What Drives Foundation Expenses & Compensation? Results of a Three-Year Study, Highlights

This brief presents key findings from the latest report of the Foundation Expenses and Compensation Project—the first large-scale, longterm, systematic study of independent, corporate, and community foundations' expense and compensation patterns and the factors behind them. Documenting the varying characteristics of the 10,000 largest U.S. grantmaking foundations, the study finds these differences—including foundation type, size, and operating activities—essential for understanding foundation finances. Not surprisingly, hiring staff and taking on staff-intensive activities raise charitable administrative expenditures relative to charitable distributions, while relying on unpaid board and family members and engaging in less-staff-intensive activities lower them. Most foundation operations, however, are somewhere between these poles

Countering Islamophobia in the Victorian Population

Islamophobia underpins extremist verbal and physical attacks on Muslim communities. It has become widespread in Australian society, and normalised in everyday settings such as in mainstream media. There is general agreement among Australian researchers and community representatives that the concept of Islamophobia is a useful tool for understanding and developing ways to challenge anti-Islam attitudes. However, despite it becoming widespread, Islamophobia should not be treated as a singular problem as it takes many different forms (see Peucker and Smith 2019), which require targeted responses. This brief provides contemporary empirical insights into the extent of Islamophobia in Victoria, and how it is manifest, in order to help develop policy responses. In November 2019, we undertook an online representative survey of 4019 Victorians to examine Islamophobia in Australia. We asked questions about respondents’ attitudes towards cultural diversity, racial equality and privilege; trust and fairness; Muslims and Islam; and other ethno-cultural groups in Australian society; their experiences of racism and discrimination; their contact with Muslims and knowledge of Islam; their trust of institutions; political affiliation; and support for extreme politics (e.g., violence, non-democratic governance). To our knowledge, this was the largest representative survey undertaken in Victoria with the purpose of measuring Victorians’ perceptions of and attitudes towards Muslims and Islam. Based on respondents’ answers, we used latent class analysis to reveal groups in the Victorian population. Latent class analysis is an advanced statistical method that identifies related sets of responses in a dataset that may be hidden even from trained observers (Hagenaars and McCutcheon 2002; Uebersax 1993; Heinen 1996)

Optimising data curation pipelines for population-level analytics in secure data environments: Findings from a phenome-wide analysis in the NHS England Secure Data Environment

Objective Secure data environments (SDE) ensure safe access to large population-level sensitive data. However, computational capacity is limited in these environments, which leads to challenges in the analysis of large population data within the constraints of a complex cloud architecture leveraging multiple software ecosystems. Here we present an efficient pipeline to conduct phenome-wide analyses using electronic health records (EHR) in the NHS England SDE. Methods We accessed deidentified linked EHR from NHS SDE for around 50 million people in England. The exposure is SARS-CoV-2 infection, with outcomes being a phenome-wide atlas of all diseases recorded in EHR data. For computational efficiency, we created three cohorts tables using PySpark within the Databricks environment and a sampling algorithm with inverse probability weights which adds a flag to the dataset to mark the inclusion of a row in the sample of a specific outcome. We will conduct survival analysis using Cox models in RStudio on the samples while adjusting for potential confounders in the main datasets and 15 subgroups. Results Sampling with inverse probability weighting produced datasets that are statistically equivalent to the original population data. In terms of computational efficiency, the time needed to sample and read the data for modeling one outcome is 2.3 min compared to ~45 min when trying to read the entire dataset, which could fail due to the 4GB memory limits of in Rstudio within the SDE. This is particularly important in our study since we will be running at least 13,296 models for main and subgroup analysis in the three cohorts. By adding a flag to each data row to indicate its inclusion in a sample, the sampling strategy significantly reduced the storage space required for the outcome table of each sample. Conclusion Preparing datasets in Databricks and applying sampling can increase the efficiency of big data analysis pipelines within SDE, save storage space, and help in avoiding memory overload caused by using complete datasets for statistical analysis

