Single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) gene test is a potential tool for improving the accuracy of breast cancer risk prediction. We seek to measure women's preferences and marginal willingness-to-pay ...(mWTP) for this new technology.
We administered a discrete choice experiment (DCE) to English-speaking Singaporean women aged 40-69 years without any history of breast cancer, enrolled via door-to-door recruitment with quota sampling by age and ethnicity. DCE attributes comprise: 1) sample type (buccal swab and dried blood spot), 2) person conducting pretest discussion (specialist doctor, non-specialist doctor, and nurse educator), 3) test location (private family clinic, public primary-care clinic, and hospital), and 4) out-of-pocket cost (S$50, S$175, and S$300). Mixed logit model was used to estimate the effect of attribute levels on women's preferences and mWTP. Interactions between significant attributes and respondent characteristics were investigated. Predicted uptake rates for various gene testing scenarios were studied.
A total of 300 women aged 52.6±7.6 years completed the survey (100 Chinese, Malay, and Indian women, respectively). Sample type (
=0.046), person conducting pretest discussion, and out-of-pocket cost (
<0.001) are significantly associated with going for SNP gene testing. Women with higher income and education levels are more willing to pay higher prices for the test. Preferences in terms of mWTP across ethnic groups appear similar, but Chinese women have greater preference heterogeneity for the attributes. Predicted uptake for a feasible scenario consisting of buccal swab, pretest discussion with nurse educator at the hospital costing S$50 is 60.5%. Only 3.3% of women always opted out of the SNP gene test in real life. Reasons include high cost, poor awareness, and indifference toward test results.
SNP gene testing may be tailored according to individual preferences to encourage uptake. Future research should focus on outcomes and cost-effectiveness of personalized breast cancer screening using SNP gene testing.
Previous studies suggest that home activities of housewives affect house design significantly. This paper aims at identifying roles and household activities of Malay housewives and their relationship ...with housing design preferences. A study was carried out on selected working and non-working Malay housewives of Bandar Tenggara, Johor, Malaysia, using a combination of close-ended and open-ended questionnaire survey. The results suggest that activities such as cooking and other day-to-day operations have some correlation with their sense of space. The results suggest that patterns of housewives’ home activities affect their housing design preferences.
Shoes are probably one of the most difficult products to sell online due to the high need-for-touch (NFT) displayed: people need to experiment the product before buying it, more than in any other ...item. On another hand, women are more prone than men to buy fashion and apparel products through the web channel. This paper investigates the factors driving women consumers to shop footwear products online. A qualitative research method was used grounded on semi-structured, in-depth interviews that were conducted to corroborate the constructs defined in the proposed conceptual model namely: convenience, recreation, NFT and social e-shopping. The interviews were focused on the demand side to understand the female consumers’ perspective and on the top managers of women’s shoes companies representing the suppliers’ viewpoint. The results show that women highly appreciate the convenience that shopping shoes online provides as well as its recreational nature. The NFT also stands out in the shoe market context mainly due to the particularities related to shoe size. Additionally, social e-shopping was found not be as important for women as anticipated as they see social networks more as a communication platform for brands, and less as a factor that influences their predisposition to shop shoes online. On the suppliers’ side, the interviews revealed that managers believe in bloggers and social media influence and its consideration as part of the overall marketing strategy.
The aim of this study was to explore women's interest and preferences in undergoing screening mammography in a retail health care setting.
Self-administered surveys were distributed to 400 ...mammography patients in May to June 2009. All of the women who were asked were eligible for screening (age >40 years, no abnormal mammographic findings in the recent past). Three hundred eighty-six screening-eligible women filled out and returned the self-administered survey.
The average respondent age was 57 years. Three hundred ten of the patients (80.3%) had college or postgraduate educations. Two hundred three (52.6%) reported annual incomes >$60,000. Two hundred forty-one respondents (62.4%) had been undergoing screening mammography for >10 years, while this was the first examination for eight patients (2%). More than half of the patients (n = 215 55.7%) affirmed their interest in undergoing annual screening mammography in a private area within a retail shopping facility. Most preferred a pharmacy (77%) over Wal-Mart or a grocery store. Appealing factors about a retail setting were proximity to home (90%), free parking (62%), and operating hours (48.8%).
