar 2018–2022 aims to achieve 90% self sufficiency in fish production by 2023 and balance food production with conservation of natural resources by promoting responsible consumption of food products. The high demand for fresh fish has shed light on the importance of managing the fishery sector in a sustainable way to avoid overfishing and stock extinction. One way to achieve this is to shift to processed fish consumption as a step toward supporting the growing economic diversification. The government actively works to encourage local investors and foreign companies to invest in food products in the country. This is done by the use of the latest technologies and modern methods to provide fresh and healthy food to citizens and residents in Qatar following the Standardization Organization for the Gulf Cooperation Council Countries. The Social and Economic Survey Research Institute [SESRI] conducted its fifteenth in 2019 “Qatar Semi-Annual Survey” [QSAS] through telephone interviews of 1,354 participants (Qataris and residents) living in Qatar. The survey covered various topics and included a section dedicated to the fishery sector. This report presents consumers’ perceptions toward the consumption of processed fish as well as fish safety and quality standards in order to provide policy recommendations that may help both investors and the government in achieving sustainable development in the fishery sector in Qatar

الجوانب الاجتماعية والاقتصادية والبيئية لاستهلاك الأسماك في قطر

After the blockade in 2017, Qatar has undergone an important development of shifting from full dependency on food imports to self-sufficiency in perishable foods. Qatar has launched a food security strategy 2018-2023; therefore, research studies on fish consumption becomes very important for the strategy. Studying fish consumption will help estimate local demand and hence identify the gap between production and imports. The study may also help decision makers to understand the socio-economic characteristics and attitudes of consumers, which assists in improving their satisfaction and regulating markets. The study’s results showed that fish production in Qatar meets all food security indicators. The study examined the differences in fish consumption among Qatar’s society, in relation with socioeconomic factors such as employment, education and health awareness and fish species. The study also found that half of Qataris are willing to consume “Tilapia”, an emerging freshwater species in Qatar produced as aquaculture product, which should help reduce the consumption pressure on species in high demand and preserve diversity

An Evaluation of the Alignment of Surplus Food Recovery and Redistribution Technologies with the Circular Economy

In Qatar, food security is a top research priority. The National Food Security Strategy (20182023) and the Qatar National Vision 2030 show evidence of policy support regarding food security. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (S.D.G.) 12.3 frames the basis of food waste reduction efforts. Our study aims to provide basic information for innovative mobile application development that addressed food insecurity and waste in Qatar. Furthermore, we discuss how such a technology and the proposed features align with the circular economy concept. The circular economy aims to prolong the useful life of materials and products to maximize resource value and reduce waste. In addition, we highlight the main potential benefits that various stakeholders in the Qatar economy could derive from the innovative surplus food recovery mobile application. The scope of this work is necessary given the diverse nature of the stakeholders involved in the surplus food recovery and redistribution industry. The innovation demonstrated significant solutions to many problems, and using them in the food sector could provide optimal solutions to manage/reduce food surplus waste and loss. The suggested platform differs from the existing food services application, as it closes the food circle and achieves the sustainable goals for a better environment and society for future generations. We conclude with suggestions concerning how public-private collaboration could help recover surplus food and reduce food loss.The authors are grateful to the Sayd Zubair, who helped in the literature review collection as part of the project as a research assistant. This manuscript was supported by Qatar University via a Q-external grant-H3P ("QPH3P-SESRI-2021-450"). The findings achieved herein are solely the responsibility of the authors.Scopu

Measuring Parental Involvement in Dual-Earner Qatari Families

Parental involvement in dual-earner families is a subject that has been widely studied in the literature in Western contexts. Less attention, however, has been allocated to the challenges that dual-earner families encounter in raising children in Arab Gulf states. This paper study aims to address the following questions: To what extent are dual-earner families involved in their children’s lives? What are the gender differences in parental involvement? This paper employed the 2017 survey data of working Qatari males and females to measure their parental involvement and engagement in family time and childcare. The results highlighted parental factors, work characteristics and social supports as key factors determining the degree of parental involvement. The results also showed the gender differences in parental involvement scores, which comprise several factors, including work demands and time spent with children. Taken together, our findings provide insights allowing suggestions for mechanisms that could generate foundational parental welfare policies for dual-earner families in Qatar and the wider Arab Gulf Region as a whole. Further contributions to this research domain could include studies encompassing a wider scope of geographical locations within the Arab Gulf states using robust experimental investigations.Other Information Published in: Journal of Child and Family Studies License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0See article on publisher's website: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10826-021-02183-z</p

