China is facing severe aging problems. It is estimated that in 2050, people over 60 in China will cover more than 25 percent population. How to make the elderly people’s life more meaningful and more fruitful becomes an urgent issue. To obtain the goal of setting up a learning society, as well as to loosen the heavy burden aroused by aging problem, community education is applied as an effective way to the elderly people widely to enhance their living standard. A lot of researches have been done on community education and the elderly education respectively abroad. China started to do such topic study later than Western countries but the speed of aging has soared during last 20 years. The blank of study especially the elderly people who live in rural area should aroused the attention of this society.  This field study is to find out the factors that may lead to the elderly people’s subjective factors of participation into community education. According to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and society support theory, with the help of questionnaire and interview, the author finds out the current situation of the elderly’s participation in community education in Shuyuan Township, and factors that may influence the frequency of participation. The author proposes several suggestions which can be used to improve current situation as policy adviser.

Magister Public Health - MPH / Despite all measures taken by the South African government since 1994, there is a contiuous increase of maternal mortality in the country and the Northwest Province is amongst the highest. Studies to date combining the review of maternal deaths and severe acute maternal morbidity (SAMM) have been conducted primarily in urban areas. The aim of this study was to determine the causes of death and avoidable factors for maternal mortality and severe acute maternal morbidity in a rural regional hospital from 01/01/2005 to 30/04/2006. / South Africa

La pluriactivité se développe dans les espaces ruraux, après un siècle de marginalisation. Or le dispositif d’accompagnement à la création d’activité, interface entre le territoire et les pratiques des acteurs, reflète les tensions et les ambiguïtés des politiques institutionnelles, et laisse de côté des acteurs situés aux marges des modèles reconnus et promus par les politiques économiques. Comment dès lors adapter l’accompagnement aux besoins exprimés des pluriactifs ? Partant de l’hypothèse qu’une meilleure compréhension de la teneur d’un projet pluriactif et des conditions de sa mise en œuvre permet d’adapter le dispositif d’accompagnement, notre recherche observe et analyse le projet pluriactif et son accompagnement, au filtre d’une expérimentation de formation/accompagnement menée dans le Haut-Languedoc (Hérault). En 2008, 14 porteurs de projet ont été réunis pendant neuf mois autour de chercheurs et d’accompagnateurs. Tous les projets posaient des questions de fond à l’accompagnement, par leur précarité constitutive ou leur inadaptation au modèle classique de l’entreprise. L’expérimentation montre que le cadre souple et ouvert de l’accompagnement a permis le processus de création d’activité, en intégrant les incertitudes liées à la précarité initiale et les dimensions non économiques du projet. Mais elle montre aussi que l’accompagnement de la pluriactivité demande plus qu’une adaptation instrumentale des dispositifs : la fonction même de l’accompagnement change lorsque les projets individuels remettent en question les projets territoriaux. La pluriactivité implique de repenser la place des acteurs et la reconnaissance de l’innovation contenue dans leurs pratiques. / Pluri-activity is reappearing after a century on the sidelines in western societies. In rural areas, where pluri-activity is structurally inherent, the resource of accompaniment - in its role of mediating and fostering mutual exchange and growth between the public realm (as defined by a region’s institutions, policies and norms) and the proponents of a project - brings into sharp relief the tensions and ambiguities in public policy. The nature of the public realm where proponents of a small enterprise enter decision making spaces, effectively excludes those whose work is structured in ways different to models of work recognised and promoted by regional development policies. A better comprehension of the multiple components of a pluri-active project and of the conditions it requires to function, allows an appropriate adaptation of accompaniment. The nature of pluri-active projects and their accompaniment were observed during a training held in Haut-Languedoc in 2008. Over nine months fourteen proponents of projects met together with a group of researchers and mentors. The experience showed that the open and flexible framing of the accompaniment permitted the projects to develop and establish themselves through the integration both of the uncertainties linked to the projects’ precarious starting off points, and also of their non economic aspects. To accompany pluri-activity requires more than adapting how the supporting resources function : it implies rethinking first of all the place of the proponents and allowing to emerge the potential innovations contained in the particular ‘starting -up’ strategies that systems of economic activities falling outside the classic models will discover and employ.

