Demographic trends and social equity: challenges for the health sector

Includes bibliography

Demographic trends and social equity: challenges facing the health sector

Includes bibliography

Demographic trends and drug abuse, 1980-1995 /

Mode of access: Internet.

Demographic trends in suicide in the UK and Ireland 1980 - 2010.

Background Ireland has the 17th highest suicide rate in the EU and the 4th highest among 15 to 24-year-old males (WHO 2012). Suicide is the leading cause of death in this age group; death by hanging accounted for 69 % of suicides in 2010. Methods This study examines youth suicide rates from 1980 to 2010 in Ireland and compares them to the rates in Northern Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales. Irish data were obtained from the Central Statistics Office and their annual reports on Vital Statistics. Northern Irish data were obtained from the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency website; Scottish data were from the General Register Office for Scotland and English/Welsh data from the Office for National Statistics website. Results There has been a threefold increase in young male suicide in Ireland over the past three decades (8.9 - 29.7 per 100,000). In contrast, there has been approximately a threefold reduction in deaths by road traffic accidents in young men in the same period (42.7 - 16.2 per 100,000). Suicide rates in young men are similar in Scotland and Northern Ireland for the same period but are 50 % lower in England and Wales. Despite the rates of hanging as a method of suicide increasing in all jurisdictions, the overall rate in England and Wales has continued to decline. Conclusion The suicide rate in Ireland remains very high and strategies to address this are urgently required. Our study indicates that national suicide prevention strategies can be effective.

THE POTENTIAL EFFECTS OF A COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM ON DEMOGRAPHIC VARIABLES IN HIMALAYAN INDIAN VILLAGES

A community development program operating in the mountains of North India was studied to assess its potential effects on mortality, fertility and migration patterns in the community which it served. The development program operated in Jaunpur Block, Tehri-Garhwal District, Uttar Pradesh State. Two comparable villages in the district were studied. The development program had been working in one for two years, and the other was completely untouched by the program.^ Since not enough time had elapsed since the beginning of the development program's work for any effects on demographic patterns to be visable in Jaunpur Block, this study looked to attitudes of village residents as indicators of future demographic trends. Existing demographic patterns and their interrelationship with socio-religious customs were examined in the test village. A questionnaire was then administered to ascertain attitudinal differences between the residents of the test village and the control village.^ The primary work of the community development program was to train women as village health workers. The results of the attitudinal comparison of the residents of the two villages showed a marked difference in attitudes relating to the position of women in society. The data showed a higher esteem for women in the test village than in the control village, and it is argued that this difference may be attributable to the work of the development program.^ Predicting future demographic trends in Jaunpur Block on the basis of the observed difference in villagers' attitudes toward the status of women is speculatory. Jaunpur Block appears to be in the demographic stage of pre-transition, maintaining relatively high rates of both mortality and fertility. Based on demographic transition theory the next significant change in demographic patterns in Jaunpur is predicted to be a decline in mortality, and an increase in the status of women is unrelated to this prediction.^ The community development program which was studied terminated unexpectedly during the time of this study. A case study of the program's final months is presented, and speculation on the future course of demographic trends in Jaunpur Block is related to the possible alternatives for future development in the area. ^

The well-being of older job-seekers : implications for the labour force participation agenda

Throughout the developed world demographic trends and their forecast consequences are attracting the attention of governments, academics, think tanks and the popular press alike. Population aging, in particular, is the focus of many and has generated extensive debate. Approaches commonly advocated in the literature include a mix of ‘population', ‘participation’ and ‘productivity’ measures. Immigration and population policy alongside industry reform and related productivity initiatives are also being pursued. Participation, however, remains a key element of the demographic change policy response. Evidence suggests however, that these approaches are unlikely to deliver the necessary labour force volumes. This has prompted a shift in the participation agenda to also include a stronger focus on skilled and experienced older workers. The literature suggests, however, that the current suite of practices are less than effective for the long-term unemployed, previously long-tenured older workers with specialised skills and trade-displaced workers. Adverse health and human capital outcomes often associated with social disadvantage are complicating factors. This reminds of the complexity of the challenge in seeking to deliver social equity to the disadvantaged and suggests a need for an alternative policy architecture. By integrating the three concepts of health capital, human capital and social capital we show how policy has to change if the older age cohorts of jobseekers are to be assisted to remain employable. This review includes an examination of current policy, a consolidation of the literature and original data.

