Highways building and expressways in general has been taking place all over the world for tens of years. As one of the major advantages of this building up is almost automatically, except an improvement of traffic situation, mentioned the benefit to the regional development in concerned areas. However, there are a few executed studies of highways impact on the regional development and most of them are from abroad. The studies show that presence of highway has a different impact on each region. But, they also warn on the adverse effects of highways on the regional development, especially in the peripheral regions. In those regions highways rather further deepen the disparities between the core and the periphery. The town of Rokycany acts as a relatively strong centre for its hinterland and thanks to D5 highway as a suburban area of the nearby and ten times larger city of Pilsen. The traffic diverting out of the town centre was necessary even if the local shopkeepers can experience a drop of incomes. The local authorities and the major firms welcome the presence of highway.

Highways building and expressways in general has been taking place all over the world for tens of years. As one of the major advantages of this building up is almost automatically, except an improvement of traffic situation, mentioned the benefit to the regional development in concerned areas. However, there are a few executed studies of highways impact on the regional development and most of them are from abroad. The studies show that presence of highway has a different impact on each region. In peripheral regions highways rather further deepen the disparities between the core and the periphery. The town of Rokycany acts as a relatively strong centre for its hinterland and thanks to D5 highway as a suburban area of the nearby and ten times larger city of Pilsen. The traffic diverting out of the Rokycany centre was necessary even if the local shopkeepers can experience a drop of incomes. The local authorities and the major firms welcome the presence of highway. But we can't ratify development of Rokycany caused by highway D5. Key words: highway, regional development, Rokycany, questionnaire enquiry

Background: International research has shown that socioeconomically disadvantaged groups experience significantly higher mortality and morbidity rates than other groups. Both cardiovascular disease (CVD) and diabetes are major contributors to Australia's burden of disease, and individuals from lower socioeconomic groups are more likely to be affected by both, and to have worse prognoses and outcomes. There is substantial research evidence that a range of preventive activities can reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with these conditions. Research in countries with good access to primary health care services has demonstrated that socioeconomically disadvantaged groups tend to have higher levels of medical consultations, but make less use of preventive care and screening services. This fact contributes to their poorer health outcomes, as diagnosis will typically occur later than for more advantaged individuals, thus leading to a poorer prognosis. However, to date, there has been little research on the differential utilisation of preventive health services for CVD and diabetes by different socioeconomic groups in Australia. To understand socioeconomic influences on the use of preventive health services, a comprehensive review of the literature of determinants of health service utilisation was conducted and a number of explanations for this relationship considered. It was proposed that the following factors are likely to be important in this relationship: differences in the perception of the availability of, and accessibility to health care, attitudes and beliefs toward preventive health care, having a regular source of care, perception of interpersonal care from general practitioners, and social support. A number of theoretical models were also reviewed; in particular, the Andersen Behavioural Model of Health Service Research Utilisation. Aims: This doctoral research program has described the relationship between socioeconomic position (SEP) and utilisation of preventive health services in relation to CVD and diabetes. It aims to improve the understanding of the determinants of uptake and utilisation of preventive health services in general practice by different socioeconomic groups in Australia. Methods: The study was conducted in Brisbane Australia, in 2004, using a cross-sectional design and a self-administered mailed survey for data collection. A sample of adults aged 25-64 years was selected randomly from the Brisbane Electoral Roll. A conceptual model incorporating a range of relevant socio-demographic, risk-factor and behavioural variables in the relationship between SEP and GP-based use of preventive health services was used to develop a self-administered questionnaire. The questionnaire was pilot-tested and then reviewed by a panel of international experts. A new self-administered questionnaire, the Health Service Utilisation Questionnaire (HSUQ), was developed. It included 79 items: 12 socio-demographic items; 10 items assessing health status, disease conditions and smoking status; 20 items assessing use of health services; and 37 items assessing the factors that might affect use of health services utilisation. The HSUQ was then mailed to 800 randomly selected survey participants. The survey response rate was 65.6 per cent. After exclusion of those patients with cardiovascular diseases and diabetes, the final sample size was 381, consisting of 155 males and 226 females. Socioeconomic indicators were individual education level and family income. Blood pressure, blood cholesterol and blood glucose check-ups by general practitioners (GPs) were used as the major outcome variables. Nine scales and two dichotomous variables that measure those potential factors were derived following Principal Component Analysis and reliability testing. The data were analysed separately by gender, and adjusted for age and each of the socioeconomic indicators. Statistical description, bivariate analysis and multivariable modelling in SPSS were applied for the data analysis. Results: The survey results were suggestive of socioeconomically disadvantaged people being less likely than more advantaged people to utilise preventive health services for CVD and diabetes. For males, the low socioeconomic groups recorded the least use of preventive health services among the three education and income groups, including blood cholesterol and blood glucose check-ups, while the high socioeconomic group recorded the greatest use of preventive health services. There was no apparent relationship between education level and blood pressure check-up, while individuals from low-income families were less likely to go for a blood pressure check-up. For females, most of the results suggested that the low socioeconomic groups were less likely than the high socioeconomic groups to have blood cholesterol and blood glucose check-ups. However, this was not the case for blood pressure check-ups. The results showed that the low and middle socioeconomic groups were more likely than the high socioeconomic groups to have BP check-ups. However, the low socioeconomic groups were still less likely than the middle socioeconomic groups to have a blood pressure check-up. Overall, there was a similar pattern between education and income and the use of GP-based preventive health services among both males and females. The findings from the examination of the mediating factors between SEP and the GP-based use of preventive health services suggested that socioeconomically disadvantaged adults (both low level of education and low income) are more concerned about transport and travel time to health care, and accessibility to health care in terms of finding a GP who bulk bills, the cost of seeing a GP and having a choice of GP. They are also less likely to have a regular place of care and social support. These potential factors are likely to result in a lesser use of preventive health services than their high-SEP counterparts. In addition, the findings also suggested that respondents with a low level of education have less-positive attitudes towards health care, and that those from low-income families do not have a regular care provider and are less likely to visit their GP for a preventive check-up in relation to CVD and diabetes in Australia. Conclusions: Strategies for reducing socioeconomic health inequalities are partly associated with changing social and economic policies, empowering individuals, strengthening social and family networks, and improving the equity of the health care system. Strategies have been recommended for implementation in general practice that are directed at targeting the needs of disadvantaged groups; for example, providing longer consultation time and actively offering information on preventive care. Implementation of health promotion programs is needed in disadvantaged areas to keep the community informed about the availability of health services and to make health services more accessible. The health care system needs to be geographically accessible through improvements to the transport system. In addition, improving access to a regular source of primary health care is likely to be an important step in encouraging low-SEP individuals to use preventive health services.