Magister Public Health - MPH / According to the Demographic and Health Survey in Zambia the national HIV prevalence among population aged 15-49 years was 14%. In 2002 the Government of Zambia introduced Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) in two of the largest hospitals in Zambia: Lusaka and Ndola hospitals. As many people begin accessing ART in rural areas in Zambia, one of the major challenges is ensuring that those receiving ART adhere to treatment to avoid the emergence of drug resistance and treatment failure. The research therefore set to identify the potential barriers and facilitators to antiretroviral treatment adherence among people living with HIV and AIDS in the rural district of Chongwe,Zambia.A descriptive qualitative study was conducted over a period of three weeks from 11th December to 29th December 2008. The perceptions, opinions and experiences of PLHIV on ART and those of the health workers and treatment supporters were explored through in-depth interviews and focus group discussions. In-depth interviews were conducted with nine persons living with HIV (PLHIV): 5 females and 4 males. Two focus group discussions were conducted with members of 2 different PLHIV support groups from Refunsa and Chimusanya villages served by the ART clinic of St Luke Mission Hospital and another with a group of ART treatment supporters. In addition, interviews were held with five key informants, who were health workers from the ART clinic in St Luke Mission Hospital in Mpanshaya.Reported barriers to adherence among PLHIV in rural areas included experiencing side effects to ART drugs, stopping medication due to improvement in wellbeing, a lack of understanding of the importance of adherence, and forgetting to take their medication due to alcohol consumption. Other barriers included stigma and discrimination, inadequate food to support ART uptake and non disclosure of one’s status for fear of being rejected especially for women who feared rejection in relationships. Another key barrier to adherence was the religious belief held by some PLHIV that one would get healed after being prayed for and therefore discontinued treatment.Key facilitators to adherence identified in the study included getting into a regular routine of taking antiretroviral drugs (ARVs), knowledge of and belief in the efficacy of ART, disclosure of HIV status, access to social support and nutritional support. Other facilitators identified were use of treatment supporters who provided support to PLHIV by providing them with on-going adherence counseling, and making referrals to the ART facility for further support, mobile ART clinics that have brought ART services closer to the rural communities and the adaptation of strategies such as clocks and use of alarms by PLHIV to remind them to take their medication. Although better health resulting from taking ARVs was citied as a barrier to adherence it also acted as a facilitator to adherence as better health motivated PLHIV to continue taking their medication.In conclusion, based on the findings from the study a series of recommendations were made to inform the current ART adherence information and counseling strategies used by the ART facility at St Luke Mission Hospital in Mpanshaya - and other ART programmes being implemented in similar rural health facilities in Zambia. The recommendations included the need for the ART facility to address alcohol abuse among PLHIV taking ART, addressing perceptions on ARVs in the community, reviewing of the counseling programme, caring for treatment supporters, strengthening food security and livelihood opportunities for PLHIV and their families and increasing collaboration between the ART facility and the churches.

El objetivo del estudio es analizar el sistema sostenible de Rincón de Ademuz, donde perdura en el tiempo un poblado que permanece asentado desde hace dos mil años. / Ji, W. (2014). A study into the sustainable system between the wind and the villages in Rincón de Ademuz. Spain [Tesis doctoral no publicada]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/39001 / TESIS

In vier ländlichen Gemeinden Sachsens wurden die Bewohner zu ihrem Umzugsverhalten befragt. Mehr als ein Drittel der befragten Zuzügler stammt aus den Nachbargemeinden oder anderen Ortsteilen der eigenen Gemeinde. Knapp die Hälfte kam aus anderen Teilen Sachsens. Nur 14 Prozent zogen von außerhalb des Freistaats zu. Ausschlaggebend für den Zuzug sind zumeist familiäre oder persönliche Gründe. Dazu gehören die Zuzüge zum Lebenspartner oder den Kindern und Familiengründungen. Auch der Wunsch nach einem eigenen Heim wird häufig genannt. Berufliche Gründe für den Zuzug sind selten. Sie spielen dafür als Wegzugsgrund eine große Rolle. Dörfliche Ortsteile werden insbesondere von jungen Familien gewählt, um sich ihren Wunsch nach Wohneigentum zu erfüllen. Menschen, die die Nähe zu Einkaufsmöglichkeiten, ärztlicher Versorgung oder die ÖPNV-Anbindungen suchen, entscheiden sich häufiger für die Kleinstädte. Gefragt wurde auch nach der Zufriedenheit der Zugezogenen mit ihrem neuen Wohnstandort und nach Verbesserungen und Verschlechterungen der Lebensbedingungen. Die Studie legt so Stärken und Schwächen ländlicher Wohnstandorte offen und gibt Hinweise zur Steigerung der Zuzugsattraktivität von ländlichen Städten und Dörfern.

