Magister Artium (Development Studies) - MA(DVS) / The international migrant stock has continued to grow at a fast pace increasing from 222 million in 2010 to 244 million in 2015. Reasons for migration are diverse and include conflicts, poverty and natural tragedies. South to South migration is the most prevalent on the African continent; similarly, half of migrants from developing countries, the world over, are estimated to reside in other developing countries. South Africa is amongst the continent’s most popular destinations for Africa’s migrants. Among the international migrants of African descent who reside in South Africa, are Ghanaians; a migrant population rarely considered by migration studies conducted in the country. Ghanaians receive less than 5% of the permits granted by South Africa to migrants every year. Among this lot of migrants, are undocumented Ghanaians who live in the country with little or no social protection. They are exposed to various health and social conditions and resort to survivalist strategies as a coping mechanism. However, very little is known about the specifics of the aforementioned challenges and the strategies they use to cope with these, in South Africa, for studies in this regard are largely non-existent. With the aim of filling this gap, this study explores the economic and social survival strategies of Ghanaian migrants in Johannesburg, South Africa. Using qualitative research methods, it draws data from 10 Key Informant Individual Interviews and three Focus Group Discussions (FGD) and analyses the experiences of documented and undocumented Ghanaian migrants in relation to access to livelihood, health, housing and their use of social networks in South Africa. The findings of this research indicated that economic reason is the main push factor for the migration of Ghanaians to South Africa. It is hoped that the relevant authorities in Ghana and South Africa that are positioned to address the challenges faced by migrants will find the results of this study useful in their efforts to mitigate the plight of documented and undocumented Ghanaian migrants in the informal sector of South Africa.

Renewable energy and economic growth are among the central issues in the two-prongeddisciplines of economics and sustainability. This study explores the impact of renewable energygeneration on economic growth. Utilizing the theoretical framework of Energy Growth Nexus,the research employs a neo-classical production function in several panel data econometricmodels. Sixty nations across the globe are categorized into high-income countries and lowincome countries equally by the World Bank´s income-classifications calculated using theWorld Bank Atlas method. Renewable energy and non-renewable energy generation along withcomponents of production functions such as labor force and investments are examined for theperiod 2000-2021 to identify their impact on GDP. All the variables explored in the study arenormalized by population to account for population differences across countries. Our findingsrobustly support the growth hypothesis, that renewable energy acts as a catalyst to economicdevelopment. The empirical results indicate that there is an association between the renewableenergy and GDP per capita regardless of the nation´s income levels. Robustness checks withdata from a decade preceding the initial analysis are also conducted to ensure the initial findingsare consistent and not an anomaly. The empirical findings from the study offers insights togovernments, energy planners, policymakers, international agencies, and associated bodies toconsider decisions regarding renewable energy transitions. Investments into renewable energyinfrastructure not only enhances the sustainability levels of planet earth but conjointlystimulates economic growth across the globe.

Den absoluta merparten av alla barn föds på sjukhus i Sverige och har så gjorts sedan början av förra seklet.Mödradödligheten sjönk stadigt alltjämt som förlossningsenheterna centraliserades runt om i landet. Till slut var hemförlossningar snarare något avvikande och sjukhusförlossningen något alldeles självklart. I nutid råder enighet att kvinnan skall kunna göra ett informerat val om förlossningsplats, vilket i enlighet med befintlig forskning förespråkas av World Health Organization [WHO]. Syftet med denna studie var att undersöka vilka faktorer som påverkade kvinnor att ta beslutet att genomföra en hemförlossning i ett höginkomstland. Metoden som användes är en allmän litteraturöversikt där data från 15 vetenskapliga originalartiklar analyserats. En integrerad litteraturöversikt genomfördes vilken resulterade i två kategorier: ”Vad kvinnan vill ha” med fyra underkategorier och ”Vad vården erbjuder” med tre underkategorier. I kategorin ”Vad kvinnan vill ha” var huvudfyndet kvinnors önskan om en fysiologiskt naturlig förlossning på sina egna villkor, utan att bli störd. I detta önskade kvinnorna känna sig trygga, sedda och i centrum för sin egen förlossning. Egenkontroll och självbestämmande var essentiellt. Under ”Vad vården erbjuder” var huvudfyndet att kvinnornas tidigare obehagliga eller traumatiska upplevelser av vårdpersonal inverkade på beslutet. Vårdgivares bemötande och attityd kunde driva kvinnan längre ifrån den traditionella vården vilket hade inflytande på kvinnans val att föda i hemmet. Slutsatsen av uppsatsen är att kvinnors individuella önskan om att få en säker och god förlossningsupplevelse i hemmet, tillsammans med förtroendet för vården, är något som borde vara en stor prioritet för vårdpersonal och samhället i stort.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change 2018 highlights the importance of short-lived greenhouse gasses to combat global warming. This study explores the relationship between Gross Domestic Product per capita and methane per capita. The relationship is explored in relation to the Environmental Kuznets Curve theory where the subjects to examination used are High Income Countries and Low Income Countries based on United Nation classifications in 2019. In total 47 countries are examined where 30 countries are High Income Countries and 17 are Low Income Countries. The relationships are examined for the time periods 1970 to 2017 through Fixed Effect Models. To improve accuracy additional control variables are added: Population in agriculture (% of total employment), balance of payments and forest areas. With the added control variables, the time frame used in Fixed Effect Models changes to 1991 to 2017. The different Fixed Effect Models provide inverted U-shaped relationships for Low Income Countries and uncertain results for High Income Countries according to the Environmental Kuznets Curve.