There is interest among women in undergoing screening mammography at retail health care clinics, preferably pharmacies. The provision of services at a convenient location can increase adherence to guidelines for screening mammography.
This paper provides an explanation of the evolution and persistence of the gender wage gap due to differences in training within the framework of an overlapping generations model with ...intergenerational transmission of preferences. "Job-priority" and "family-priority" preferences are considered. Firms' policy and the distribution of women's preferences influence each other and are endogenously and simultaneously determined in the long run. The results show though the gender gap in training will diminish, it will also will persist over time. This is because both types of women's preferences coexist at the steady state due to the socialization effort of parents to preserve their own cultural values.
Conducted 5 experiments testing the folklore that the woman who is hard to get is a more desirable catch than the woman who is too eager for an alliance. All 5 experiments failed. In Exp. VI with 71 ...male university summer students an understanding was gained of this elusive phenomenon. 2 components were proposed as contributing to a woman's desirability: (a) how hard the woman is for the S to get, and (b) how hard she is for other men to get. It was predicted that the selectively hard-to-get woman (i.e., a woman who is easy for the S to get but hard for all other men to get) would be preferred to either a uniformly hard-to-get woman, a uniformly easy-to-get woman, or a woman about whom the S had no information. This hypothesis received strong support. Men ascribed to the selective woman all of the assets of uniformly hard-to-get and the uniformly easy-to-get women and none of their liabilities. (15 ref.)
The aim of this study was to assess women preference about pain and duration of labour applying a standardized questionnaire.
A prospective multicentre large cohort study was carried out in two ...different University Hospitals. A standardized questionnaire was proposed before active labour and the day after delivery in order to investigate whether women preferred low pain intensity for a longer labour duration or greater pain intensity for a shorter labour duration. The studied population was divided and analysed in two groups according to Epidural Analgesia (EA) administration. A multivariable linear regression analysis was performed to assess which variables were able to influence the opinion about the pain perception after birth.
EA group showed an increased risk of episiotomy (p = 0.004), of longer duration of labour (Stage I, p < 0.001; Stage II, p = 0.002) and of oxytocin augmentation (P = 0.030). No statistical differences were found about the route of delivery between the two groups. Rates of pre-labour scores significantly differed from rates of post labour scores (p < 0.001). In the multivariable linear regression analysis, pre-labour score was directly related to post-labour score (p = 0.013). The EA was indirectly related to higher pain levels for a longer duration preference (p = 0.001), whereas oxytocic infusion in labour was directly related with preference for higher pain for a shorter duration (p = 0.011).
Patients’ preferences about labour are focused on both pain relief and labour duration. The standardized questionnaire could be a useful tool to screen patients eligible for EA.
Abstract
Background
Skilled birth care during childbirth is reported in the literature as one critical strategy for reducing maternal morbidity and mortality. Despite the importance of birth care ...provided by skilled birth attendants, women in rural areas of northern Ghana still give birth utilising the birth services provided by Traditional Birth Attendants. The aim of this study,therefore, was to explore and describe the reasons why a small group of rural women chose homebirth in rural northern Ghana.
Methods
A qualitative approach was adopted to explore the reasons why women prefer to deliver at home in rural areas of northern Ghana. Individual interviews were used to obtain a full description of factors and experiences of women associated with home births in rural areas in Ghana. The research population consisted of 10 women who utilised birth care services provided by Traditional Birth Attendants in a rural community of northern Ghana. Data collected from the interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed to identify themes.
Results
This study, which was conducted among a small group of women, yielded interesting results on why these women still give birth at home in rural northern Ghana. It was found out that perceived poor quality of care and conduct of skilled birth attendants; the perception that women received better care from Traditional Birth Attendants; financial constraints and lack of access to healthcare facilities in the rural areas by these women accounted for majority of the reasons why women in rural northern Ghana still give birth at home.
Conclusion
The study highlighted some barriers experienced by participants to the utilisation of birth care services provided by skilled birth attendants in rural northern Ghana. Management of healthcare facilities should facilitate the implementation of supportive supervision in the maternity units to improve the quality of care and attitude delivered by skilled birth attendants in maternity care in rural communities.
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