Population aging in a globalizing labour market: implications for older workers

Against a background of population aging, and with it, warnings about the sustainability of social welfare systems and problems associated with declining labour supply, there is an increasing policy emphasis on extending working lives of older workers among the industrialised nations (Hirsch, 2003; Keese, 2005; Taylor, 2006). However, recent commentaries have tended to focus on the relationship between population aging and the labour market, largely ignoring other critical factors that are affecting older workers’ relationship with the labour market. This contrasts with extensive research undertaken in the 1980s and 1990s when the forces acting upon older workers at that time were thoroughly elucidated (e.g. Kohli et al., 1991). The focus of this paper is on the labour supply challenges for employers and nations arising from demographic trends, in combination with social and technological changes and the wider forces of globalisation, how each is responding, and how these trends are affecting older workers’ trying to secure or maintain footholds in a labour market but facing, as Richard Sennett (2006) puts it, the ‘spectre of uselessness’ as jobs they could do have either migrated to other parts of the world or have been destroyed in the wake of industry failure.

Strategic issues for the Not-for-profit sector

Bringing together some of Australia’s leading and emerging researchers studying different aspects of the not-for-profit (NFP) sector, Strategic Issues in the Not-for-Profit Sector draws on original Australian and comparative research to provide a spirited exploration of strategic issues facing NFP organisations. A diverse, vital and ever-growing sector in Australia, the NFP sector provides the organisational framework through which many of the most disadvantaged in the community receive access to services and support. However, pressures such as a changing composition, an erosion of financial sustainability, the need to professionalise, and demographic trends affecting patterns of volunteering have put pressure on the NFP sector to innovate and grow in new directions. Strategic Issues in the Not-for-Profit Sector considers the local and global drivers of change, as well as the industry, policy and community imperatives impacting upon NFP sustainability, providing a unique insight into not only the strategic issues, but also strategic responses emerging within the sector.

Science and engineering for whole of life : integrating education, research and public engagement in a collaborative environment

Policy makers increasingly recognise that an educated workforce with a high proportion of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) graduates is a pre-requisite to a knowledge-based, innovative economy. Over the past ten years, the proportion of first university degrees awarded in Australia in STEM fields is below the global average and continues to decrease from 22.2% in 2002 to 18.8% in 2010 [1]. These trends are mirrored by declines between 20% and 30% in the proportions of high school students enrolled in science or maths. These trends are not unique to Australia but their impact is of concern throughout the policy-making community. To redress these demographic trends, QUT embarked upon a long-term investment strategy to integrate education and research into the physical and virtual infrastructure of the campus, recognising that expectations of students change as rapidly as technology and learning practices change. To implement this strategy, physical infrastructure refurbishment/re-building is accompanied by upgraded technologies not only for learning but also for research. QUT’s vision for its city-based campuses is to create vibrant and attractive places to learn and research and to link strongly to the wider surrounding community. Over a five year period, physical infrastructure at the Gardens Point campus was substantially reconfigured in two key stages: (a) a >$50m refurbishment of heritage-listed buildings to encompass public, retail and social spaces, learning and teaching “test beds” and research laboratories and (b) destruction of five buildings to be replaced by a $230m, >40,000m2 Science and Engineering Centre designed to accommodate retail, recreation, services, education and research in an integrated, coordinated precinct. This landmark project is characterised by (i) self-evident, collaborative spaces for learning, research and social engagement, (ii) sustainable building practices and sustainable ongoing operation and; (iii) dynamic and mobile re-configuration of spaces or staffing to meet demand. Innovative spaces allow for transformative, cohort-driven learning and the collaborative use of space to prosecute joint class projects. Research laboratories are aggregated, centralised and “on display” to the public, students and staff. A major visualisation space – the largest multi-touch, multi-user facility constructed to date – is a centrepiece feature that focuses on demonstrating scientific and engineering principles or science oriented scenes at large scale (e.g. the Great Barrier Reef). Content on this visualisation facility is integrated with the regional school curricula and supports an in-house schools program for student and teacher engagement. Researchers are accommodated in a combined open-plan and office floor-space (80% open plan) to encourage interdisciplinary engagement and cross-fertilisation of skills, ideas and projects. This combination of spaces re-invigorates the on-campus experience, extends educational engagement across all ages and rapidly enhances research collaboration.