Background: There is a strong association between exposure to intimate partner violence (IPV) and the development of negative mental health (MH) outcomes among women and their children. Given the high prevalence of IPV in low and lower-middle income countries (LLMICs) and its relationship with varying MH issues, it is essential to identify evidence-based interventions that reduce MH challenges, including interventions that remain effective under LLMIC resource, implementation, and scalability constraints. Objective: The proposed study involves a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) evaluating psychosocial interventions compared to a) no intervention, b) alternatively specified interventions, or c) waitlisted services to reduce MH impairment among women and children with IPV exposure and who live in LLMICs relative to those living in high income countries (HICs). Methods: Our methods and reporting followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). We systematically searched eight electronic databases for RCTs reporting the effects of psychosocial interventions on the well-being of women, and/or their children, who were exposed to IPV and who were living in LLMICs or HICs. Searches were completed on April 10, 2022. We implemented forward citation searching on February 19th, 2023, of the included studies to capture any missed or recently published papers. Title, abstract, full-text screening, and data extraction were completed independently, using Covidence. Primary and secondary outcome data extracted and analyzed from the included studies were: (a) MH disorder (depressive disorder, anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)), (b) clinical symptoms of mental illness (stress, emotion dysregulation, self-efficacy, self-esteem, externalizing symptoms, and suicidal thoughts and ideation) and (c) parent and child relationship and quality of life. Pooled effect estimates of the outcomes were synthesized on Comprehensive Meta-Analysis (CMA) and were reported using Hedge’s g. Risk of bias was also assessed, in duplicate, using the Clarity Risk of Bias Tool and the certainty of the available evidence was classified according to the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation Tool (GRADE). Where at least five studies were available for an outcome, three a priori subgroup analyses were completed for women and children on the basis of : 1) psychosocial intervention type (empowerment and advocacy, trauma-focused therapy, non-trauma focused therapy, counselling, and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), and parenting), income setting (LLMIC and HIC), and 3) length of follow-up (post-intervention, < 12-months follow-up, and ≥ 12-months follow-up). Lastly, sensitivity analyses explored the impact of the following on the outcomes (1) high-risk of bias ratings; (2) missing data, and (3) reporting on feasibility and pilot data. Results: A total of 33,257 articles were identified via database searches; 12,057 were removed using deduplication, resulting in 21, 200 articles for title and abstract screening. A total of 581 articles underwent full-text screening, of which 55 unique studies were included in the review. Across the included studies, enough data was available to analyze seven outcomes within the meta-analysis; this included the primary outcomes of depressive disorder, anxiety disorder, PTSD, and the secondary outcomes, stress, self-esteem, self-efficacy, and quality of life. Thirteen studies were completed in LLMIC settings, with 42 studies focused on HICs. Ten studies focused on women and children exposed to IPV, 43 studies focused strictly on women, and two studies focused strictly on children. With respect to the outcomes, the majority of studies examined intervention impacts on depression (k = 33, 60%), anxiety (k = 11, 20%), and PTSD (k = 26, 47%). After performing the meta-analyses, very uncertain evidence suggests that psychosocial interventions may lead to reductions in maternal depression (g = -0.222; 95% CI -0.353 to -0.090) maternal anxiety (g = -0.541; 