This work maps currant situation of development assistance in Zimbabwe. It summarizes currant situation of this activity in this country and shows basic development problems: "Double-law" system, women empowerment, "Sugar mummies and sugar daddies" phenomena, religion syncretism, fear factor, "child- headed" families and a "vicious circle of poverty". This thesis states these basic development outcomes: Microfinancing, use of "physical economy" and political changes. It is divided in two main parts; theoretical and practical. In the theoretical-one it deals with geo-population discourse and historical-political discourse so that the outcomes can to be place into context of currant development problems. In practical- one it deals with research question and hypothesis, as well as own investigation at the place. It shows the general interest in development assistance in terms of education, not only in terms of money (which was anticipated). At the end there is a discussion chapter, based mostly on personal experience, which I gained during the residencies HTF UK in 2011 and 2012. The end deals with outcomes, which were done by investigation and mentioned discourses.

Background: Psychiatric inpatient staff members work with arguably the most challenging service users. However, reference to these challenges often does not go beyond ‘challenging behaviour’, offering no insight into the actual presentation, thus preventing formulation of the perceived challenges, or subsequent interventions. Moreover, studies have shown that staff responses to challenging presentations can impact on both the staff member and the service user. In particular, staff causal attributions have been shown to impact on their therapeutic response (Apel & Bar-Tal, 1996), as well as being associated with staff emotions (Colson et al., 1987). In turn, the emotional response has been found to be associated with coping, both of which have also been found to effect staff behavioural response, as well as staff members’ psychological well-being (Wykes & Whittington, 1998). However, there have been limited studies assessing these relationships with psychiatric inpatient staff. This may be due to the lack of assessment tools developed for this staff group to measure these particular domains. A specifically designed tool would enable consistent assessment to take place to build on our theoretical knowledge of psychiatric inpatient staff members’ perceived challenges, and their responses to them, as well as highlight specific areas within these domains where further staff training and support is required. Aims: The first aim of the study was to explore psychiatric staff’s views on the challenges they faced when working with service users in inpatient settings, their emotional responses, attributions, and coping strategies about those challenges and then to develop a measure which would accurately capture these (the SEACCS). The second aim was to assess the reliability of the new scale as well as explore relationships within the SEACCS. Finally, the third aim was to assess content and face validity, as well as conduct preliminary psychometric investigations of the construct validity of the newly developed measure. Method: The study was conducted using various methods across three phases. In order to generate items for the SEACCS, a systematic review of the relevant literature and semi-structured interviews took place during the first phase. Secondly, the results of Phase I were combined in order to develop and construct the SEACCS. The third phase involved a postal survey of the SEACCS (including re-test), followed by psychometric investigations to scrutinise the items, explore the reliability, and construct validity of the SEACCS.Results: Twenty three studies were included in the systematic review. The results highlighted inconsistent measurement and findings of the domains concerned. Seven multi-disciplinary staff interviews took place. Thematic analysis was used to conduct four separate analyses focusing on each of the research questions. Several themes and sub-themes were found. Themes such as: ‘Engagement’, ‘Attributions of controllability’, and ‘Behavioural responses’. Findings from the review, thematic analyses, and consultation groups (content and face validity) were combined in order to develop the 64 item SEACCS. A total of 76 multi-disciplinary psychiatric inpatient staff members completed the SEACCS, 15 of which completed re-tests. No items were removed following item scrutiny assessments. Preliminary psychometric investigations indicated good reliability, significant relationships across domains within the SEACCS, and partial construct validity with the GHQ-28.Conclusion: The results of the current study provide the first step in the development and construction of a clinically relevant tool that can be used to assess these domains. The methodological limitations and clinical implications are considered, and future directions for research in this area are suggested.

The first part of my work focuses on the theoretical description of EU regional policy, its evolution and the description and the objectives of the different programming periods. In this part of the work is also described which EU funds are being used for co-financing of different goals. Furthermore I define all operational programs which can be used to draw funds to provide grants. These information are necessarry to choose the right operational program to use. For the particular project co-financed from the European Union, I present an economic analysis of the project and a questionnaire survey which I use to do a qualitative assessment of the project and its help for the development of the region.

The first part of my work focuses on the theoretical description of EU regional policy, its evolution and the description and the objectives of the different programming periods. In this part of the work is also described which EU funds are being used for co-financing of different goals. Furthermore I define all operational programs which can be used to draw funds to provide grants. These information are necessarry to choose the right operational program to use. For the particular project co-financed from the European Union, I present an economic analysis of the project and a questionnaire survey which I use to do a qualitative assessment of the project and its help for the development of the region.

No description available.