Explore the vast range of titles available.

\"Low income and first-generation students comprise a significant portion of today's college student population. The articles in this publication examine the various programs and strategies that are designed to support student success for these populations\"--Provided by publisher.

Background Although the initiation of injection drug use has been well characterized among at-risk youth, factors that support or impede cessation of injection drug use have received less attention. We sought to identify socioeconomic factors associated with cessation of injection drug use among street-involved youth. Methods From September 2005 to May 2015, data were collected from the At-Risk Youth Study (ARYS), a prospective cohort study of street-involved youth in Vancouver, Canada. Multivariate extended Cox regression was utilized to identify socioeconomic factors associated with cessation of injection drug use for six months or longer among youth who were actively injecting. Results Among 383 participants, 171 (44.6%) youth reported having ceased injection (crude incidence density 22 per 100 person-years; 95% confidence interval [CI], 19–26) at some point during study follow-up. Youth who had recently dealt drugs (adjusted hazard ration [AHR], 0.50; 95% CI, 0.29–0.87), engaged in prohibited street-based income generation (AHR, 0.41; 95% CI, 0.24–0.69), and engaged in illegal income generating activities (AHR, 0.19; 95% CI, 0.06–0.61) were significantly less likely to report cessation of injection drug use. Conclusions Our findings suggest that socioeconomic factors, in particular engagement in prohibited street-based and illegal income generating activities, may pose barriers to ceasing injection drug use among this population. Effort to improve access to stable and secure income, as well as employment opportunities may assist youth in transitioning away from injection drug use. Trial registration Our study is not a randomized controlled trial; thus the trial registration is not applicable.

Commercial alpine medicinal plants are collected from the wild by local rural households throughout the Himalaya and sold in order to increase household incomes. Recent studies indicate that this annual trade amounts to thousands of tonnes of roots, rhizomes, tubers, leaves, etc., worth millions of US dollars. The main market is in India. Based on a national survey, including the most commonly traded species, and a village study this paper investigates the importance of the alpine medicinal plant trade at national and local levels in Nepal. The national survey included standardized open-ended interviews with 232 harvesters, 64 local traders, 66 central wholesalers, 47 regional wholesalers, and 16 production companies. The village survey is based on the daily records of household activities in 15 households in a one-year period. The annual Nepalese alpine and sub-alpine medicinal plant trade is conservatively estimated to vary from 480 to 2500 t with a total harvester value of US$0.8-3.3 million; the average harvester value is estimated at US$66.0 ± 99.0. The trade in 1997/98 amounted to 1600 t with a harvester value of US$2.3 million and an export value equivalent to 2.5% of total export from Nepal. Medicinal plant harvesting was found to constitute an integrated part of local livelihood strategies, contributing from 3 to 44% (average of 12%) of the annual household income. Importance at household level depended on land and animal holdings, and the availability of adult male labour. The validity and reliability of methods and analyses is evaluated, and issues of conservation and management of alpine medicinal plant species under the community forestry scheme are discussed.

This article provides a review of recent scientific literature on social vulnerability to climate change, aiming to determine which social and demographic groups, across a wide range of geographical locations, are the most vulnerable to climate change impacts within four well-being dimensions: health, safety, food security, and displacement. We analyze how vulnerability changes over time and ask whether there is evidence of critical thresholds beyond which social vulnerability drastically changes. The review finds that climate change is expected to exacerbate current vulnerabilities and inequalities. The findings confirm concerns about climate justice, especially its intergenerational dimensions. For example, deficiencies in early childhood may limit future educational and income generation opportunities. Evidence of clear thresholds is rare and is mainly related to the vulnerability of different age groups, household income level, and the impacts of different degrees of global warming.

Large changes have taken place in smallholder farming systems in South Asia’s coastal areas in recent decades, particularly related to cropping intensity, input availability, climate risks, and off-farm activities. However, few studies have investigated the extent to which these changes have impacted farm-level crop productivity, which is a key driver of food security and poverty in rainfed, low-input, rice-based systems. The objective of this study was to conduct an integrated assessment of variables related to socioeconomic status, farm characteristics, and crop management practices to understand the major factors influencing crop productivity and identify promising leverage points for sustainable development in coastal Bangladesh. Using a panel survey dataset of 32 variables from 502 farm households located within polder (coastal embankment) and outside polder systems during 2005–2015, we employed statistical factor analysis to characterize five independent latent factors named here as Farming Challenges , Economic Status , Crop Management Practices , Asset Endowment , and Farm Characteristics . The factor Farming Challenges explained the most variation among households (31%), with decreases observed over time, specifically households located outside polders. Individual variables contributing to this factor included perceived cyclone severity, household distance to main roads and input-output markets, cropping intensity, and access to extension services. The most important factors for increasing crop productivity on a household and per unit area basis were Asset Endowment and Crop Management Practices , respectively. The former highlights the need for increasing gross cropped area, which can be achieved through greater cropping intensity, while the latter was associated with increased fertilizer, labor, and pesticide input use. Despite the importance of these factors, household poverty trajectory maps showed that changes in off-farm income had played the strongest role in improving livelihoods in this coastal area. This study can help inform development efforts and policies for boosting farm-level crop productivity, specifically through agricultural intensification (higher cropping intensity combined with appropriate and efficient use of inputs) and expanding opportunities for off-farm income as key pathways to bring smallholder households out of poverty.