95% CI -0.953 to -0.129), and child PTSD (g = -0.314; 95% CI -0.602 to -0.026). Additionally, very uncertain evidence suggests that psychosocial interventions may have little to no effect on child depression (g = 0.085; 95% CI -0.519 to 0.690), maternal PTSD (g = -0.193; 95% CI -0.339 to -0.047), maternal stress (g = -0.188; 95% CI -0.454 to 0.078), and maternal self-efficacy (g = 0.187; 95% CI -0.096, 0.469). As well, moderate certainty of evidence indicates that psychosocial interventions are likely to result in little to no difference in self-esteem (g = 0.196; 95% CI -0.009 to 0.401), and a low certainty of evidence indicates that psychosocial interventions may result in little to no difference in maternal quality of life (g = 0.121; 95% CI -0.090, 0.332), relative to controls. However, when considering these outcomes, trauma-focused therapy showed significant improvements in maternal depression in HICs and LLMICs, while maternal anxiety and PTSD showed significant improvements in LLMICs. Non-trauma focused therapy resulted in significant improvements in maternal stress specifically in LLMICs. Parenting psychosocial interventions were also effective in significantly improving child PTSD in LLMICs. Conclusion: The systematic review and meta-analysis found that psychosocial interventions may not be more beneficial compared to control groups for addressing MH outcomes amongst women and children exposed to IPV within LLMICs and HICs. While trauma-focused therapy, non-trauma focused therapy, and parenting interventions demonstrated significant positive impacts for maternal depression, anxiety, PTSD, stress and child PTSD, the evidence available was deemed to be uncertain. This review underscores the importance of equal resource distribution, fair research practices, investing in longer follow-up studies, comprehensive data analysis, and clear reporting. Future research should prioritize well-designed trials to understand the effects of specific psychosocial interventions. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc) / Women's exposure to intimate partner violence (IPV) is a serious public health problem that often occurs in the presence of children and is linked to poor mental health; this is especially true among women and children living in low and lower-middle income countries (LLMIC) (Barada et al., 2021; García-Moreno et al., 2013; Silva et al., 2019). Given that intervening early can help reduce the mental health (MH) impacts of IPV exposure, there is an urgency to identify and disseminate evidence-based interventions in LLMIC settings. Here, we systematically review the literature evaluating psychosocial interventions that aim to reduce MH impairment among women and children exposed to IPV in LLMIC settings and examine how these findings compare to psychosocial interventions that reduce MH impairment among those living in high-income country (HIC) settings. In total, 55 unique studies were included in the systematic review. Findings are varied; however, overall, trauma-focused therapy, non-trauma focused therapy, and parenting psychosocial interventions significantly improved specific mental health outcomes within specific settings. In HICs, trauma-focused therapy demonstrated improvements in maternal depression. In LLMICs, trauma-focused therapy was effective in reducing maternal depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In addition, in LLMICs, only, non-trauma focused therapy improved maternal stress and parenting interventions improved child PTSD. We also narratively and statistically discuss factors specific to the psychosocial interventions that may improve MH following IPV exposure. Intervention factors include mechanism, type, delivery, setting, and modality, which should be targets for future evaluation. In sum, our review emphasizes the importance of tailoring interventions to address the unique needs of survivors in particular settings and calls for balanced, larger, and well-designed trials to better understand the effects of psychosocial interventions within and across contexts.

