This study examines the empirical relationship between economic growth, energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions, calculates the trend of decoupling effects and finally analyzes the evolution ...of inequality in CO2 emissions in GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council countries) countries. Results indicate a positive and significant association between energy consumption and CO2 emissions and between economic growth and energy consumption both in the short- and the long-run. No significant relationship is found between economic growth and CO2 emissions. Energy consumption and CO2 emissions Granger cause each other while unidirectional causal link running from economic growth to energy consumption is also found to exist. Both absolute and relative decoupling occurred in all the GCC countries except Saudi Arabia during the study period. Divergences in the Gini index values contributed towards different levels of emissions inequality in the region. CO2 emissions inequality significantly declined both in energy carriers as well as in the economic sectors over time. Despite some optimistic findings, the GCC countries are still significant contributors to CO2 emissions and as such, the study recommends pursuing favorable regulatory policies that would promote various initiatives to reduce emissions. The overall findings will help GCC countries assess its position better in future climate change negotiations.
•Long-run positive relationship between energy consumption and CO2 emissions.•No relationship between per capita GDP and CO2 emissions.•Energy consumption and CO2 emissions Granger cause each other.•Absolute and relative decoupling occurred in all GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council countries) countries.•CO2 emissions inequality declined over time in both energy carriers and economic sectors.
Ecological modernization theories suggest that it is hard to determine a priori the environmental effects of urbanization, while neoliberal doctrine advocates a positive role of globalization in ...developing economies especially in terms of reducing poverty and inequality. Yet, the environmental effect of globalization is not unanimous. This study employs second-generation panel regression techniques that account for heterogeneous slope coefficients and cross-sectional dependence to estimate the impacts that urbanization and globalization have on CO
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emissions for a panel of 44 Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) countries for the period 1984–2016. Also, a causality test that considers both these issues is performed. The estimated coefficient of urbanization is positive, statistically significant, and highly consistent across different estimation techniques. The magnitude of the coefficient and level of significance are different in different econometric estimations. In most specifications, the estimated coefficient on the globalization variable is statistically insignificant. Urbanization is found to cause emissions. The environmental implications of these results are discussed with a set of policy recommendations for an environmentally better SSA region.
Most previous research place great importance on the influence of family and maternal background on child and adolescents' mental health. However, age of onset studies indicates that the majority of ...the mental health disease prevalence occurs during the youth years. This study investigates the relationship of family and maternal background, as well as individual circumstance on youth mental health status.
Data from 975 participants and 4632 observations of aged cohort 15 to 19 years in the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) longitudinal study were followed for 10 years (2007-2017). Multilevel logistic regression models were used to analyse the impact of youth circumstances on mental health status.
The findings suggests that not all dimensions of family and maternal background (especially maternal education) have impacts on youth mental health. We found low household income (AOR: 1.572, 95% CI: 1.017-2.43) and adverse living arrangement (AOR: 1.586, 95% CI: 1.097-2.294) significantly increases mental disorder odds whereas maternal education or occupation fixed effects were not significant. Individual level circumstances have much stronger impact on youth mental health. We found financial shock (AOR: 1.412, 95% CI: 1.277-1.561), life event shock (AOR: 1.157, 95% CI: 1.01-1.326), long term health conditions (AOR: 2.855, 95% CI: 2.042-3.99), smoking (AOR: 1.676, 95% CI: 1.162-2.416), drinking (AOR: 1.649, 95% CI: 1.286-2.114) and being female (AOR: 2.021, 95% CI: 1.431-2.851) have significant deteriorating effects on youth mental health.
Our finding is in contrast to the majority of studies in the literature which give a preeminent role to maternal characteristics in child and youth mental health status. Mental health interventions should consider heterogeneity of adverse youth circumstances and health-related behaviours.
This study examines the dynamic relationship between carbon (CO2) emissions and energy usage, economic growth, and the changing industry structure in Bangladesh using annual time series data from ...1972 to 2020. To this end, the ARDL Bound co-integration approach as well as the ECM method were employed to analyze the dynamics in the long and short run respectively. The findings reveal a strong positive long-run association between CO2 emissions, economic growth, industry value added and GDP. For agriculture and services value added, no significant long-run relationship could be found. However, both industrial and service sectors show dynamism in the short run indicating that structural industry changes are already reducing CO2 emissions. Thus, the pressing concerns regarding the increase in emissions and the imperative to achieve its growth potential, Bangladesh ought to foster innovative technological, economic, and social solutions that can harmonize energy-intensive development with a heightened emphasis on clean energy adoption, energy conservation initiatives, and efficiency enhancements.