Falls prevention and support:: translating research, integrating services and promoting the contribution of service users for quality and innovative programmes of care

Falls are a significant threat to the safety, health and independence of older citizens. Despite the substantial evidence that is available around effective falls prevention programmes and interventions, their translation into falls reduction programmes and policies has yet to be fully realised. While hip fracture rates are decreasing, the number and incidence of fall-related hospital admissions among older people continue to rise. Given the demographic trends that highlight increasing numbers of older people in the UK, which is broadly reflected internationally, there is a financial and social imperative to minimise the rate of falls and associated injuries. Falling is closely aligned to growing older (Slips, Trips and Falls Update: From Acute and Community Hospitals and Mental Health Units in England and Wales, Department of Health, HMSO, London, 2010). According to the World Health Organization, around 30% of older people aged over 65 and 50% of those over 80 will fall each year (Falls Fact Sheet Number 344, WHO, Geneva, 2010). Falls happen as a result of many reasons and can have harmful consequences, including loss of mobility and independence, confidence and in many cases even death (Cochrane Database Syst Rev 15, 2009, 146; Slips, Trips and Falls Update: From Acute and Community Hospitals and Mental Health Units in England and Wales, Department of Health, HMSO, London, 2010; Falling Standards, Broken Promises: Report of the National
Audit of Falls and Bone Health in Older People 2010, Health Care Quality
Improvement Partnership, London, 2011). What is neither fair nor correct is the
common belief by old and young alike that falls are just another inconvenience to put up with. The available evidence justifiably supports the view that well-organised services, based upon national standards and expert guidance, can prevent future falls among older people and reduce death and disability from fractures. This paper will draw from the UK, as an exemplar for policy and practice, to discuss the strategic direction of falls prevention programmes for older people and the partnerships that need to exist between researchers, service providers and users of services to translate evidence to the clinical setting. Second, it will propose some mechanisms for disseminating evidence to healthcare professionals and other stakeholders, to improve the quality and capacity of the clinical workforce.

The role of English in international business: the case of China

Esta tese propõe-se examinar o papel e estatuto do Inglês nos negócios internacionais na China, tomando como enquadramento a transformação deste país desde 1978 até ao presente. No quadro actual da globalização e internacionalização sociais e económicas, apresenta-se uma perspectiva das tendências demográficas e padrões económicos bem como a situação social e cultural actual da China. A relação entre a língua inglesa e práticas e valores associados e a cultura dos negócios na China também foi investigada através de um trabalho de campo realizado em empresas nacionais e internacionais, localizadas em diferentes regiões da China, em 2007 e 2008. Através dos resultados deste estudo, reconhecemos a máxima importância atribuída tanto à língua inglesa como à comunicação intercultural pela população inquirida, sublinhando a necessidade de desenvolver as competências interculturais e linguísticas orientadas para a gestão eficiente dos negócios. Com base nos nossos resultados, pode ser extraída a conclusão de que o Inglês funciona como uma ferramenta principal e um abrir de caminhos para encurtar a lacuna linguística e cultural entre as diferentes comunidades empresariais. Ajuda a China a adaptar-se e interagir com outras culturas e chegar harmoniosamente ao principio “win-win”, ou seja, alcançar o sucesso esperado nos negócios internacionais de hoje. Por outro lado, torna-se claro que os papéis, a natureza e o estatuto do Inglês/”Englishes” evoluem a par de processos de mudança social, cultural e económica. Prevê-se que esta evolução continuará, ficando a paisagem linguística mais complexa. Espera-se que este trabalho contribua para a melhor compreensão das relações entre a China e o resto do mundo.

L’étude des déterminants et des effets de la formation au sein des entreprises canadiennes : au-delà de la productivité