Rural e-commerce, as a new form of digital economy, is of great significance in promoting the income of rural households and realizing common prosperity. Based on the 2021 China Rural Revitalization Survey (CRRS), the impact of rural e-commerce on farmers’ income and the intra-rural income gap is explored using quantile regression. The results found that (1) rural e-commerce can effectively promote the level of farm household income and alleviate the intra-rural income disparity, with this finding still holding after addressing the potential endogeneity problem and conducting robust-type tests. (2) Rural e-commerce has the most pronounced income-generating effect on low-income households in the southern region; participation in rural e-commerce has a more “center-expanding” effect on households in the secondary education and high material capital groups. (3) Saving production and operation costs, shortening the product circulation chain, and improving access to information are channels through which rural e-commerce affects households’ income. It is recommended to actively promote the deep integration and development of rural e-commerce in rural areas, establish a sound mechanism for bridging the “digital divide”, encourage e-commerce “leaders” to build a perfect industrial chain, and guide smallholders to integrate into the rural e-commerce industrial chain to enjoy the digital dividend.

The right to water and sanitation is recognized as fundamental to attaining all other human rights. Globally, however, 2.1 billion people do not have access to safe drinking water at home, 2.3 billion do not have basic sanitation and 1 billion practice open defecation. Women and girls are disproportionately affected by the lack of access to basic water, sanitation and hygiene facilities, due to their needs during periods of increased vulnerability to infection around menstruation and reproduction. Women and girls also have a larger role relative to men in water, sanitation and hygiene activities, including in agriculture and domestic labour. This situation has implications for gender equality and empowerment. The sustainable development goals (SDGs) make an important initial step in connecting water, sanitation and hygiene (SDG 6) and gender equality and empowerment (SDG 5) through target 6.2, which emphasizes access to equitable sanitation and hygiene, and the needs of women and girls. However, indicators to measure the specific needs of women and girls are still emerging

The role that working equids play in both rural and urban communities in low and middle-income countries is invaluable. They contribute to daily tasks such as carrying food, water and people, support income generation, and are of social and cultural importance. Despite their importance, global standards of working equid welfare are low. Many variables can impact the welfare status of animals under human care, but often specific factors are explored in isolation. Factors can include, but are not limited to an owner’s socioeconomic status and their attitudes and beliefs towards animals. In this study we assessed the relationships between 1.) Attitudes and belief in horse sentience, 2.) Owner’s socioeconomic status (including household income, coverage of needs and education) and 3.) Horse welfare status. The study, consisting of an owner questionnaire and a welfare assessment of their horses, was conducted in three regions in Senegal; participants included 299 owners and their horses. Overall, our findings show that a more positive attitude towards horses, stronger belief in horse sentience, a higher standard of living and a greater ability to cover the needs of the household was associated with more positive horse welfare. A stronger belief in horse sentience was a significant predictor of horse’s body condition, larger households and those with a higher income were more likely to own a horse in good general health. Our findings demonstrate a complex relationship between working horse welfare, their owner’s attitudes, and their socioeconomic status. It is the first study we are aware of that has explored the relationships between these different variables. The findings from this study provide valuable insights into the interconnected factors which impact upon working equid welfare in Senegal and potentially more widely.

Agroforestry practices play a vital role in improving rural income and livelihoods, yet quantifying their contributions in Ethiopia remains limited. This study investigated the contribution of agroforestry practices to rural income and livelihoods, along with factors influencing income derived from these practices. A two-stage sampling method was employed to select 160 rural households engaged in home garden and woodlot agroforestry practices. Data were collected through semi-structured questionnaires, key informant interviews, and focus group discussions. Descriptive statistics, content analysis, generalized linear model, Mann–Whitney U test, and financial analysis tools were used to analyze and interpret the data. The results demonstrated that agroforestry practices provide numerous benefits to rural households, including fuelwood, charcoal, poles, construction materials, fodder, perennial crops, food crops, and fruits for both consumption and income generation. Agroforestry practices significantly increased farm income, contributing 18.2% of the total household income. This income significantly supported annual household expenditures across various livelihood capitals. Income from woodlots was significantly higher than that from home gardens, while home gardens showed a better overall capability to improve livelihoods. Household size, agroforestry size, gender, crop income, access to seedlings, and farm elevation positively and significantly (p < 0.05) impacted agroforestry income. Overall, agroforestry practices significantly contribute to annual income and improve the human, social, natural, physical, and financial capital of rural households in the Tarmaber district. Policymakers and practitioners should consider the socioeconomic, ecological, and institutional factors influencing agroforestry income when developing policies and strategies to improve rural income and livelihoods.

Meliponiculture or keeping stingless bee in Malaysia is expanding and has the potential to generate money for the the bottom 40% of income earners (B40). The increased production of stingless bee honey as a complementary medicine as a therapeutic medium for health for a variety of reasons. Thus, this study aimed to explore the experiences and perceptions on the therapeutic effects of stingless bee honey and its potential value in generating economy among the B40 community. Semi-structured interviews were carried out among the B40 community who participated in the Desa Kelulut project of Kampung Bukit Kuin, Kuantan. The data were analysed using thematic analysis. A total of six respondents interviewed in the study out of 20 participants. Four themes emerged, namely, benefit of stingless bee honey; market supply and economy; sustaining the farm; and facilitate income. The participants valued the beneficial properties of the honey toward health and acknowledged the potential of the stingless bee honey to be marketed in Malaysia as well as generating income for the B40 community of Kampung Bukit Kuin, Kuantan.