Understanding Varied Attitudes Towards Muslims

The focus of this research was to determine the prevalence and type of Islamophobia in the Victorian population. Islamophobia sentiment feeds the actions of right-wing extremist attacks on Muslim communities. But it has also become widespread in Australian society, and normalised in everyday settings, such as our mainstream media. Islamophobia cannot be treated with a singular approach or mode of intervention. Our study comes at a critical time; it provides empirical evidence on the extent of the problem, as well as documenting the varied manifestations of Islamophobic sentiment, with the view to developing potential action points and policy. In November 2019 we undertook a survey of 4019 Victorians. We asked questions on their attitudes towards cultural diversity, racial equality and privilege; trust and fairness; Muslims and Islam; and other ethno-cultural groups in Australian society; their experiences of racism and discrimination; their contact with Muslims and knowledge of Islam; and their political affiliation. To our knowledge, this was the largest survey undertaken in Victoria with the purpose of solely measuring Victorians perceptions of Muslims and Islam. Based on respondents’ answers, we used latent class analysis to segment the Victorian population. Five groups were generated: Islamophobic, Islamophobic with assimilationist tendencies, Undecided, Progressive with concerns about Islam, and Progressive. We then distilled the demographic and attitudinal attributes of these groups, with the view to identifying roles and drivers to help guide policy and intervention. We tested this five group segmentation with community organisations in Victoria working in the broad areas of diversity and multiculturalism, and with a particular emphasis on Muslim and non-Muslim relations. The groupings made sense on-the-ground, and they provided a strong pathway forward for program and policy design

Racism in Australia : a protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: Racism has been identified as a major source of injustice and a health burden in Australia and across the world. Despite the surge in Australian quantitative research on the topic, and the increasing recognition of the prevalence and impact of racism in Australian society, the collective evidence base has yet to be comprehensively reviewed or meta-analysed. This protocol describes the first systematic review and meta-analysis of racism in Australia at the national level, focussing on quantitative studies. The current study will considerably improve our understanding of racism, including its manifestations and fluctuation over time, variation across settings and between groups, and associations with health and socio-economic outcomes. Methods: The research will consist of a systematic literature review and meta-analysis. Searches for relevant studies will focus on the social and health science databases CINAHL, PsycINFO, PubMed and Scopus. Two reviewers will independently screen eligible papers for inclusion and extract data from included studies. Studies will be included in the review and meta-analysis where they meet the following criteria: (1) report quantitative empirical research on self-reported racism in Australia, (2) report data on the prevalence of racism, or its association with health (e.g. mental health, physical health, health behaviours) or socio-economic outcomes (e.g. education, employment, income), and (3) report Australian data. Measures of racism will focus on study participants’ self-reports, with a separate analysis dedicated to researcher-reported measures, such as segregation and differential outcomes across racial/ethnic groups. Measures of health and socio-economic outcomes will include both self-reports and researcher-reported measures, such as physiological measurements. Existing reviews will be manually searched for additional studies. Study characteristics will be summarised, and a meta-analysis of the prevalence of racism and its associations will be conducted using random effects models and mean weighted effect sizes. Moderation and subgroup analyses will be conducted as well. All analyses will use the software CMA 3.0. Discussion: This study will provide a novel and comprehensive synthesis of the quantitative evidence base on racism in Australia. It will answer questions about the fluctuation of racism over time, its variation across settings and groups, and its relationship with health and socio-economic outcomes. Findings will be discussed in relation to broader debates in this growing field of research and will be widely disseminated to inform anti-racism research, action and policy nationally. Systematic review registration: PROSPERO CRD42021265115

Genealogical typing of Neisseria meningitidis

Despite the increasing popularity of multilocus sequence typing (MLST), the most appropriate method for characterizing bacterial variation and facilitating epidemiological investigations remains a matter of debate. Here, we propose that different typing schemes should be compared on the basis of their power to infer clonal relationships and investigate the utility of sequence data for genealogical reconstruction by exploiting new statistical tools and data from 20 housekeeping loci for 93 isolates of the bacterial pathogen Neisseria meningitidis. Our analysis demonstrated that all but one of the hyperinvasive isolates established by multilocus enzyme electrophoresis and MLST were grouped into one of six genealogical lineages, each of which contained substantial variation. Due to the confounding effect of recombination, evolutionary relationships among these lineages remained unclear, even using 20 loci. Analyses of the seven loci in the standard MLST scheme using the same methods reproduced this classification, but were unable to support finer inferences concerning the relationships between the members within each complex

Commentary - Key stakeholders’ perspectives on prioritization of services for chronic respiratory diseases (CRDs) in Tanzania and Sudan: Implications in the COVID-19 era