Les milieux de travail canadiens présentent des visages diversifiés et en pleine mutation. En raison de facteurs tels que les nouvelles technologies, la mondialisation, l’économie du savoir ou encore l’évolution démographique, la transformation des entreprises canadiennes passe par une main-d’œuvre qualifiée, adaptable et de qualité. Notre recherche s’inscrit dans le cadre des études s’intéressant aux comportements des entreprises en matière d’investissement en capital humain au Canada. Nous avons retenu un cadre théorique qui est constitué principalement de la théorie du capital humain, de celle des ressources internes et de l’approche des coûts et des bénéfices. Pour les fins de notre recherche, nous retenons une approche quantitative longitudinale, en utilisant des données secondaires issues du questionnaire des employeurs de l’Enquête sur le milieu de travail et les employés pour les années 1999 à 2005 inclusivement. La nature longitudinale de l’EMTE permet de corriger pour les biais liés à l’hétérogénéité non observée des firmes et à l’endogénéité possible de la variable de formation. Notre étude se divise globalement en trois articles. Dans les deux premiers cas, les dépenses en formation sont considérées comme une variable explicative de la productivité et du taux de roulement des employés. Dans le troisième cas, les dépenses de formation constituent la variable dépendante à l’étude. Le premier article examine l’effet des investissements en formation sur la productivité des entreprises canadiennes. La littérature scientifique traitant de l’impact de la formation sur la performance des entreprises continue de s’accroître dû aux nouvelles techniques d’estimations, à la disponibilité des données, et à l’intérêt grandissant pour le capital humain. Les résultats partiels des études antérieures montrent la possibilité que les retours des investissements réalisés en formation puissent avoir des effets au-delà de l’année courante. Sur le plan théorique, cette hypothèse a du sens, mais au niveau empirique il semble que les liens formels entre la formation et la productivité des entreprises ne sont pas clairement identifiés. Nos résultats montrent que les investissements en formation réalisés avec trois années de retard engendrent des effets positifs et significatifs sur la productivité à court et à moyen termes. L’interaction entre les différents types d’investissements permet de vérifier l’hypothèse à l’effet que les investissements en capital physique et en capital humain soient complémentaires et se supportent mutuellement. Après avoir procédé à l’estimation de l’effet des dépenses en formation structurée sur la productivité des entreprises, nous nous demandons pour quelles raisons les employeurs demeurent réticents quant aux retours des investissements en formation ? Dans le cadre de cette seconde réflexion, nous nous intéressons à deux dimensions de l’estimation du roulement, à savoir le roulement de nature volontaire et une mesure de l’optimum. Les résultats obtenus quant à l’effet des dépenses en formation structurée par employé sur les taux de roulement volontaire et optimal montrent que la relation est positive dans les deux cas. Cet article vise également à vérifier si différents outils organisationnels associés aux relations industrielles peuvent avoir un effet sur la réduction du taux de roulement volontaire des employés. Nos résultats montrent aussi que la présence syndicale et la perception d’un bon climat de travail traduisent dans un sens, un environnement dans lequel l’employeur et les employés ont des intérêts communs pour la poursuite de mêmes objectifs. Dans le cadre du troisième article, nous examinons certains déterminants des investissements en formation structurée au sein des milieux de travail. Nos résultats montrent qu’une entreprise de grande taille, qui investit davantage en capital physique par employé par rapport à la moyenne, au sein de laquelle un grand pourcentage de travailleurs utilisent un ordinateur, où il y a une proportion élevée de nouvelles embauches et pour laquelle l’employeur introduit un système cohérent de pratiques dépense davantage en formation structurée qu’une entreprise qui ne possède pas ces caractéristiques, toutes choses égales par ailleurs. Ces résultats permettent de discuter également de la complémentarité des facteurs faisant partie d’un cercle vertueux de croissance des entreprises pouvant déterminer les investissements en formation.

Langue de travail de la population immigrée recensée en 2006 dans la RMR de Montréal

La langue de travail s’avère être un des principaux indicateurs de la langue d’usage publique et de l’intégration linguistique des immigrants. Au Québec, et plus particulièrement dans la RMR de Montréal, les pressions démographiques ainsi que celles posées par le statut de la langue anglaise, la mondialisation et l’utilisation de la technologie entraînent une ambiguïté quant à la nécessité de l’utilisation du français au travail. Or, cette étude porte sur la langue de travail de la population immigrante qui travaille dans la RMR de Montréal. Les analyses effectuées permettent de dresser un portrait de la langue de travail des immigrants en 2006, avec, par la suite, une mise en évidence des variables associées aux choix linguistiques des immigrants sur le marché du travail et ce, à l’aide de données tirées du recensement canadien de 2006. Les analyses descriptives réalisées démontrent que la scolarité, le pays de provenance, le contexte social québécois au moment de l’immigration et les variables linguistiques des immigrants sont les variables les plus fortement liées à l’utilisation du français, de l’anglais ou du bilinguisme au travail en 2006. Ces mêmes variables, dans les analyses explicatives, se révèlent également être les facteurs les plus fortement associés aux choix linguistiques des immigrants sur le marché du travail de la RMR de Montréal. Enfin, une étude comme celle-ci permet de constater la situation de la langue de travail chez les immigrants et, si nécessaire, de suggérer des changements aux politiques et règlements encadrant l’immigration et l’intégration linguistiques des immigrants.