This study investigates residential segregation in a small town (countryside) in the municipality of Växjö in Sweden. The purpose of this study is to determine whether there are any relationships between the settlement of “newly-arrived” non-European immigrants in the countryside and the native Swedes’ tendency to move out of the area. The research question follows: Does the settlement of “newly-arrived” non-European immigrants in the countryside have any effect on the displacement of native residents? The study conducted a survey on 200 local native inhabitants. Guided by cultural and structural theories, using logistic regression analysis of moving out versus not moving out of the countryside, results found that the settlement of “newly-arrived” non-European immigrants in the countryside increases the native residents’ tendency to move out of the area. Native residents who experience an increased settlement of non-European immigrants in the countryside are more likely to move out of the area, compared to those who do not have such experience. Results also showed that native residents who experience an increased settlement of “newly-arrived” non-European immigrants in the municipality of Växjö, where the countryside is located, are more likely to move out of the area. In particular, native residents who had moved in from other parts of Sweden and lived a shorter period of time in the area were more likely to move out compared to natives who were born or grown up in the area. Furthermore, those who were employed, male and low-income earners were more likely to move out of the area in contrast to women, high income earners and those who were unemployed.

This study aims to investigate possible consequences for rural residents and the political legitimacy for the state. In Sweden, environmental policy is widespread, and the state aims to be the first climate-neutral welfare state. Previous research and the results from our study indicate that Swedish citizens do not like carbon dioxide taxes. Many rural residents have expressed dissatisfaction in the media with the rise in fuel prices. Therefore, we were interested in what the target group has had for consequences and what they think of the measure. The results show that the consequences have not been devastating, while the rural residents do not believe that they have the right conditions to be a part of the green transition. Surprisingly many of our interviewees have considered switching to an electric gar given the rising fuel prices. For more people to be able to switch to an electric car, targeted investments from the state are required. Our results indicate that the current green transition is not possible and fair for the people in rural areas.

Introduction: The consumption of fast food and soft drinks is a risk factor for developing overweight and obesity. This study aimed at assessing if there is association between household socioeconomic level and the consumption of fast food and soft drinks among children. Material and Methods: A cross-sectional assessment of the data from the third round (2009-2010) of the youngest cohort of the Young Lives study in Peru was conducted. Sampling was conducted in three stages: In the first one, the country was divided into equal geographical regions, excluding the 5% of the richest district; in the second stage, 20 sentinel sites were chosen and an area within each sentinel site was selected. Finally, in the third stage, eligible children were selected. Outcomes were the self-reported consumption of fast food and soft drinks (never, sometimes, and always), whereas the exposure was household socioeconomic status (in quintiles). Crude and adjusted models were created between variables of interest using Poisson regression models, with robust variance, to report prevalence ratios (PR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). Results: Data of 1901 children, of which 942 (49.6%) were girls, with a mean age of 7.5 (SD: 0.5) was analyzed. A total of 24.1% (95%CI: 22.2%-26.1%) reported always consuming fast food, whilst this number was 22.4% (20.5%-24.3%) for soft drinks. Compared to the lowest socioeconomic quintile, those who were in higher socioeconomic status had more probability of consuming fast food and soft drinks (Chi-squared for trends <0.001). The highest socioeconomic quintile had a greater probability to always consume fast food (PR=1.42; 95%CI: 1.08-1.88) and soft drinks (PR=1.71; 95%CI: 1.24-2.37). Conclusions: This study shows that there is a significant association between the household socioeconomic level and the consumption of soft drinks and fast food. / Revisión por pares

Malaria is one of the leading causes of death for children and women in Sierra Leone. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore and understand the lived experiences of women from the rural areas of Sierra Leone regarding malaria. A purposive sample of Krio women from the western rural area, aged 21-55 years, spoke English, and had taken care of someone with malaria described their perceptions and lived experiences with the disease in face-to-face interviews. The research questions were based on the health belief model and focused on knowledge, beliefs, and perceptions about malaria prevention and treatment. Interpretative phenomenological analysis was used to identify themes through coding. The findings indicated that (a) lack of doctors, medicines, and medical supplies at government clinics discourages malaria victims from visiting those clinics; (b) the use of traditional herbs is prevalent because of their effectiveness, affordability, easy access, and lack of side effects; (c) women were not aware of recommended comprehensive malaria control measures, which include the continuous use of durable insecticide nets, residual spraying, case management, and artemisinin-based therapy. The results also show that (a) pregnant women should not take prescribed medications to prevent or treat malaria because they harm the fetus, and (b) traditional herbs may be taken with Western medicines to treat severe malaria. Recommendations include: that the government evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of its current malaria programs in local clinics, and that future studies be undertaken to identify antimalarial properties in commonly accepted local herbs. Changes in policies and practices relating to the prevention and treatment of malaria will serve as building blocks for positive social change to reduce the malaria incidence rate in Sierra Leone.