Key Messages● Despite significant morbidity and mortality and socioeconomic consequences, chronic respiratory diseases (CRDs) are underprioritized in public health programs, especially in low-and middle income countries (LMICs)● COVID-19 is compounding this lack of prioritization and negatively impacting CRD-related (and other) health-care access, diagnosis, and management● Risk factors for exposure to untreated COVID-19, other respiratory infections, and CRDs overlap and could be addressed in concert● Prioritization of COVID-19 within the health system is likely to last for years, potentially allowing advocates to reframe the prioritization of CRDs as part of the pandemic preparedness and integration of health care. This includes advocating for approaches that integrate CRDs into existing programs and services systems strengthening

Predictors of Program Participation in a Nutrition-Sensitive Agroecological Intervention in Singida, Tanzania

This research article was published in the Current Developments in Nutrition Volume 4, SUPPLEMENT 2, June 2020Objectives Nutrition-sensitive agricultural interventions are theorized to improve child’s diet through asset provision and program participation. Although some programs measure participation, predictors of participation are understudied. We therefore investigated predictors of men’s and women’s program participation in Singida Nutrition and Agroecology Project (SNAP-Tz; NCT02761876). Methods In SNAP-Tz, ‘mentor farmers’ led their peers (smallholder farmers with children < 1 year at baseline) in learning about agroecology, nutrition, and gender equity through meetings and household visits. At baseline, we collected data on demographics, Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (0–27), men’s involvement in 7 household tasks (0–7), and Abbreviated Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index (AWEAI). Participating men (n = 262) and women (n = 283) were asked to recall their program participation biannually. Predictors of high participation, defined as attendance in ≥60% participant meetings and household visits, were identified using multiple logistic regressions, controlling for clustering at the village level. Results Only 59% and 37% of women and men, respectively, had high participation. Women’s high participation was associated with their spouse’s participation (OR = 4.23, P < 0.01), greater food insecurity (OR = 1.03, P = 0.03), years of education (OR = 1.13, P = 0.02), and being empowered (OR = 5.88, P < 0.01). Men’s high participation was associated with their spouse’s participation (OR = 4.22, P < 0.01), greater food insecurity (OR = 2.23, P = 0.01), involvement in household tasks (OR = 1.25, P = 0.04), and age (OR = 1.03, P < 0.01). Conclusions Associations between an individual’s and their spouse’s participation indicate the importance of spousal dynamics. The association between participation and baseline gender equity (i.e., women’s empowerment, men’s involvement in household tasks) highlights the challenges of gender programming in nutrition-sensitive interventions. Analysis of program participation was simple and revealed valuable lessons for program implementation and design; more programs should therefore analyze participation

Podoconiosis and soil-transmitted helminths (STHs): double burden of neglected tropical diseases in Wolaita zone, rural southern Ethiopia

Background Both podoconiosis and soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections occur among barefoot people in areas of extreme poverty; however, their co-morbidity has not previously been investigated. We explored the overlap of STH infection and podoconiosis in Southern Ethiopia and quantified their separate and combined effects on prevalent anemia and hemoglobin levels in podoconiosis patients and health controls from the same area. Methods and Principal Findings A two-part comparative cross-sectional study was conducted in Wolaita zone, southern Ethiopia. Data were collected from adult patients presenting with clinically confirmed podoconiosis, and unmatched adult neighborhood controls living in the same administrative area. Information on demographic and selected lifestyle factors was collected using interviewer-administered questionnaires. Stool samples were collected and examined qualitatively using the modified formalin-ether sedimentation method. Hemoglobin level was determined using two different methods: hemoglobinometer and automated hematology analyzer. A total of 913 study subjects (677 podoconiosis patients and 236 controls) participated. The prevalence of any STH infection was 47.6% among patients and 33.1% among controls (p<0.001). The prevalence of both hookworm and Trichuris trichiura infections was significantly higher in podoconiosis patients than in controls (AOR 1.74, 95% CI 1.25 to2.42, AOR 6.53, 95% CI 2.34 to 18.22, respectively). Not wearing shoes and being a farmer remained significant independent predictors of infection with any STH. There was a significant interaction between STH infection and podoconiosis on reduction of hemoglobin level (interaction p value = 0.002). Conclusions Prevalence of any STH and hookworm infection was higher among podoconiosis patients than among controls. A significant reduction in hemoglobin level was observed among podoconiosis patients co-infected with hookworm and ‘non-hookworm STH’. Promotion of consistent shoe-wearing practices may have double advantages in controlling both podoconiosis and hookworm infection in the study area