Determinants of fish consumption in the state of Qatar: Post blockade

This study used a count data model to analyse the factors that affect fish consumption in Qatar after the blockade; aiming for effective evaluation, formulation and implementation, of policies for the fishery sector. To achieve this, the community of Qatar is divided into three groups based on their fish consumption rate: high, moderate, and low consumer. The determinants of fish consumption were confirmed using the Poisson model, namely demographic and attitude variables. The findings showed that consumption rates were high (90%); both Qataris and White-collars belonged to the moderate consumers group (52 and 41%, respectively), while Blue-collars occupied the larger portion of the highest consumer category (36%). Fish consumption determinants in Qatar with positive effect included employment, health awareness, and number of children; in contrast, negative determinants included higher level of education, high price, and accessibility to purchase fish. The study is the first to focus on socio-economics and attitudinal variables to understand the factors that determine fish consumption that in turn, encourages policy formulation. The study supports the government policy to open foreign investment opportunities to meet consumption demands and preserve marine resources. Furthermore, managers may use information on fish species to manage fish stock, especially identifying fish species that are highly consumed. They will therefore formulate the necessary policies for sustainable marine fisher

Fertility Transitions: Implications for Future Demographic Trends in Qatar

Introduction: In Qatar, while most of the country's demographic situations have been widely studied, much less attention has been paid to the determinants of Qatari women's socio-demographic characteristics and the prevalence of family planning methods. This raises the following question: How, and to what extent, do population dynamics that stratify national populations by age; sex; marital status; and level of education, income, and employment contribute to the declining of fertility rate and cause mortality differentials in Qatar? Materials and Methods: Data from a 2018 fertility survey project with a random sample of 607 Qatari households, collected via personal interviews using a questionnaire and a computer assisted personal interview, by the Social and Economic Survey Research Institute at Qatar University, was examined based on a multi-dimensional model. The data were analyzed using logistic and Poisson regression techniques. Results: The data show that Qatari women's total fertility rate is 3.2, with women in the 20-29 age group having the highest fertility rates. Evaluating the effects of women's educational attainment and employment status revealed no significant factors influencing the age-specific fertility rate of Qatari women. In addition, the results indicate that the most common contraceptive method currently used among Qatari women is pills (29%), and their use is more prevalent among older Qatari women who have had more children than among younger Qatari women with fewer children. Conclusion/ future direction: The paper provides comprehensive policy recommendations for increasing the reproductive rate in Qatar by providing supporting programs to increase the total fertility rate and childbearing rates among Qatari women. It also promotes the provision of high-quality family planning services

Socioeconomic Drivers of Fish Consumption in Qatar

The demand and supply gap in local fish production provides opportunities for investment in fish production and processing that are non-artisanal. Accordingly, this paper uses the Qatar Semi-Annual Survey, a nationally representative repeated cross-sectional dataset, to analyze consumers&rsquo; willingness to consume processed fish and the consumption intensity. Given the ordinal nature of the main outcome variable, namely processed fish consumption intensity, we use the ordered probit model with sample selection. The first part of our analytical strategy helps us to examine determinants of processed fish consumption, while the second part establishes factors associated with processed fish consumption intensity. The findings suggest that the majority of the respondents have a low interest in consuming processed fish. Nonetheless, we find that demographic and socioeconomic factors influence the intensity of consuming processed fish in Qatar. Specifically, consuming processed fish sometimes or very often is positively associated with age, living in a household with no children, and labor force participation. In comparison, Qatari households, tertiary education, and living in a middle-income household are factors that are likely to reduce consuming processed fish sometimes or very often. Our findings have important implications for investment in processed fish in Qatar. Specifically, the results help in targeting different consumer segments given a better understanding of factors associated with processed fish and fishery product consumption and the intensity of consumption among consumers in Qatar. The insights drawn from this study are a fundamental precondition for advancing the processed fish and fishery product industry in Qatar, an industry with the potential to generate by-products with benefits, such as energy and animal feed, prolonging fish and fishery product shelf life and convenience for consumers. Moreover, other countries in the region are likely to benefit from the insights drawn from this study

Effective policies to mitigate food waste in Qatar

This paper highlighted food waste as one of the biggest threats to food security that put pressure on the natural resources and limit the ecological capacity of land of Qatar to continue providing renewable resources. Climate change, desertification of farmland, water shortages, soil degradation and arable land per capita decline are the main characteristics of the state of Qatar. This arid and semi-arid environment resulted in difficulties to produce food locally. Qatar used to import 90% of its food from neighboring countries before the blockade in 2017. Qatar is passing an important era of total shift from food security to self-sufficiency. In a very short time, Qatar managed to register almost full sufficiency in perishable foods and produced abundant amount of food. This shed light in the importance of sustainable production and consumption to avoid environmental disasters such as food waste that directly affect the sustainability of arable land and ground water. A panel of academics, administrators, civil society and charities came together to discuss the issue of sustainability regarding food waste, in order to formulate policies and strategies to mitigate food waste and produce compost to be used in agriculture and hence achieve food self-sufficiency. These policies will help managers and policy makers to make correct decisions to preserve the environment