Introduktion: Fysisk inaktivitet beskrivs idag som ett växande globalt folkhälsoproblem där en tredjedel av världens alla vuxna inte når upp till de internationella rekommendationerna för fysisk aktivitet. Fysisk inaktivitet fastställs även som en av de ledande riskfaktor för förtida död och förknippas ofta med sjukdomar som hjärt- och kärlsjukdomar, diabetes och cancer. Kvinnor i åldrarna 18–64 år boende i socioekonomiskt utsatta områden beskrivs vara i särskild risk för fysisk inaktivitet, framförallt då bristande möjligheter till att utöva fysisk aktivitet är ledande för denna befolkningsgrupp. Syfte: Syftet med denna litteraturstudie är att beskriva vilka riskfaktorer som kan bidra till fysisk inaktivitet samt vilka skyddsfaktorer som kan bidra till fysisk aktivitet bland kvinnor i åldrarna 18–64 år i socioekonomiskt utsatta områden i höginkomstländer. Metod: Den metod som tillämpades var en systematisk litteraturöversikt där 20 vetenskapliga artiklar stod till grund för resultatet. De databaser som användes i studien var PubMed och Medline och de vetenskapliga artiklarna var publicerade mellan år 2005–2020. Vidare granskades och bearbetats dessa artiklar utifrån en tematisk innehållsanalys. Resultat: Resultatet redovisades med utgångspunkt från tre huvudteman; socioekonomiska faktorer, psykosociala faktorer samt fysisk miljö. I resultatet framkom det att faktorer som låg utbildningsnivå, låg nivå av self-efficacy, avsaknad av socialt stöd samt bristande ekonomiska förutsättningar och fysisk miljö var påverkande orsaker till fysisk inaktivitet bland kvinnor i socioekonomiskt utsatta områden. Slutsats: Utifrån resultatet går det att dra slutsatsen att fysisk inaktivitet bland kvinnor i socioekonomiskt utsatta områden är ett synnerligen viktigt ämne som berör många perspektiv, både på individnivå och på samhällsnivå. Den fysiska inaktiviteten bland kvinnor i socioekonomiskt missgynnade stadsdelar handlar i stora delar om brist på de skyddsfaktorer som kan bidra till en ökad fysisk aktivitet. / Introduction: Physical inactivity is described as a growing global public health problem where one third of all the world’s adults do not achieve the international recommendations for physical activity. Physical inactivity is also identified as one of the leading risk factors for premature death and is often associated with diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer. Women aged 18-64 living in socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods are described as being at particular risk of physical inactivity, especially as lack of opportunitiesis common among this group of population when it comes to physical activity. Aim: The aim of this literature study is to describe the risk factors that can contribute to physical inactivity and the protective factors that can contribute to physical activity among women aged 18-64 living in socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods in high-income countries. Methods: The method used was a systematic literature review based on 20 scientific articles.The databases that were used in the study were PubMed and Medline and the scientific articles were published between 2005–2020. Furthermore, these articles were reviewed and processed on the basis of a thematic content analysis. Results: The results were presented on the basis of three main themes; socioeconomic factors, psychosocial factors and physical environment. The results showed that factors such as low level of education, low level of self efficacy, lack of social support and lack of financial prerequisites and physical environment were influential causes of physical inactivity among women in socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods. Conclusion: Based on the results, it can be concluded that physical inactivity among women in socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods is a particularly important topic that affects many perspectives, both at the individual level and at the societal level. The physical inactivity among women in socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods is largely due to a lack of the protective factors that can contribute to increased physical activity.

In the literature, some studies argue that affluence and the financial sector encourages low-carbon investments which result in lower emissions while others find that they enhance emissions. Contemporary studies barely consider agriculture, employment generation and the degree of financial development as determinants of emissions. In view of these, the thesis investigates the impact of economic and financial development on CO2 emissions in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Applying the EKC and STIRPAT framework, the study modelled three functional forms which were estimated using an unbalanced panel data of 45 SSA countries by employing static and dynamic analytical methods. The models were re-estimated for 24 low (LIC), 13 lower-middle (LMIC), six upper-middle (UMIC) and two high-income countries (HIC). The study found evidence that empirical results differ in terms of the (sub-) sample of countries, estimation methods and functional forms. In detail, the study found different CO2 emissions-economic development relationships for the income groups. However, there is evidence of a linkage between later developments of the economies with lower emissions in LIC and UMIC while this linkage does not exist in LMIC and HIC. The study also found that financial development lowers CO2 in UMIC while it enhances emissions in LIC, LMIC and HIC. Despite this, there is evidence of a linkage between later developments of financial sectors with higher emissions in LIC and HIC and a linkage between later developments of financial sectors with lower CO2 in UMIC in SSA meanwhile no linkage was found for LMIC. The study concludes that not all economic development increases the level of CO2 emissions and not all financial development limits CO2 emissions in SSA during the study period. Generally, the main contributory variables to CO2 emissions are income, trade openness, energy consumption, population density and domestic credit to private sector to GDP. The main reducing factors of CO2 emissions are agriculture and official exchange rate. The thesis recommends that SSA needs to be more responsive to a cleaner CO2 environment by moving away from the conduct of unclean development strategy to intensified green investments. / Economics / D. Phil. (Economics)