This study aimed to examine the healthcare-seeking (hospital, primary and preventive care) and healthcare utilisation behaviour of patients with private health insurance (PHI) in Australia. It also ...aimed to examine the socioeconomic, demographic and lifestyle factors that influence the choice of hospital care in Australia.
A logistic regression model with repeated measure t-test and Pearson's Chi-square test were used to identify the factors that affect the choice of care. Data from waves 9 (2009) and 13 (2013) of the nationally-representative Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey were used in the analysis.
Patients with PHI had a higher number of hospital nights' stay despite having a lower number of hospital admissions than those without private cover. Significant disparities were identified in preventive and specialist care use between patients with cover and without cover. No significant variations were observed in healthcare utilisation for PHI patients before and after dropping PHI. One in four patients chose to use public hospitals despite holding PHI cover. Moreover, those insured and from lower socioeconomic backgrounds and those who were younger and without long-term health conditions showed a higher probability of selecting public rather than private care.
It is evident that PHI cover encourages people to use private care. However, a considerable number of PHI patients are using public care, even though eligible for private care may indicate consumer information asymmetry.
Cancer is a major public health concern in terms of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Several types of cancer patients suffer from chronic comorbid conditions that are a major clinical challenge for ...treatment and cancer management. The main objective of this study was to investigate the distribution of the burden of chronic comorbid conditions and associated predictors among cancer patients in Australia over the period of 2007-2017.
The study employed a prospective longitudinal design using data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia survey. The number of chronic comorbid conditions was measured for each respondent. The longitudinal effect was captured using a fixed-effect negative binomial regression model, which predicted the potential factors that played a significant role in the occurrence of chronic comorbid conditions.
Sixty-one percent of cancer patients experienced at least one chronic disease over the period, and 21% of patients experienced three or more chronic diseases. Age (>65 years old) (incidence rate ratio, IRR = 1.15; 95% confidence interval, CI: 1.05, 1.40), inadequate levels of physical activity (IRR = 1.25; 95% CI: 1.09, 1.59), patients who suffered from extreme health burden (IRR = 2.30; 95% CI: 1.73, 3.05) or moderate health burden (IRR = 1.90; 95% CI: 1.45, 2.48), and patients living in the poorest households (IRR = 1.21; 95% CI: 1.11, 1.29) were significant predictors associated with a higher risk of chronic comorbid conditions.
A large number of cancer patients experience an extreme burden of chronic comorbid conditions and the different dimensions of these in cancer survivors have the potential to affect the trajectory of their cancer burden. It is also significant for health care providers, including physical therapists and oncologists, who must manage the unique problems that challenge this population and who should advocate for prevention and evidence-based interventions.
► We use regression methods to analyze the impacts of climate variables on rice yields in Bangladesh. ► We find that increasing maximum and minimum temperatures affect rice yields adversely. ► ...Temperature tolerant rice varieties need to be developed in order to mute these adverse effects.
This study examines the relationship between the yield of three major rice crops (e.g., Aus, Aman and Boro) and three main climate variables (e.g., maximum temperature, minimum temperature and rainfall) for Bangladesh. We use time series data for the 1972–2009 period at an aggregate level to assess the relationship between climate variables and rice yield using both the ordinary least squares and median (quantile) regression methods. The findings of this study confirm that climate variables have had significant effects on rice yields but that these effects vary among three rice crops. Maximum temperature is statistically significant for all rice yields with positive effects on Aus and Aman rice and adverse effects on Boro rice. Minimum temperature has a statistically significant negative effect on Aman rice and a significantly positive effect on Boro rice. Finally, rainfall has a statistically significant effect on Aus and Aman rice. Nonetheless, the influences of maximum temperature and minimum temperature are more pronounced compared with that of rainfall. Given these effects of temperature on rice crops and increasing climate change vulnerabilities, policy makers should fund the research and development of temperature-tolerant rice varieties, particularly for Aman and Boro rice.
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